Message from the Dean

January 9, 2013

U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health

The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. For many years, Americans have been dying at younger ages than people in almost all other high-income countries. This health disadvantage prevails even though the U.S. spends far more per person on health care than any other nation.

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October 2, 2012

CDC on Obesity: Public Health or Politics?

By David Pittman, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: September 29, 2012

September 21, 2012

The Joint Commission’s Annual Report on Quality and Safety, 2012 has been released. This report lists top performing hospitals based on specific criteria relative to their performance. The criteria and list of top performers can be downloaded here.

July 28, 2012

Doctor Shortage Likely to Worsen With Health Law
By ANNIE LOWREY and ROBERT PEAR
Published: July 28, 2012, The New York Times

An unfortunate consequence of opening access to health care to more people is further diluting the availability of physicians in underserved areas like the Inland Empire. Of course this is not an argument against the Affordable Care Act but rather an argument for strengthening the professional health promotion and health care manpower reserves and incentivizing their better distribution.

July 26, 2012

Since 2001, researchers now at the Claremont School of Community and Global Health have tracked developments in chronic disease risk behaviors associated with economic development in China, predicting an upswell in chronic diseases along with observed increases in tobacco consumption, alcohol abuse and obesity. The Wall Street Journal ran an article July 24th citing the China Ministry of Health's report that 85 percent of all deaths in China are now attributable to chronic diseases, that is, diseases of lifestyle and circumstance. This exceeds the 70 percent attributable to chronic disease in the U.S., a striking development over an unprecedented short period. The work in global health at SCGH led by Professor Paula Palmer addresses the epidemic in chronic diseases in developing nations and provides unique study opportunities for our students and faculty.

June 28, 2012

The Supreme Court’s ruling today upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act affirms the right of all people - and not just those with the means - to life as well as liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In many ways it is a bad law, but better a flawed law than the alternative that has heretofore denied us membership in the society of nations that care for the health and well being of all its people. The shame of our former status of health and security only for those who can afford it is behind us. Now we go about the business of enacting those features of the law that clearly serve health and security of all people, most importantly those provisions that incentivize keeping us free of disease through prevention. If the cost proves to be too great a burden, and it may, then the nation can use this flawed law to move us to a better one that even more completely assures the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that we affirm as our inalienable rights, and not just markets for exploitation.