Pilot app helps patients relay medical service feedback  

‘Irth’ is a new cost-free app available to patients at various health facilities in Philadelphia.

Users can share comments and rate care providers such as OB-GYNs, pediatricians, and nurses.

Practitioners rely on the insight to improve services – and services to families of color in particular.

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PA libraries receive financial support for structural improvements  

Pennsylvania’s public libraries have been awarded $4 million for building construction and maintenance.

Although membership and visitor numbers have declined since the onset of COVID-19, along with the rise of online book services, restoration investments are needed to provide residents with internet and supportive learning opportunities.

Wilkes-Barre’s Osterhout Free Library is among the 21 to receive over $150,000. 

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Frontline overdose reduction strategies reduce deaths 

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh studied the impact of overdose reduction strategies implemented in 29 Pennsylvania counties.

These strategies included expansion of treatment services, improved accessibility of overdose reversal drugs, and public education surrounding stigmas of addiction.

They found that regions where implementation occurred experienced 30 percent fewer lethal overdoses than those where implementation had not occurred. 

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Interventions in urban areas minimize loneliness without sacrificing aloneness 

Isolation due to the pandemic, and subsequent breakdowns in social interactions, have exacerbated loneliness and health risks such as depression and diminished immune systems.

Public spaces can be adapted to minimize stigma associated with being alone while fostering engagement and a sense of belonging.

Examples of such interventions include park chairs and round tables.

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Remote work emerges as possible contributor to rising birth rates

Despite previous predictions, the continuation of remote work during the pandemic facilitated a “mini-baby boom” as of 2021.

Preliminary data from the CDC suggests a 6.2- percent increase in birth rates compared to the 2015-2019 period, with an increase of 46,000 births since the onset of the pandemic.

Rising rates were most prevalent among first-time mothers and college-educated women. 

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Recommendations pave way for more impactful substance abuse treatment

According to the CDC, national drug overdose deaths reached record highs from 2021 to 2022 (with 100,000 fatalities).

Better understanding and advancement of treatment for opioid use disorders (OUDs) through data collection and quality measures are critical.

Furthermore, Pew recommends regular and public reporting of data and research, opportunities for individuals with lived experience to participate in decision-making processes, and disaggregation of data by race and ethnicity to combat disparities.

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