Category: Public Health

Public Health's Guide to Pivots & Possibilities

More local health data: valuable, confusing, or both?

In my days doing epidemiological modeling, I always heard the phrase “Models are always wrong, but some are useful” (attributed to George Box). And, I’m struck by the potential utility of this mindset when looking at the various population health data reports, summaries and rankings published with regularity.… Read more

Elder Abuse & Fraud – Fueled by the Opioid Crisis?

My summary of "How Elder Abuse, Fraud and Exploitation are Fueled by the Opioid Epidemic!" 

Partial Gen-X Results Unveiled Resulting in More Questions

On Tuesday (4/17/18), I attended my first Cape Fear River Watch event to hear the water results of the GenX exposure study being conducted by NC State’s Center for Human Health & the Environment. It seems the results were not surprising: the contaminant levels were below the regulatory thresholds in all samples taken.… Read more

How did Wilmington, NC go from ranking high in well-being to one of the least motivated communities in the country?

I recently came across the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, and had to check out where my new neighborhood - Wilmington, NC - ranked. In 2015, Wilmington was listed as one of the Top 10 highest well-being small communities. Two years later, the region has slipped to the bottom on all rankings except physical health.