Michele Late

Washington, D.C.

Executive Editor, Public Health Journalist and Photographer at The Nation's Health

Public health journalist, photog & executive ed of @nationshealth. Deputy director of comms, @publichealth. @pubhealthwatch contributor 🎀

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Articles

Trump’s Public Health Leaders Undermine Trust for Some

1 week ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

A weekly roundup of public health newsMore than 4 in 10 Americans say they will lose trust in public health recommendations because of new leaders appointed by the Trump administration. The findings, released April 29, come from a national poll conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and de Beaumont Foundation in March. Although 44% of U.S. adults overall said they will have less trust in federal public health agencies, the results were split starkly along party lines.
On the Job in Brief

2 weeks ago | thenationshealth.org | Michele Late
2025 APHA Policy Action Institute in D.C. to inspire action on public health advocacy

2 weeks ago | thenationshealth.org | Michele Late
Measles could surge without more vaccinations - Public Health Watch

2 weeks ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

A weekly roundup of public health newsMeasles — a disease once considered eliminated in the U.S. — could be on its way to an explosion of cases over the next two dozen years, a new study warns. At current vaccination rates, the U.S. could experience 851,300 cases of measles over the next 25 years, according to the April 24 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Texas Ranks Highest for Harmful Chemicals in Water

3 weeks ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

A weekly roundup of public health newsMore than 122 million Americans are at risk from byproducts left behind during disinfection of drinking water supplies, a new analysis from the Environmental Working Group finds. Nearly 6,000 community water systems experienced at least one instance of unsafe levels of trihalomethanes from 2019 to 2023, according to the April 10 report. The chemicals, also known as TTHMs, have been linked to birth defects and increased bladder and colorectal cancer risks.
Hospitals, patients face threats to emergency care - Public Health Watch

1 month ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

A weekly roundup of public health newsLong-festering problems within the nation’s emergency care system are increasing, putting both hospitals and patients at risk, a new report finds. Released April 7 by the RAND research organization, the report said issues such as long emergency department wait times, patient boarding in emergency department beds and high levels of uncompensated care are expanding, threatening the viability of EDs within U.S. hospitals.
Percentage of Americans Who Can't Afford Care Hits Record High

1 month ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

A weekly roundup of public health newsMore than a third of Americans can’t afford to pay for quality health care, a new national poll finds. The affordability gap also widened for people with low incomes and people of color. About 91 million people said they could not access quality health care if they needed it today because of cost, according to the West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index survey, which was conducted in November and December 2024. The rate is a new high.
APHA lawsuit halts Trump funding freeze: Association leading the way to protect public health from administration threats

1 month ago | thenationshealth.org | Michele Late
Avoidable Deaths Rise Across U.S.

1 month ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

Rates of deaths that could be prevented or treated have risen across every U.S. state in recent decades, according to a new study. At the same time, rates of the so-called avoidable deaths — which encompass deaths that could have been avoided through prevention or public health as well deaths that could have been avoided with timely, effective medical care — have been improving in other high-income countries.
Where You Live Impacts Employer-Based Health Care Costs

1 month ago | publichealthwatch.org | Michele Late

How affordable your employer-based health insurance is can depend on where you live in, a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund finds. More than 61% of U.S. adults under age 65 received health insurance through their employers in 2023, making it the nation’s largest source of coverage for workers. The average U.S. worker contributed about $10,622 toward their family health insurance plan’s premium and deductible, according to the March 13 analysis.