Department of Health Policy

March 23, 2018

Study tracks impact of NAS on state Medicaid programs 

In the United States, one infant is born every 15 minutes with withdrawal symptoms after being exposed to opioids before birth, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.

By Christina Echegaray
white pills spilling out of a prescription bottle
February 12, 2018

Opioid use increases risk of serious infections

Opioid users have a significantly increased risk of infections severe enough to require treatment at the hospital, such as pneumonia and meningitis, as compared to people who don’t use opioids.

By Craig Boerner
January 5, 2018

What you need to know about this year’s flu

Discover what strains are prominent, how effective this year’s vaccine is, and how hard the virus has hit Tennessee so far.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 21, 2017

Post-flu risks a growing concern for the elderly

Infectious disease experts are warning that flu can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and disability in elderly patients for months after they have recovered from their illness.

By Craig Boerner
November 16, 2017

Insurance commissioner outlines ACA challenges

Since 2014 the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has assisted lower- and moderate-income people who buy insurance on their own on the individual market, providing premium subsidies and discounts on out-of-pocket expenses. Under the law, people who don’t carry compliant insurance face a penalty, the so-called individual mandate. Large employers who don’t offer insurance are also penalized.

By Paul Govern
November 9, 2017

Amoxicillin alone better choice for pediatric pneumonia: study

A combination of two antibiotics is often prescribed to treat community-acquired pneumonia in children, but a JAMA Pediatrics study is now showing that using just one of the two has the same benefit to patients in most cases.

By Craig Boerner
October 26, 2017

Edwards, Schaffner honored by major infectious diseases organizations

Two highly regarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) infectious disease clinicians were recognized with service awards from prominent organizations during IDWeek in San Diego, California, Oct. 4-8.
By Craig Boerner
October 12, 2017

VIGH receives federal grants to fight kidney disease

Researchers in the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) have received two new grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at reducing the risk of kidney disease in HIV-infected adults and improving the treatment of epilepsy in children in Nigeria.
By Bill Snyder
August 3, 2017

Researchers study unique couples intervention in Mozambique to reduce HIV transmission

Researchers in the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health are testing whether a unique “couples-centered” intervention developed in the southern African nation of Mozambique can reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
By Bill Snyder
June 15, 2017

Patrick honored for neonatal abstinence syndrome research

Stephen W. Patrick, M.D., MPH, MS, has been chosen to receive the Nemours Child Health Services Research Award, recognizing his work surrounding neonatal abstinence syndrome, a drug withdrawal syndrome experienced by infants exposed to opioids while in utero.
By Christina Echegaray
June 15, 2017

Schaffner receives UpShot Award in vaccine communication

The National Vaccine Program Office in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has selected William Schaffner, M.D., to receive its 2017 NVPO UpShot Award in Vaccine Communication.
By Craig Boerner
May 11, 2017

Hepatitis C infections among pregnant women increasing

Hepatitis C infections among pregnant women nearly doubled from 2009-2014, likely a consequence of the country’s increasing opioid epidemic that is disproportionately affecting rural areas of states including Tennessee and West Virginia.
By Craig Boerner
May 4, 2017

Study finds male infants at increased risk for NAS

Male infants are more likely at birth than their female counterparts to be diagnosed with drug withdrawal symptoms, also known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and to require treatment, according to a new Vanderbilt study published in Hospital Pediatrics.
By Christina Echegaray