Digital Commons Network^™

Children And Homelessness In Massachusetts, Donna Haig Friedman, Katherine Calano, Marija Bingulac, Christine Miller, Alisa Zeliger

New England Journal of Public Policy

In Massachusetts, more than half a million children (15% of all children) live in poverty, 30% of all children live with parents who lack secure employment, and 41% live in households with high housing cost burdens. This article examines the root causes of poverty and its links to child homelessness in the state. Though the state has a long-standing progressive political legacy, the well-being of low-income families with children continues to decline. The article offers evidence about the extent of child homelessness and its profound effects on Massachusetts children and youth. The interconnectedness of what are usually thought of as …

Racial Disparity In Duration Of Patient Visits To The Emergency Department: Teaching Versus Non-Teaching Hospital, Zeynal Karaca, Herbert S. Wong

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Introduction: The sources of racial disparity in duration of patients’ visits to emergency departments (EDs) have not been documented well enough for policymakers to distinguish patient-related factors from hospital- or area-related factors. This study explores the racial disparity in duration of routine visits to EDs at teaching and non-teaching hospitals.

Methods: We performed retrospective data analyses and multivariate regression analyses to investigate the racial disparity in duration of routine ED visits at teaching and non-teaching hospitals. The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) were used in the analyses. The data include 4.3 million routine ED …

Fits And Starts: Visions For The Community Engaged University, Kevin Kecskes, Kevin Foster

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Good Morning. So, here we are in Alabama. You’ve all been here a few days. I just got here last night. And I’m again shocked. Eight o’clock in the morning and all of you had all these options and here you are.

Now, I know it was the breakfast that probably pulled you in. But anyway, thank you for coming. Let’s acknowledge the folks here at the University of Alabama for their great work [applause]. Thank you so much. Special thanks go to Dr. [Samory] Pruitt, Dr. Heather Pleasants and Dr. Ed Mullins for organizing us and working with us …

Overcoming Shortage Of Pharmacists To Provide Pharmaceutical Services In Public Health Centers In Indonesia, Yuyun Yuniar, Max Joseph Herman

Kesmas

Indonesia masih menghadapi keterbatasan jumlah apoteker di puskesmas, sehingga pihak pemerintah daerah dan puskesmas harus berupaya mengatasi permasalahan tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan ketersediaan dan distribusi tenaga pelayanan kefarmasian di puskesmas serta permasalahan dan alternatif pemecahannya. Data diambil dari hasil Riset Fasilitas Kesehatan (Rifaskes) tahun 2011I. Data kuantitatif tentang tenaga pelayanan kefarmasian di puskesmas dianalisis secara deskriptif berdasarkan regional. Data kualitatif sebagai pendukung diperoleh melalui wawancara mendalam dengan bagian kepegawaian dinas kesehatan dan apoteker empat puskesmas di Kota Bogor dan Bekasi, 3 kemudian dianalisis dengan metode analisis tema. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa Sulawesi memiliki persentase puskesmas dengan tenaga apoteker …

Friends In The Desert Foundation, Inc. Program Evaluation, Gina Brooksbank, Jessica Wilde, Holly Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This report presents an evaluation of the Friends in the Desert, Foundation Incorporated (FID), a sit-down feeding program in downtown Henderson, Nevada. The evaluation identified both strengths of the program and opportunities for growth. Major components of this report are presented in the following order: scope of work, research design, findings, recommendations, conclusions and limitations. The report recommendations provide the agency’s members and principal stakeholder groups with proposals designed to improve the program’s financial position and long-term viability. These recommendations focus on opportunities for restructure, growth, and uninterrupted success.

FID is a sit-down feeding program located at St. Timothy’s Episcopal …

The Bipartisan Senate Immigration Bill: Implications For Health Coverage And Health Access, Leighton C. Ku

Health Policy and Management Issue Briefs

No abstract provided.

Fearless: Heather Thomas, Heather L. Thomas

SURGE

This week we would like to recognize recent graduate and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Heather Thomas ’13, who is returning to Gettysburg as the fearless new coordinator for the Adams County Food Policy Council. [excerpt]

Milking The System: Do Poor People Deserve Fresh Food?, Melanie M. Meisenheimer

SURGE

Poor Americans are all lazy, selfish people who must first prove their worth as human beings if they want to be able to feed their children.

