2016

Please click here to read a memorandum from IDPH regarding the Zika Virus.

By Noelle LordClick here to view in PDF.Mold helps convert grapes to wine, milk curd to the blue cheese that goes well with wine, and has even contributed to life-saving medical breakthroughs like penicillin. For all the good some mold can do, however, just as many species can cause serious damage. Mold doesn’t discriminate based […]

“Nearly 12,000 Americans are murdered with guns every year — a rate more than 25 times higher than that of other developed countries — and over 20,000 kill themselves with guns. Although the violent crime rate has generally decreased over the past 15 years, the gun murder rate in the U.S. has hardly changed. Because […]

“Many scientific studies have shown that the mere presence of guns can increase aggression, an effect dubbed the ‘weapons effect.’ The current research examines a potential source of the weapons effect: guns depicted in top-selling films.” Click here to read the entire article by Brad J. Bushman, PhD, Patrick E. Jamieson, PhD, Ilana Weitz, BA, […]

“Children are more likely to be exposed to violence and crime than adults are. An experience of violence can lead to lasting physical, mental, and emotional harm, whether the child is a direct victim or a witness. Children who are exposed to violence are more likely to suffer from attachment problems, regressive behavior, anxiety, and […]

By: Astha Singhal, Yu-Yu Tien, Renee Y. HsiaAbstractPrescription drug abuse is a growing problem nationally. In an effort to curb this problem, emergency physicians might rely on subjective cues such as race-ethnicity, often unknowingly, when prescribing opioids for pain-related complaints, especially for conditions that are often associated with drug-seeking behavior. Previous studies that examined racial-ethnic […]

To view in a PDF version, please click here.Socioeconomic StatusSocioeconomic status (SES) is often measured as a combination of education, income, and occupation. It is commonly conceptualized as the social standing or class of an individual or group. When viewed through a social class lens, privilege, power, and control are emphasized. Furthermore, an examination of […]

“No doubt in the course of your life, you did something, or failed to do something, that left you feeling guilty or ashamed. What if that something was in such violation of your moral compass that you felt unable to forgive yourself, undeserving of happiness, perhaps even unfit to live?  That is the fate of […]

Dear Amaal and fellow board members,I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you for the honor and privilege of working with you over the last few years on the Board of Health.  I have seen firsthand the board’s compassion, wisdom and quality in decision making that governs this health department.  I have […]

Click here to read the entire document by World Health Organization (WHO).AbstractMicrobial pollution is a key element of indoor air pollution. It is caused by hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi, in particular filamentous fungi (mould), growing indoors when sufficient moisture is available. This document provides a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence on […]