The CDC now recommends wearing masks or face coverings when outside the home to help prevent community spread of coronavirus.
Health Fact Friday
Mental Health and Quarantine
Adjusting to the quarantine efforts and stay-at-home order has been difficult. There has been a lot of change in a very short amount of time. Taking care of physical health is important in the face of COVID-19, and now taking care of mental health must be a focus in the face of social isolation due…
Advocacy Opportunities around COVID-19
Advocacy and health are closely related, and that is especially true during this period of active legislation about COVID-19. Here are some opportunities around Philadelphia and PA to contact your representatives, connect with other workers, and advocate for those in the food and health industries Attend a Town Hall to support Philadelphia Workers: https://bit.ly/3aiVHZt #SHUTDOWNBERKS: @shutdownberkscoalition Food…
COVID-19: What to Do If You Are Sick?
So you think you have covid-19. Don’t panic! For many people, this will simply mean feeling ill for a little while. Fever and cough can be treated with medicine (NSAIDs like ibuprofen are cautioned against, but acetaminophen seems to be effective and safe), but make sure to call your doctor as soon as you start…
Incarceration and Health
People serving prison sentences have much higher rates of HIV, Hepatitis C, and tuberculosis than the general population. Unfortunately, competent HIV screening and care is inconsistently available. They also have higher rates of substance abuse and mental health concerns. Once released, health care can continue to be inconsistent or inaccessible with all the life activities…
Poverty and Health
Being healthy is expensive. There are the clearly established barriers in a lack of resources (access to nutritious food, treatment and medication costs, inconsistent insurance, etc) and lack of preventative services (dental, health, etc) which can result in more costly after-the-fact treatment. These expenses resulting in poor health and lack of treatment are crucial when…
Social Determinants of Health
We have presented some statistics on several health disparities faced by Black Americans this month. The people working to reduce these disparities are working towards health equity. Health equity, according to the American Public Health Association, is the opportunity for all people to achieve their best health. In order to do this, some factors that…
Heart Disease and Stroke Disparity
The CDC keeps track of many different health data sets. One of these is called potentially preventable deaths. This is something of a confusing public health term. The number of these potentially preventable deaths can be thought of as a public health goal. If all people received appropriate and timely treatment or effective public health…
Black HIV/AIDS Awareness day
Health Disparity was our Word Wednesday this week. When a group of people is more impacted by illness than another, it is called a health disparity. This can look differently depending on the specific illness. The number of people affected, the quality of life impact, and the access to treatment are all factors to consider…
Take a Break!
Taking breaks is an important part of being healthy! Briefly disengaging from your work, whether it is physically strenuous, mentally intense or simply continuous, is a way to keep your brain and body active and able to perform what you need it to. From 20 seconds to 5 minutes, breaks can help reboot your brain…
Chronic Pain- What is it?
Chronic pain is usually defined as pain that lasts longer than 3 months, or that lasts past the expected time for healing. Chronic pain occurs for many reasons. Sometimes the pain is because of an underlying condition that does not heal, like arthritis pain that is caused by inflammation repeatedly. This pain serves the function…
Cervical Health Awareness Month
It’s Cervical Health Awareness Month! A 2019 CDC study showed that the HPV vaccine that has become widely available is reducing cervical pre-cancer. Women who had received the HPV vaccine had the most drastic decrease in pre-cancers, but unvaccinated women showed a decline as well. Without further study, the cause of decline in unvaccinated women…
Dr. Cruz is a board certified pediatrician who serves as the Medical Director for our Pediatrics and Adolescent Health Center. He has presented and/or published in the fields of community violence and domestic violence prevention, quality improvement, behavioral health, curriculum development and mentorship. In 2019 he received the Greater Philadelphia Social Innovation Award for Innovations in Healthcare.