Latest news with #RobertWoodJohnsonFoundation
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
RFK Jr.'s vaccine comments and inside his controversial week
It's been a busy week for the "Make America Healthy Again" leader - from updating the COVID vaccine guidelines, to threatening to bar government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals. Kennedy's COVID vaccine rollbacks and comments on scientific research are concerning, and it might be difficult for people to absorb all the medical news and recommendations they're hearing about, says Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC. Similar to how Kennedy wooed supporters with his commitment to cracking down on ultraprocessed foods and artificial food dyes, his comments against scientific journals contain a nugget of truth - companies can fund research, and people need to be able to trust the scientific studies used to inform health decisions. "It's a tricky situation when you have someone who is sharing valuable information about the impact of ultraprocessed food and the influence that the large companies can have on policy, and how we have to change that, while at the same time he is spreading falsehoods about the value of vaccination on people's health," Besser says. RFK Jr., vaccine recommendations and what changed On May 15, Kennedy told people not to take "medical advice" from him after being asked about the measles vaccine by Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Mark Pocan. "What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant," he said. But on May 27, Kennedy announced in a video clip shared to X that the COVID-19 vaccine would no longer be included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, in a move that breaks with previous expert guidance. Traditionally, the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices would meet and vote on changes to the immunization schedule or recommendations on who should get vaccines before the director of the CDC makes a final call. The committee has not voted on the changes Kennedy announced, and a CDC representative was not included in Kennedy's video. Kennedy also spoke on the "Ultimate Human" podcast, calling the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet, three of the most influential medical journals in the world, "corrupt." "Unless those journals change dramatically, we are going to stop NIH scientists from publishing in them and we're going to create our own journals in-house," he said, referring to the National Institutes of Health, an HHS agency and the world's largest funder of health research. He added that these journals publish studies funded and approved by pharmaceutical companies. And there is some merit to Kennedy's statements - major food and drug companies have funded scientific research. According to a 2015 article published in The Lancet, Coca-Cola disclosed spending $118.6 million over five years on scientific research and health and wellbeing partnerships; several influential medical organizations, including the American Cancer Society, received funding from the company. RFK Jr.'s changes raise 'grave concerns' from scientific community Kennedy's move to change COVID vaccine guidelines contradicts his previous claims that he wouldn't "take away anybody's vaccines." However, the changes to the guidelines may affect what is covered by insurance and who has access to the shot if they still wish to receive it. Federal vaccine recommendations affect what private insurances will cover, and Medicaid only covers the full cost of recommended vaccines. Besser says Kennedy's updated guidelines "raise grave concerns about the stability of our vaccine recommendations." "There was no opportunity for people to explore the data that may be behind this decision or to ask questions," he explains, "which makes me feel that there could be other decisions coming with the same lack of transparency." To lead their healthiest possible life, Besser recommends that people, especially parents, consult their trusted health provider to "sort through the massive amounts of information being thrown at them." Contributing: Sudiksha Kochi
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Molokai wins Culture of Health Prize
The island of Molokai is perhaps the most rural of all of the main Hawaiian isles, with a population of just about 7, 400 on about 260 square miles of land. With its rugged landscape and steep sea cliffs, Molokai stands apart from other isles shaped by tourism and outside interests, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Its close-knit community, meanwhile, has long prioritized the aina (land ) and residents' health and self-sufficiency. These are the very reasons the foundation chose Molokai for its 2024, which comes with $250, 000. Out of hundreds of applicants from across the U.S. last summer, the foundation chose nine. It's a first for Molokai—and a first for Hawaii. 'Honestly, this is really the first time our community has been recognized for our years and years of innovative efforts to try and solve our crises, ' said Kawaipuna Kalipi, a Ph.D. student in political sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 'Because on Molokai, especially, we know people won't come to save us.' Kalipi, also general manager of the Molokai Heritage Trust, co-wrote the prize application with Momi Afelin, a Molokai native and Ph.D. student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlighting the community's efforts to be resilient. Applying for the award also was intended to honor Molokai's beloved physician Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli, who at the age of 78. Aluli was a family practice doctor at the Molokai Family Health Center for decades, as well as a Native Hawaiian health advocate and activist renowned for protesting U.S. military bombing on Kahoolawe. 