Health

Antigen testing, explained

By Will Kubzansky and Gabriella Vulakh | February 2

With the semester just beginning and over 100 positive COVID-19 test results on campus, University health experts agree rapid antigen tests are a pivotal tool for students to keep both themselves and others safe. But unlike PCR testing, which offers little room for improvisation, at-home test-takers ...

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Tufekci and Jha discuss failures of COVID-19 response in virtual talk

By Will Kubzansky | September 24

Dr. Zeynep Tufekci, a sociologist who emerged as one of academia’s most prominent voices during the COVID-19 pandemic, joined Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the University’s School of Public Health, in a virtual conversation Wednesday afternoon.

R.I. legislators propose tax on sugary beverages

By Emily Faulhaber | May 25

Rhode Island legislators proposed a pair of bills that would impose a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages such as non-diet soda, sports drinks and fruit drinks with added sugars. The revenue from the tax would go toward providing a 50 percent discount on fruits and vegetables to those who qualify ...

Connect for Health finds ways to assist patients remotely

By Karlos Bautista | February 23

Last March, before Rhode Island locked down for the pandemic, a woman with two daughters walked into the Hasbro Adolescent Healthcare Center, where Connect for Health Program Coordinator Hilda Castillo was working. “The little girls were freezing,” Castillo said. “They were wearing flip-flops ...

Brown EMS adapts services during COVID-19 to respond to new needs of community

By Emilija Sagaityte | November 20

Vivian Van ’21 rests in her official dark-blue Emergency Medical Services uniform, which matches the sky in the backdrop of the window behind her. It’s past midnight, but she’ll be ready to respond if there is an emergency call. The clock ticks onward, pushing into her 12-hour shift. A COVID ...

Agarwal '24: In our focus on viruses, we underestimate the risk of deadly bacteria

By Yukti Agarwal | April 22

I have always found it ironic that Alexander the Great likely died of a fever. With the benefits of modern medicine, it is hard for us to appreciate the threat that fevers have posed to people in the past. Before the 1920s, fevers were the leading cause of premature death. Fevers are an evolutionarily ...

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Health

Brown converts some dorms to temporary housing for emergency personnel, first responders

By Li Goldstein | April 17

The University will open up unoccupied residence halls as temporary housing for front-line personnel isolating from their families in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 17 Today@Brown announcement from Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey. “Local ...

Health

First LGBTQ+ health clinic opens in Rhode Island

By Julia Grossman | March 11

Open Door Health opened March 2 and is now Rhode Island’s first health clinic that specializes in primary care, sexual health and other health initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community. The clinic is located at 7 Central Street in Providence. Open Door Health provides services “for individuals looking ...

Science & Research

University Health Services advises against e-cig use

By Emilija Sagaityte | September 24

Following six deaths and more than 450 cases of lung illness among people who had habitually used e-cigarettes across the country, the University’s Health Services advised community members to avoid e-cigarettes and report any adverse effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the ...

Science & Research

Quarter of undergrads sleep 6 hours or less

By Emilija Sagaityte | April 19

Sleep rejuvenates the body and the mind, and drooping eyelids, nodding heads and the temptation to succumb to a nap in lecture point to the potential risks caused by lack of sleep among some at the University. Nearly a quarter of undergraduate students who participated in The Herald’s spring 2019 ...

Health

Mayor launches menstrual product pilot program

By Alex Reice | March 4

Providence city officials announced the launch of a pilot program Feb. 20 that aims to make free menstrual hygiene products more accessible for Providence Public School students. The program aims to address stigma around menstruation and promote self-esteem in students, wrote Ben Smith, spokesperson ...

Health

Undergraduate Council of Students' program keeps students on leave connected to campus

By Trisha Thacker | March 1

The inaugural leavetaking peer program is working to help students maintain a connection to campus while on leave this semester. The Curricular Resource Center is collaborating with the Undergraduate Council of Students Wellness Committee and Student Support Services to support the program, said Peggy ...

Science & Research

University researchers link electronic health records, physician stress

By Lavanya Sathyamurthy | February 4

Over the past few years, burnout among physicians has garnered more attention from researchers; and recently, a University study confirmed that stress related to electronic health records is common among doctors. According to the study’s lead author, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Warren Alpert ...

Science & Research

Study evaluates success of weight loss surgery

By Kshitij Sachan | December 7

In an attempt to understand what makes some patients with obesity respond better to surgery than others, Professor and Chair of Epidemiology Alison Field and her team analyzed over 10,000 patients who received weight-loss surgery. They found that patients that binge ate were able to lose weight more ...

Health

Editorial: U.’s adjusted paid leave policies are commendable

By Editorial Page Board | November 29

This month, the University modified its paid sick and safe leave policies to be in compliance with the Rhode Island Sick and Safe Leave Act, signed into law by Gov. Gina Raimondo last year and put into effect this summer. The Act applies to all Rhode Island employers with more than 18 employees. It ...

Health

UHIP improves timeliness, efficiency

By Sophie Culpepper | November 2

Last week, Cranston Mayor and Republican candidate for Governor of Rhode Island Allan Fung released a television advertisement attacking incumbent Gov. Gina Raimondo for mismanaging the United Health Infrastructure Program, a Department of Human Services and Executive Office of Health and Human Services ...

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Science & Research

Med School promotes humanistic medicine

By Mia Pattillo | October 31

At the end of a year dissecting and studying cadavers, first-year students at the Alpert Medical School host an annual Ceremony of Gratitude. Each May, they meet and thank the families of those who donated their bodies to help students understand human anatomy. During the ceremony, students express ...

Science & Research

University scientists discover link between glutamate, mood

By Eugene I. Hrabarchuk | March 23

In an attempt to understand the effects that drugs like Adderall have on typical brains, scientists have found a relationship between activity of the neurotransmitter glutamate and mood for the first time, according to a study conducted by University researchers. “Considering the rising prevalence ...

Health

CNE-Partners merger moves forward despite University concerns

By Colleen Cronin | February 2

Following nine months of discussion, Care New England and Partners HealthCare announced a definitive agreement to merge Jan 25. The agreement raises questions about the state of Rhode Island’s health care system and Brown’s relationship to it.

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Health

Anti-overdose drug made available to bystanders

By Dylan Majsiak | February 2

Six months after the installation of Rhode Island’s first anti-overdose drug dispenser, around 50 additional NaloxBoxes have been installed in different municipalities and cities in the state, said Claudia Rebola, NaloxBox designer and former RISD professor. The boxes, which distribute Naloxone, are ...