It sounds harsh, stereotypical, and judgmental when you put it like that, and few people would feel comfortable saying that exact phrase. However, it’s a perception of poverty in America that I’ve found still has a strong grip on our way of thinking. [excerpt]

Research Brief: "Weight Change Following U.S. Military Service", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about weight change among veterans before, during, and after discharge from the military. In policy and practice, physicians should discuss strategies to prevent unhealthy weight gain with veteran patients; the VA should better tailor its MOVE! weight management program to younger veterans. Suggestions for future research include looking at the reasons behind weight gain in discharged servicemembers, analyzing the strategies used by members of the Reserve/National Guard to limit weight gain, and using more samples of younger veterans to generalize results.

Local Public Health In Financial Crises: Common Decision Drivers For Changes In Services Due To Economic Downturn, Gulzar H. Shah

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Presentations (2008-2022)

We measured the impact of the 2008-2010 economic recession on local health departments (LHDs) across the United States. Between 2008 and 2010, we conducted 3 Web-based, cross-sectional surveys of a nationally representative sample of LHDs to assess cuts to budgets, workforce, and programs. By early 2010, more than half of the LHDs (53%) were experiencing cuts to their core funding. In excess of 23 000 LHDs jobs were lost in 2008-2009. All programmatic areas were affected by cuts, and more than half of protecting the health of the public, such as monitoring health status to identify and solve community health …

Comprehensive Immigration Reform And Health Care: Cbo's Analysis Of S. 744, Leighton C. Ku

Health Policy and Management Issue Briefs

No abstract provided.

Agriculture In A Water Scarce World, Allison Roberts, Amjad Assi, Bassel Daher, Men Li

Student Papers in Public Policy

According to the McKinsey report (2009), the world is facing a water scarcity challenge where agriculture is its predominant consumer. It accounts for approximately 3100 billion m³, or 71 percent of global water withdrawals today, and is expected to increase to 4500 billion m³ by 2030. This increase is due to a number of factors: growing population and the ever growing necessity to cater for its food needs, economic growth, the variability of precipitation trends and increase in global temperatures. In addition to the increase in water scarcity, the agricultural sector faces an enormous challenge of producing …

The Obesity Epidemic, Lenka Kollar, Evienne Epifano, Molly Mckneight, Jeff Miskovich, Heather Moore

Student Papers in Public Policy

The incidence of chronic, noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, is increasing at an alarming rate on the global scale. The growing prevalence of overweight and obesity have led to an upsurge in cases of diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. About 18 million people die every year from heart disease, of which diabetes and obesity are major predisposing factors. Worldwide, more than 1.1 billion adults are overweight, 312 million of which are obese. The number of children that are overweight or obese is also growing (Hossain, Parvez et al.). Obesity, and the associated diseases, has become a worldwide epidemic and …

Food Security And State: Policy Considerations For The Contemporary Food Crisis, Mangala Subramaniam, Christopher Bunka

Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI) Policy Briefs

In 1996, The World Food Summit (WFS) set a target to eradicate hunger in all countries and an immediate goal to half the number of undernourished people by 2015. Backed by the United Nations (UN), international organizations launched a global effort with the intent of achieving food security for all people. A variety of approaches were employed, including the distribution of food aid and farming supplies, skills training in agricultural development, funding for country-specific research, and legal counsel for states. Despite international efforts, over a decade later the number of undernourished was calculated to have risen by nearly 60 million …

From The Frontier: Translating Research To Practice…Qi As The Hinge Point, Paul C. Erwin

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

This article is number three in the series From the Frontier: Translating Research to Practice. The narrative describes the work of a practice-academic network in Minnesota which explored the degree to which having a culture of quality at the local health department level influenced the capacity to implement a new statewide initiative. The network conducted a mixed-methods study of grantees funded to develop and implement local policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to promote nutrition, increase activity, and reduce tobacco use and exposure. The results of their study indicated that grantees with higher performance levels in Quality Improvement (QI) …