'We co-wrote the application in honor of Uncle Emmett and his dedication to Molokai—but really, his dedication to aina, to all of Hawaii, ' Kalipi said, 'and his reminder to us that the health of the land is the health of the people, and the health of the people is the health of the land.' The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a national philanthropy dedicated to health equity that is based in Princeton, N.J., has been awarding the Culture of Health Prize since 2013. The prize honors the work of communities 'at the forefront of addressing structural racism and other structural injustices to advance health, opportunity, and equity for all, ' according to the foundation website. Awardees are honored for taking unique approaches to health by reshaping food systems, emboldening youth leaders while honoring elders and changing the narrative about their communities. The foundation recognized Molokai as a place 'where land and people have existed in a regenerative and symbiotic relationship.' The community of Molokai has had to be resilient and resourceful while facing issues of access to health care, high poverty rates, ongoing threats to its land and resources, and other challenges. 'We have to be very creative in the ways we build out our health equity because it's challenging for doctors to come to Molokai, ' Kalipi said. 'It's challenging to get specialists, and on Molokai, by specialists I mean an eye doctor and dentist.' The island has long faced a shortage of doctors, forcing residents to travel off island to seek routine and specialized health care, oftentimes without reliable transportation. Among some of Molokai's accomplishments highlighted by the foundation are community efforts to buy back nearly a third of land from a developer to protect it for the benefit of the community. That is the mission of the Molokai Heritage Trust, a member-managed nonprofit. 'I think Molokai has also understood itself to be aina momona, land of abundance, ' Kalipi said, 'so the planning that we do and the approach that we're trying to take is a holistic one—a planetary health approach.' Without land, there is no sustenance, according to Kalipi, and Indigenous ownership and stewardship of land is necessary in order for people to cultivate their own food. 'Our communities rely heavily on our land for food, ' she said, 'and if we lose that land, imagine how many more people would have to rely on the food bank.' According to the Molokai Community Health Center, about 45 % of the island's residents have incomes below 200 % of the federal poverty line. Programs like the Mobile Market, which provides an outlet for some 65 local farmers and food producers to sell their locally grown produce to Molokai families, are a step toward self-sufficiency. The foundation also noted other accomplishments, including the creation of a 'clean energy hui ' to plan and develop a portfolio of clean-energy projects islandwide supported by the community, along with efforts to prepare for climate change. In the face of climate change, Molokai has already started planning how to adapt to erosion, flooding and sea-level rise. Climate change is one of the big issues Molokai is facing, according to Kalipi, with questions of how to prepare for it discussed at community meetings. The majority of families on Molokai live at sea level on the east side of the island, and there are two homestead subdivisions on the coast. Invasive species, including axis deer and macro algae, also pose threats to Molokai's ecosystem. The overpopulation of deer has dried out mountaintops, according to Kalipi, bringing topsoil down into the ocean and onto coral reefs. Molokai's south shore is home to one of the longest, continuous coral reefs in the islands. The foundation lauded community partnerships to reclaim the shoreline by removing invasive macro algae that threaten nearshore fisheries. To date, more than 35, 000 pounds of algae have been removed and repurposed to enrich the soil. All of it, Kalipi said, is a reflection of the community's efforts. The prize money, she said, will go back to the community and be shared among 10 or so nonprofits. Other communities that were awarded the prize include Trenton, N.J.; Jurupa Valley and Sacramento, Calif.; Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wis.; Juneau, Alaska ; Lower Eastern Shore, Md.; Sussex County, Del.; and tribes in the Great Lakes region. Juneau, Alaska's capital city, was recognized for addressing structural racism and unraveling generational trauma in order to heal, along with its leadership in reviving Indigenous culture. Sacramento, California's capital, was selected for establishing an innovative youth program called the Children's Fund using local cannabis tax revenue to help finance programs addressing mental health, substance abuse, violence and homelessness.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chabria: California isn't backing down on healthcare for immigrants, despite Trump threats
One of the many traits that set California apart from other states is the way undocumented immigrants are woven into our communities. Their economic impact is obvious, and the Golden State would be hard-pressed to keep our status as a world-competing financial power without their labor. But most Californians know, and are OK with the reality, that at least some of our neighbors, our kids' classmates, our co-workers, are without legal documents, or in blended-status families. Gov. Gavin Newsom took a stand Wednesday for those undocumented Californians that seems to have gone largely unnoticed, but which probably will be a big fight in Congress and courts. In his bad news-filled budget presentation, Newsom committed to keeping state-funded health insurance for undocumented residents (with cuts, deep ones, which I'll get to). Although some are disappointed by his rollbacks, many of which will hit citizens and noncitizens alike, standing by California's expansion to cover all low income people is a statement of values. "We've provided more support than any state in American history, and we'll continue to provide more support than any state in American history," he said. Read more: California faces an additional $12-billion budget deficit, Newsom says Sticking with that promise is going to be tough, and likely costly. This decision comes as Congress considers a Trump-led budget bill that would