Media Assistance:
 Joni Westerhouse Executive Director for Medical Communications westerhousej@wustl.edu (314) 286-0120 |
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is a leader in medical research, making countless advances each year in a variety of specialty areas. But few advancements come without obstacles. Both the research and clinical practice sectors of the health care continuum face many substantial issues daily. Among the most common of today's health care issues are: medical ethics, malpractice, disparities in care, rising costs, workplace safety, and workforce shortages.
These issues affect not only scientists and physicians, but also the hundreds of millions of Americans who seek medical treatment each year. Practically everyone is a patient at some point in his or her life, so issues of health care policy are universal. Whether as a patient or as a friend or relative of one, Americans' lives are touched by health care policy and its associated issues on a regular basis.
Lists of WUSTL health care policy experts and subtopics can be found below and throughout the links from this page. For more information or to arrange an interview with an expert, contact Joni Westerhouse (westerhousej@wustl.edu) at (314) 286-0120 or Debra Caruso (debrajcaruso@aol.com) at (212) 907-0051.
Areas of Interest
| Faculty Experts: |
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| Ross Brownson Professor (http://mednews.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/836.html) A leading expert in chronic disease prevention and an expert in the area of applied epidemiology, Ross Brownson is regarded as one of the great intellectual, educational, and practice leaders in the field of evidence-based public health. Expertise: Chronic disease prevention, evidence-based public health, policy effects on physical activity and obesity Direct contact: 314-362-9641 / rbrownson@wustl.edu |
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| Debra Haire-Joshu Professor314-362-9554 (http://mednews.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/835.html) Debra Haire-Joshu is an internationally renowned scholar of health behavior who develops population wide interventions to reduce obesity and prevent diabetes, particularly among underserved youth. Expertise: Health policy, obesity and diabetes prevention in underserved populations, public health Direct contact: 314-362-9554 / djoshu@wustl.edu |
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| Matthew Kreuter Professor (http://mednews.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/837.html) Matt Kreuter is a leading national public health expert in the field of health communications. Expertise: Health communication, cancer prevention and control, health disparities Direct contact: 314-935-3701 / mkreuter@wustl.edu |
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| Timothy McBride Professor (http://mednews.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/833.html) Tim McBride is an influential health policy analyst and leading health economist shaping the national agenda in rural health care, health insurance, Medicare policy, health economics, and access to health care. He is currently studying the uninsured, Medicare Advantage and Part D in rural areas, health ... Expertise: Health insurance, rural health care, Medicare policy, health economics, gerontology and Social Security, state health policy, economics of aging, … Direct contact: 314-935-4356 / tmcbride@wustl.edu |
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| William Peck Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor of Medicine (http://mednews.wustl.edu/sb/page/normal/592.html)
Peck, former dean of the School of Medicine, directs the University's Center for Health Policy. Revolutionary scientific advances promise great improvements in the prevention and diagnosis of disease and the treatment of patients. But major obstacles must be overcome before this enormous potential ... Expertise: Health care policy, health care costs, disparities in access to care, workforce issues Media assistance: (314) 286-0120 / westerhousej@wustl.edu |
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| News Stories & Tip Sheets: |
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| U.S. health care system headed for perfect storm Number of uninsured, rising costs, long term care and an aging population could force a major system overhaul, says leading health economist (http://mednews.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/12183.html) Aug. 27, 2008 -- "We are headed into a time when a confluence of changes are going to lead to a perfect storm, making us finally realize that our health care system needs a major overhaul," says Timothy D. McBride, Ph.D., leading health economist and professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. "As the elderly population doubles between now and about 2030, projections are that we will see at least a doubling of the costs of the federal and state health and retirement programs," he says. "That will likely be when the perfect storm hits. But if we miss it then, we will likely have missed all the storm clouds for the foreseeable future." |
| Cost of raising a child with special needs: Where does your state rank? New study finds a family's extra cost of caring for a child with special needs varies from state to state (http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11869.html) July 10, 2008 -- In a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, Paul T. Shattuck, Ph.D., professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis, found that families with similar demographics and nature of their children's special needs have different out-of-pocket health expenditures depending on the state in which they live. "This is one of the few studies that focuses on families' costs when caring for children with special needs, rather than the overall cost for society as a whole," he says. Shattuck notes that wealthier states tend to have a lower average extra cost for caring for a child with special needs. "At the low end, families in Massachusetts paid an average of $560 for out-of-pocket medical expenses," he says. "At the high end, families in Georgia shouldered an average of $970 in additional care expenses." Editor's note: Video and a complete rankings table are available. |
| Igniting a recall Quick thinking by WUSM physician leads to international investigation (http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/11693.html) May 1, 2008 -- In early January, two patients undergoing kidney dialysis at St. Louis Children's Hospital had sudden life-threatening allergic reactions that caused their eyes, lips and tongues to swell, raised their heart rates and dropped their blood pressures dangerously low. After the dialysis staff treated the children with medication that relieved the symptoms, they called infectious diseases specialist Alexis Elward, who sprung into action to help determine the cause. Little did she know it would spark an international investigation into a common blood thinner and a recall of the drug from the market. |
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| Related News Clips: |
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| X-Rays, sunshine: Could radiation be hurting your health?
CNN.com/health June 3, 2008 -- So how much radiation is too much? Scientists are still figuring that out-- and they tend to disagree about the risks. But they recently found worrying signs that radiation exposure is on the rise, thanks largely to the popularity of high-tech medical exams such as CT scans. WUSTL radiology professor Henry Royal comments on the benefits and risks of tests and treatments. |
| Campus Health's Hidden Costs
U.S. News & World Report online Feb. 1, 2008 -- Debra Harp, WUSTL's associate director of Student Health Services, comments on mandatory health insurance mandates by universities, including WUSTL. |
| Washington U. studies creation of public health school
St. Louis Business Journal and 3 others Dec. 28, 2007 -- WUSTL is exploring the possibility of increasing its involvement in the health of the region by establishing its own school of public health. As part of a strategic planning process currently under way at the university, WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro and social work dean Edward Lawlor are investigating how the university can expand its focus on public health, according to Rob Wild, assistant to the chancellor. |
| The Cataracts Are Gone -- and So Is the Need for Glasses
U.S. News & World Report Dec. 17, 2007 -- For the millions of baby boomers who will eventually need cataract surgery, here's some cheering news: New types of implantable lenses promise to restore your youthful vision. Unlike the standard single-power lenses doctors have been implanting for 30 years, the newer multifocal intraocular lenses and accommodating lenses allow patients to see near, far, and in between--and even to shed their glasses. WUSTL ophthalmology professor Jay Pepose talks about one of the options. |
| Don't ignore your body's warning signs
MSNBC.com Aug. 1, 2007 -- Article looks at why people tend to dismiss symptoms that can indicate a serious illness. Research has shown that your personality can affect how you react to medical symptoms too. A 2005 WUSTL study found that men with low overall anxiety levels were more likely to ignore symptoms of rectal cancer and delay treatment. Those with at least moderate anxiety levels, on the other hand, tended to quickly recognize symptoms such as rectal bleeding as a sign of a serious illness. |
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