Addressing Health Inequalities In The United States: Key Data Trends And Policy Action, Sara N. Bleich, Marian P. Jarlenski, Caryn N. Bell, Thomas A. Laveist

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Health inequalities, which have been well documented for decades, have recently become policy targets in the United States. This report summarizes current patterns and trends in health inequalities, commitments to reduce health inequalities, and progress made to eliminate health inequalities. Time trend data indicate improvements in health status and major risk factors but increases in morbidity, with black and lower-education individuals experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease. A common policy response has been priority setting in the form of national objectives or goals to address health inequalities. More research and better methods are needed to precisely measure relationships between stated …

Uplifting: Improvements In Boston Area Client Well-Being, Ryan Kling, Lisa Kalimon, Tanya Stepasiuk, Bukola Usidame, Ryan Mclane, Ryan Whalen, Ana Maria Sanchez, Michael P. Johnson Jr.

Public Policy Practicum Projects

LIFT-Boston, a local non-profit organization, entered into a collaborative partnership in September 2012 with McCormack Graduate School Public Policy Ph.D. students and faculty to develop and execute a research project. The goals of this endeavor were to assist LIFT-Boston in understanding the outcomes associated with its services and enable the organization to further pursue service goals.

The primary research questions respond to the organization’s most fundamental questions. These include how the organization’s unique service model impacts clients across several objective and subjective dimensions of well-being. Secondary questions focus on how these impacts may translate into increases or decreases in student …

Practicum Projects, Michael P. Johnson

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

Executive Summary LIFT-Boston, a local non-profit organization, entered into a collaborative partnership in September 2012 with McCormack Graduate School Public Policy Ph.D. students and faculty to develop and execute a research project. The goals of this endeavor were to assist LIFT-Boston in understanding the outcomes associated with its services and enable the organization to further pursue service goals. The primary research questions respond to the organization’s most fundamental questions. These include how the organization’s unique service model impacts clients across several objective and subjective dimensions of well-being. Secondary questions focus on how these impacts may translate into increases or decreases …

Aarp And The Politics Of The Obama Election: "Tough Times, Tough Choices", Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt

Communication Faculty Publications

The 2008 election and first two years of President Barack Obama’s administration was the context for an analysis of AARP news coverage. This research examined how news coverage was presented in the AARP Bulletin. During the health care debate, AARP often mentioned President Obama over congressional leaders. However, after passage of the law and subsequent election of a new congress, the Republican perspective offered a balance to the president’s agenda. The AARP Bulletin may be an agenda setter on controversial issues. This study explored themes, such as “tough times, tough choices,” which appeared to influence the coverage of political issues.

The South Kelso Revitalization Plan, Ashley Harris, Aaron Lande, Chris Myers, Beth Otto, John Verssue, Kate Williams

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The city of Kelso has a rich history based in a strong community ethic, hard-working people, and an economy deeply rooted in the bounty of the natural environment. This economy has changed over the last several decades, however, and the difficult transition has left its mark on the community. South Kelso in particular- one of the four neighborhood quadrants- is battling its fourth generation of disinvestment and widespread poverty. To help the City revitalize South Kelso, the aim of the South Kelso Revitalization Plan is to give voice, strength, and direction to the concerns and priorities of the South Kelso …

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Session 1-3-F: New Zealand Prospective Research: The Pacific Islands Families Study, Treatment Outcome Study And National Gambling Study, Max Abbott

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Aims

Determine optimum pathways for children and families during critical developmental periods

Identify risk and resilience factors that influence positive and negative outcomes

Provide Pacific-specific evidence

Make empirically-based strategic recommendations to improve the health and well-being of Pacific children and families and address social disparities

Animal Housing Legislation, Kelli Kirtley

Student Papers in Public Policy

Legislation relating to animal housing has been a recent topic of interest in the policy arena. Relatively speaking, it is considered a novel issue; however, this legislation has existed for several years. It is only recently that public outcry has turned the attention of policymakers to confined animal housing.