severely penalize states (there are 14 of them) that continue to provide health insurance to undocumented immigrants. California, of course, has the largest number of such folks on its Medi-Cal plan and would be the hardest hit if that penalty does indeed become the new law — to the tune of $27 billion over six years, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. To put that in perspective, the governor is now estimating a nearly $12-billion budget shortfall this year. That federal cut would add at least $3 billion a year to our costs once it hits. That federal cut, Newsom said, was "not anticipated in this budget," which means we are ignoring it for the time being. Federal programs aren't open to noncitizens, and no federal dollars are used to support California's expansion of healthcare to undocumented people. But Congress is threatening an approximately 10% cut in reimbursements to states that insure undocumented people via the Medicaid expansion that was part of the Affordable Care Act. That expansion allows millions of Americans to have access to healthcare. Those expansion funds are working in ways that many don't know about. For example, as Newsom pointed out, behavioral health teams doing outreach to homeless people are funded by Medicaid dollars. In all, about one-third of Californians rely on Medi-Cal, including millions of children, so this threat to cut federal funds is not an empty one, especially in a lean year. Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy advisor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which advocates for universal healthcare, said that the bill being debated by Congress is so full of cuts to healthcare that arguing against the provision penalizing coverage for undocumented people may not be a priority for most Democrats — making it more likely that the cut will get through. "I don't know if this is going to be a do-or-die issue," she said. And indeed, the pressure by Republicans to kill off coverage entirely for undocumented folks was quick. "Gov. Newsom has only partially repealed his disastrous policy," Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) said in a statement. " It needs to be reversed entirely, or Californians will continue to spend billions on coverage for illegal immigrants and our state will lose an even larger amount in federal Medicaid funding." Newsom has given economic reasons for sticking with the state's coverage for all low-income residents, regardless of status. When people don't have access to routine care, they end up in emergency rooms and that is extremely expensive. And also, Medicaid has to cover that emergency care, so taxpayers often end up spending more in the long run by skimping on upfront care. "It's definitely important to the people that get the coverage because they don't really have an alternative," Hempstead said. But that care has been vastly more expensive than California expected, also to the tune of billions of dollars in unexpected costs, in part because so many people have signed up. To the dismay of many, Newsom's budget reflects both recent economic woes — a $16-billion revenue hit caused by what he's dubbing the "Trump slump" — as well as the state vastly understimating the cost of covering those undocumented folks. That shortfall may force cuts in the coverage that undocumented people qualify for if the Legislature goes along with Newsom's plan, or even parts of it. Most notably, it would cap enrollment for undocumented adults age 19 and over in 2026, effectively closing the program to new participants. That's a huge hurt. His plan also calls for adding a $100 per month premium, and other cuts such as ending coverage for the extremely popular and expensive GLP-1 weight loss drugs for all participants. "I don't want to be in this position, but we are in this position," Newsom said. Read more: Skelton: Newsom sends clear message about increasing benefits for undocumented immigrants Amanda McAllister-Wallner, executive director of Health Access California, called those cuts "reckless and unconscionable" in a statement. "This is a betrayal of the governor's commitment to California immigrants, and an abandonment of his legacy, which brought California so close to universal healthcare,' she said. I strongly believe in universal single-payer healthcare (basically opening up Medicare to everyone), so I don't disagree with McAllister-Wallner's point. In better days, I would hope to see enrollment reopen and benefits restored. But also, we're broke. This is going to be a year of painful choices for all involved. Which makes Newsom's, and California's, commitment to keep insurance for undocumented people notable. The state could back down under this real federal pressure, could try to find a way to claw back the benefits we have already given. But there's a moral component to providing healthcare to our undocumented residents, who are such a valuable and vital part of our state. Although the fiscal realities are ugly, it's worth remembering that in providing the coverage, California is sticking with some of its most vulnerable residents, at a time when it would be easier to cut and run. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
California isn't backing down on healthcare for immigrants, despite Trump threats
