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Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Office of Population Science and Policy (OPSP) is excited to bring you The Pioneer Pulse, a brief monthly supplement to the Office’s quarterly newsletter, The Pioneer. The Pioneer Pulse is filled with news and updates on population science and policy issues affecting our region, state, and country. This month’s issue includes discussions on health care reform, information on rural and urban resident disparities, and upcoming OPSP events.
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- A piece in The Southern Illinoisan highlights the efforts of our Office to address population health issues in central and southern Illinois.
- The Executive Director of OPSP, Dr. Sameer Vohra, spoke with Newsradio WJPF. Listen to his radio interview to learn more about OPSP and the health of those in southern and central Illinois.
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- According to the National Rural Health Association, rural areas could be short 45,000 doctors by 2020. One part of OPSP's mission is to improve the health of rural residents, so this is especially relevant for OPSP's service area.
- A report published in 2014 showed the alarming rate of opioid abuse in the United States. One associated problem is infants who go through opioid withdrawal. A recent New York Times article states that "babies with the worst withdrawal symptoms are routinely separated from their mothers and whisked by ambulance, at great expense, to hospitals hours away, filling up beds intended for newborns who have even more serious problems, like heart defects." This article suggests that what these babies need most is their mother. Opioid overdose is a poignant topic for OPSP, as our mission is focused on rural populations, who are disproportionately affected by opioid use and abuse.
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Early Friday morning the Senate failed to pass the "skinny repeal," the last resort amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The skinny repeal was an attempt to repeal only the most controversial parts of the Affordable Care Act such as the individual and employer mandates. The first attempt came quickly after a procedural vote that passed by one vote on July 24th. The next step for healthcare is through regulation says Health and Human Services Secretary, Tom Price. After the votes there is still some uncertainty about the availability of insurers, especially in rural areas where access to insurance was already thin.
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Rural vs. Urban
Rural-urban cancer disparities in the United States exist in rural communities that are often overlooked and underrepresented in research studies. OPSP is working to improve research focusing on rural cancer disparities.Though cancer rates have decreased nationwide, rural areas still struggle with higher cancer related deaths, which may point to less access. This decreased access not only includes access to medical facilities, but access to health insurance as well.
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Project Highlight
Hillsboro- Little Leaps
Working in close collaboration with the Hillsboro Community Child Development Center and our partners at Hillsboro Area Hospital, this project involves evaluating the integration of brain building bags within parent/teacher/child communication using an action research approach and case study evaluation methods.
This project integrates bags of developmental objects that align with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire which evaluates the development of children from 2 months to 5 years. The bags are designed to enhance the quality of interaction between parent and child and also designed to be taken home by the parents in order to encourage ongoing interaction and brain development.
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Upcoming Events
American Academy of Pediatrics Conference Chicago, IL September 16-19th
OPSP is excited to be presenting at the AAP conference:
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Connect With Us
Office of Population Science & Policy
201 E. Madison Street
Springfield, IL 62702
(217) 545-7939
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