CC BY-ND At least 1.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage in April, May and the first three weeks of June 2023, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that…
Category: Anthropology
Migrants often can’t access US health care until they are critically ill – here are some of the barriers they face
“Can you tell me about cancer care for the undocumented?” I asked Henry during an interview. He was a doctor who volunteered his time at a community-based clinic designed exclusively…
Processing and grieving an ongoing loss – such as a child with a devastating injury or disability – does not fit neatly into traditional models of grief
Traditional loss is typically considered a five-stage process, linear and time-bound, where a person moves from denial to acceptance. Generally, traditional loss is linked to death – such as the…
One year after the fall of Roe v. Wade, abortion care has become a patchwork of confusing state laws that deepen existing inequalities
In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling struck down the constitutional right to abortion, society has been seeing the results of a post-Roe world. While…
Lessons from the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave
The heat dome that descended upon the Pacific Northwest in late June 2021 met a population radically unprepared for it. Almost two-thirds of households earning US$50,000 or less and 70%…
Abortion restrictions put hospital ethics committees in the spotlight – but what do they do?
Many states have imposed sweeping restrictions that all but ban abortion since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the 50-year-old constitutional right to the procedure. These laws have…
Can we train our taste buds for health? A neuroscientist explains how genes and diet shape taste
Have you ever wondered why only hummingbirds sip nectar from feeders? Unlike sparrows, finches and most other birds, hummingbirds can taste sweetness because they carry the genetic instructions necessary to…
Food insecurity already affects 12 million US homes — and reductions in SNAP benefits won’t help
Millions of Americans struggle to afford healthy meals and nutritious food. Known as “food insecurity,” this problem was already rising when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits – previously…
American Indians forced to attend boarding schools as children are more likely to be in poor health as adults
Many American Indians attended compulsory boarding schools in the 1900s or have relatives who did. My family is no different. Three generations of Running Bears – my grandparents, parents and…
Solutions for a world on fire
As the eastern U.S. and Canada reeled from days of thick wildfire smoke in early June 2023, millions of people faced the reality of climate change for the first time.…
