TWITTER STIRS THE ANTI-IMMIGRATION POT
In 2010, Arizona passed the “show me your papers” law–formally known as SB 1070. It gave law enforcement officers the ability to stop and detain individuals on the basis of “reasonable suspicion.” An analysis of the Twitter response showed that the law’s passing seemed to embolden those with negative attitudes towards immigrants and native-born ethnic minorities to publicly voice their opinions with greater force and frequency.
MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
In a 5-year span, the Mississippi Gulf Coast experienced the devastating effects of both Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Research in these communities finds that people who perceive their community as resilient may contribute to the actual revival of their community. Optimism and personal psychological resilience tend to strengthen a community’s ability to adapt and recover. In effect, communities that invest in mental health may be better positioned to adapt and recover after disaster.
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THE DOCTOR MAY NOT BE IN
For the past three years, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has projected that demand for physicians in the United States will increasingly outpace supply by 2030. Their 2017 update projects an even more pressing shortage than in past reports. The U.S. population is expected to grow by 12% from 2015 to 2030, with the 65 and older population experiencing significantly more growth (55%) than their 18 and under counterparts (5%). Physician supply is largely expected to remain consistent. The healthcare system faces the challenge of training an extra 40,800 to 104,900 new doctors over the coming decade to meet the projected deficit, with specialists and surgeons in especially high demand.
An aging population means an increased demand for physicians who treat the elderly, but of course, doctors are aging too—according to the report, one-third of currently active physicians will be at retirement age within the next ten years.
The report also presents the ideal scenario in which underserved or uninsured populations gain equal access to health care and insurance—a phenomenon the AAMC calls “health care utilization equity.” Projections for physician need increase by an additional 35,000 to 97,000 depending on increases in coverage. Policymakers must be aware that increasing the number of people with insurance does not necessarily increase access to care if there are not enough providers.
Graph from Statista.com, American Doctors: The Prognosis Isn't Good, by Niall McCarthy, Mar 23, 2017
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