Discusses the threat posed by the Legionnaire's Disease bacterium and the germ's ability to thrive in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, especially in standing water. Describes ways to minimize disease risk through HVAC system design (such as locating cooling towers away from air intakes) and ways to maintain a clean…

Examines the crisis-communication strategies employed by Odwalla, Inc. during its juice contamination crisis, a crisis whose impact on public health and safety gave it the potential for developing into an issue that required public policy relief. Finds that public-relations response strategies dominated legal response strategies, followed by mixed…

Discusses implications of three recommendations concerning higher education and public health in a 1988 study, "The Future of Public Health." Recommendations address: (1) the mission of public health professionals; (2) the need for a well-informed public; and (3) the social determinants of health. Also discusses the university's role in providing…

Describes the development and testing of a clinical evaluation tool for a community health nursing course for registered nurses through review of the literature and focus groups with community health nurses and faculty. The article contains 22 references and an abbreviated form of the evaluation tool. (Author/JOW)

Discussion of teaching preventive medicine through electives describes four prototypes of innovative programs: (1) population health, (2) international health, (3) American Medical Student Association opportunities, and (4) public health degree programs. These electives enable students to participate in preventive services through experiential…

Offers a four-part plan for developing a four-year curriculum in preventive medicine: (1) develop the desired objectives or competencies; (2) present the basics in years 1 and 2; (3) focus on health promotion/disease prevention and population health in years 3 and 4; and (4) develop a mechanism to evaluate and improve the curriculum. (DB)

Discusses a report published by the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) entitled Toxic Deception: How the Chemical Industry Manipulates Science, Bends the Law, and Endangers Your Health. Voices concerns that the federal regulatory system receives favors from the chemical industry that create bias. (PVD)

Identifies three special issues and considerations Marital and Family Therapy supervisors might face with the increasing HIV/AIDS epidemic. Issues include: (1) the importance of educating therapists regarding various aspects of the disease process and transmission; (2) the ethical and legal ramifications; and (3) the considerations provided to…

Responds to an article on health literacy and social practice and suggests the article has much to offer debates about literacy and health. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) (Author/VWL)

Describes the current status of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), examining roles that school enrollment-based health insurance (SEBHI) programs play in three states and summarizing lessons SEBHI programs can offer SCHIP as states work toward full implementation. SEBHI programs are an important model leading to more…

Because many obese children become obese adults, the recent rapid increase in juvenile obesity poses a major public health challenge. Enhanced physical activity is a cornerstone in a multidisciplinary approach to preventing and treating juvenile obesity. Giving exercise recommendations focused for obese youth is critical. Cutting down on sedentary…

A mobile clinic providing health care services in rural Georgia is also a service learning laboratory for associate degree nursing students. The program enhances partnerships with community agencies, gives students a taste of community health careers, and provides preventive care to underserved rural residents. (SK)

Assessed the impact of the Office of Management and Budget's revised standards for collecting race and ethnicity data on state health departments, highlighting the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The revised standards appear to affect state health departments, adding complexity to data collection and analysis, but producing a more…

Describes the work of a task force to revise public health nursing curriculum that combined the expertise of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and specialty organizations. Discusses the current state of community/public health nursing and the model used to identify core professional knowledge and values underpinning the curriculum.…

Examines the application of public health science to the counseling profession. Specifically, reviews the public-health practices of prevention and epidemiology for their applicability to the field of counseling. Provides evidence of the counseling professions' involvement in the prevention research field through an examination of recent major…