Residential Summer Camp: A New Venue For Nutrition Education And Physical Activity Promotion, Alison K. Ventura, Barry A. Garst

Publications

Millions of children attend residential summer camps each year. However, few studies have examined the potential of camps for obesity prevention efforts. Research in the domain of positive youth development has shown that camp programs as short as one week have both short- and long-term positive effects on self-esteem, self-efficacy and other youth outcomes. The objective of the present study was to highlight the potential of resident camps as promising venues for the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors in the children who attend.

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Farmer Training In Ghanaian Cocoa Farming, Michael Norton

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

While billions of dollars flow into low-income countries each year to help alleviate poverty, assessing the effectiveness of these dollars is a challenging task. The literature is rich in studies that measure the benefits of rural development programs. However, many of these studies lack a temporal dimension because they measure cost and benefits for only capital investments and for only a single, static year, while not accounting for skill enhancement. By only measuring net producer benefits during the life of the development program, the cost-benefit analyses (CBA) may not truly capture the full net benefits of a given program. In …

Acting To Address The Ocean-Related Impacts Of Climate Change On Human And National Security, With Recommendations For Priority Actions Drawn From The Discussions Of The Global Conference On Oceans, Climate And Security At The University Of Massachusetts Boston, Robbin Peach, Felix Dodds, Michael Strauss, Collaborative Institute For Oceans, Climate And Security, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Collaborative Institute for Oceans, Climate and Security Publications

In the course of the past calendar year the United States has been struck by a series of droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, wildfires, and floods whose size and path of resulting damage defy previously established patterns. The U.S. thus joins nations on every continent that have increasingly experienced extreme and extremely damaging weather events over the past two decades.

At the same time, the world’s oceans have been exhibiting a less-visible but equally dangerous sequence of temperature rise, acidification increase, fish kills, coastal erosion, salinity shifts, algae blooms, and steady decreases in commercially available fish and shellfish species.

Those impacts …

Advocacy For Marine Management: Contributions To A Policy Advocacy Initiative In The Maldives, Neal Collins

Capstone Collection

On June 5, 2009 a 42-­‐km2 area of coral reef situated in the Alif Dhaalu (South Ari) atoll of the Republic of Maldives was designated the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area (S.A. MPA) due to a globally significant whale shark aggregation site. The whale shark is notorious for its gargantuan size and docile nature, which has led to a burgeoning tourist industry that gives people the opportunity to swim with the gentle giants in tropical sites such as the Maldives. The S.A. MPA receives tens of thousands of visitors a year that engage in whale shark excursions, however, there …

Food And Community, W. K. Kellog Fou9ndation

Mickey Leland Center Information Portal

The purpose of this guide is to present a consistent voice and set of messages for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Food & Community program. These messages are catalysts that tell the story of our work together – what the work is about and, more importantly, why it matters. This guide is for W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) grantees, partners and staff involved in Food & Community. We are all in this together, working to reach our individual, organizational and collective goals. Though we each have messages specific to our cause, we can build a stronger national voice – and increase our …

Childcare And Youth Training And Technical Assistance Project (Cyttap) May 2013 Evaluation Report, Kit Alviz, Tonia Renee Durden

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project (CYTTAP) works to improve the quality and quantity of child care in 13 states with high densities of off-installation military families. From November 2011 through April 2013, face-to-face trainings, train-the-trainer events, and low- or no-cost online trainings were attended by over 14,000 individuals. Trainings included Better Kid Care (a wide range of topics including partnerships with parents, health and safety, nutrition and physical activity, and curriculum planning); Getting Started in Family Child Care (about starting a family child care business), I Am Moving, I Am Learning (about preventing childhood obesity); and …

The Forgotten Half Of Food System Reform: Using Food And Agricultural Law To Foster Healthy Food Production, Emily Broad Leib

Journal of Food Law & Policy

America is facing widespread problems with its food system, including environmental harms due to externalities from industrial farms; the increasing amount of "food _miles" traveled by the products that make up our daily meals; and the growing size and complexity of recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Indeed, the entire system that covers the life cycle of food, through production, processing, distribution, consumption, and food waste management, is in crisis. One of the most disturbing of these well-documented problems with the industrial food system is the increase in rates of obesity and diet-related illnesses. Obesity rates in the U.S. have more …