“Pro-Life”? Give Me a Break
Introduction Conservatives love to talk about being “pro-life.” By that, they mean that they are opposed to abortion (The partisan gap in views on this issue is wider than ever.) Republicans claim that abortion is murder. I strongly disagree with that view, but I respect their stance; people are free to disagree on controversial issues. […]
Ending Healthcare Rights to Transgender Individuals Denies Their Identity
Introduction The Trump administration is set to administer a rule that takes away healthcare protections for transgender individuals, which allows for discriminatory practices within the healthcare field. Act 1557 of Health and Human Services Policy was put in place to protect anyone in healthcare, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, making healthcare an […]
The Role Of Healthcare In Human Trafficking
Introduction Studies show approximately 30% to 87.8% of trafficked victims saw a health care professional during their exploitation. In times of disasters where there is more vulnerability to be trafficked, there were approximately 50% of victims who saw a health care provider. However, there is no formal plan for what actions healthcare providers should take to […]
Coronavirus Emphasizes Structural Racism In Healthcare
Disparities Of The Healthcare System The coronavirus pandemic is evidence of inequality in the healthcare system. But it is important to recognize that these disparities are not necessarily new. Many groups are suffering disproportionately from COVID-19, including Hispanic/Latinx communities and Native American tribes, but the healthcare system has also historically been biased towards Black people. […]
Free Mental Health Care For America
Too Expensive For Care Over a decade ago, the United States Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. The act, passed by the United States Congress over a decade ago, requires insurers to cover mental illnesses fairly and as they would normally treat a physical illness in the body. Its […]
Can Volunteerism Bridge the Gap in America’s Health System?
Turned Away There has been an alarming number of incidents in which patients with complex or controversial medical conditions were turned away from hospital facilities or denied treatment. Two such cases were Laura Avila, who was turned away from a Dallas County Hospital after a plastic surgery went wrong, and Charlie Gard, whose parents were turned away from a New York […]
The Forgotten Island: Puerto Rico Still Needs Help
Have you ever wondered what happens when the news cameras turn away from an event? Does the disaster zone magically clean itself up after all the reporters have packed their bags? Unfortunately, in the case of Puerto Rico, this is for sure a no. Nearly a year after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, many of […]
The Impact of Trump’s “Gag Rule” is Anything but “Pro-Life”
The Facts Back in May, the Trump administration issued a proposal to the Department of Health and Human Services that would restrict the ability of health care professionals, working in institutions receiving federal dollars, from counseling women considering abortion procedures. The president’s actions come as no surprise given that restricting women’s access to safe, legal abortions […]
At the Heart of Healthcare
One of the most often overlooked issues in society is the well-established, direct link between poverty and health. This relationship can indeed be observed in the South Asian country of Pakistan, the sixth most populous country in the world. In Pakistan, the cycle of individual health status on the basis individual work is a vicious […]