Public Health Watch

Public Health Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization dedicated to investigating issues that affect the health of Americans. We shine a light on the flaws and injustices within the country's health systems and policies, revealing disparities and showcasing potential solutions. Operating on a national level, we partner with various media organizations, from large networks to smaller outlets, as well as colleges that focus on journalism and public health. Our mission is to uncover truths that ensure accountability among institutions and individuals, driving meaningful change.

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Articles

In the Deep South, Health Care Fights Echo Civil Rights Battles

1 week ago | publichealthwatch.org | Anna Claire Vollers

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Tara Campbell unlocked the front door of the Bricklayers Hall, a no-frills brick building on South Union Street in downtown Montgomery, half a mile from the white-domed Alabama Capitol. She was dressed in leggings, a T-shirt and bright blue running shoes. It was 8 a.m. on a Saturday, and she exuded the bouncy enthusiasm of a Zumba instructor as she welcomed the handful of Black women who’d just arrived. Like Campbell, they were dressed for a workout.
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.
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.
‘Secret Deal’ in California Would Weaken Regulations for Oil Refineries

3 weeks ago | publichealthwatch.org | Jim Morris |Molly Peterson

On August 6, 2012, a corroded, eight-inch pipe at Chevron’s oil refinery in Richmond, California, cracked open, sending a white cloud hundreds of feet into the air. The cloud quickly engulfed the 19 refinery firefighters, managers and other workers who had been trying to fix what had been a small leak in the pipe. Some of them went to ground, unable to see past their hands; most ran or crawled out of the way. Then the vapor ignited, trapping a firefighter in a truck.
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.
Court Blocks Enforcement of New Silica Dust Protections for Coal Miners

1 month ago | publichealthwatch.org | Howard Berkes |Curtis Tate

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked enforcement of a new rule to limit silica dust exposure for coal and other miners. The rule, from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), was imposed last year in response to an epidemic of severe black lung disease among coal miners. Reporting by NPR, Public Health Watch, and Louisville Public Media documented more than 4,000 cases of advanced black lung that had been previously unreported.
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.
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.