SACRAMENTO — One of the many traits that set California apart from other states is the way undocumented immigrants are woven into our communities. Their economic impact is obvious, and the Golden State would be hard-pressed to keep our status as a world-competing financial power without their labor. But most Californians know, and are OK with the reality, that at least some of our neighbors, our kids' classmates, our co-workers, are without legal documents, or in blended-status families. Gov. Gavin Newsom took a stand Wednesday for those undocumented Californians that seems to have gone largely unnoticed, but which probably will be a big fight in Congress and courts. In his bad news-filled budget presentation, Newsom committed to keeping state-funded health insurance for undocumented residents (with cuts, deep ones, which I'll get to). Although some are disappointed by his rollbacks, many of which will hit citizens and noncitizens alike, standing by California's expansion to cover all low income people is a statement of values. 'We've provided more support than any state in American history, and we'll continue to provide more support than any state in American history,' he said. Sticking with that promise is going to be tough, and likely costly. This decision comes as Congress considers a Trump-led budget bill that would severely penalize states (there are 14 of them) that continue to provide health insurance to undocumented immigrants. California, of course, has the largest number of such folks on its Medi-Cal plan and would be the hardest hit if that penalty does indeed become the new law — to the tune of $27 billion over six years, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. To put that in perspective, the governor is now estimating a nearly $12-billion budget shortfall this year. That federal cut would add at least $3 billion a year to our costs once it hits. That federal cut, Newsom said, was 'not anticipated in this budget,' which means we are ignoring it for the time being. Federal programs aren't open to noncitizens, and no federal dollars are used to support California's expansion of healthcare to undocumented people. But Congress is threatening an approximately 10% cut in reimbursements to states that insure undocumented people via the Medicaid expansion that was part of the Affordable Care Act. That expansion allows millions of Americans to have access to healthcare. Those expansion funds are working in ways that many don't know about. For example, as Newsom pointed out, behavioral health teams doing outreach to homeless people are funded by Medicaid dollars. In all, about one-third of Californians rely on Medi-Cal, including millions of children, so this threat to cut federal funds is not an empty one, especially in a lean year. Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy advisor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which advocates for universal healthcare, said that the bill being debated by Congress is so full of cuts to healthcare that arguing against the provision penalizing coverage for undocumented people may not be a priority for most Democrats — making it more likely that the cut will get through. 'I don't know if this is going to be a do-or-die issue,' she said. And indeed, the pressure by Republicans to kill off coverage entirely for undocumented folks was quick. 'Gov. Newsom has only partially repealed his disastrous policy,' Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) said in a statement. ' It needs to be reversed entirely, or Californians will continue to spend billions on coverage for illegal immigrants and our state will lose an even larger amount in federal Medicaid funding.' Newsom has given economic reasons for sticking with the state's coverage for all low-income residents, regardless of status. When people don't have access to routine care, they end up in emergency rooms and that is extremely expensive. And also, Medicaid has to cover that emergency care, so taxpayers often end up spending more in the long run by skimping on upfront care. 'It's definitely important to the people that get the coverage because they don't really have an alternative,' Hempstead said. But that care has been vastly more expensive than California expected, also to the tune of billions of dollars in unexpected costs, in part because so many people have signed up. To the dismay of many, Newsom's budget reflects both recent economic woes — a $16-billion revenue hit caused by what he's dubbing the 'Trump slump' — as well as the state vastly understimating the cost of covering those undocumented folks. That shortfall may force cuts in the coverage that undocumented people qualify for if the Legislature goes along with Newsom's plan, or even parts of it. Most notably, it would cap enrollment for undocumented adults age 19 and over in 2026, effectively closing the program to new participants. That's a huge hurt. His plan also calls for adding a $100 per month premium, and other cuts such as ending coverage for the extremely popular and expensive GLP-1 weight loss drugs for all participants. 'I don't want to be in this position, but we are in this position,' Newsom said. Amanda McAllister-Wallner, executive director of Health Access California, called those cuts 'reckless and unconscionable' in a statement. 'This is a betrayal of the governor's commitment to California immigrants, and an abandonment of his legacy, which brought California so close to universal healthcare,' she said. I strongly believe in universal single-payer healthcare (basically opening up Medicare to everyone), so I don't disagree with McAllister-Wallner's point. In better days, I would hope to see enrollment reopen and benefits restored. But also, we're broke. This is going to be a year of painful choices for all involved. Which makes Newsom's, and California's, commitment to keep insurance for undocumented people notable. The state could back down under this real federal pressure, could try to find a way to claw back the benefits we have already given. But there's a moral component to providing healthcare to our undocumented residents, who are such a valuable and vital part of our state. Although the fiscal realities are ugly, it's worth remembering that in providing the coverage, California is sticking with some of its most vulnerable residents, at a time when it would be easier to cut and run.
The Hill
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump cuts to weather monitoring, climate research put millions at risk, expert warns
President Trump's cuts to monitoring weather and climate research will put millions of Americans at risk, an expert warned this week. Alonzo Plough, a researcher and chief science officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, warned in an op-ed published Monday that extreme weather and associated health risks will harm people across the country. 'Rather than protecting families and communities from these harms, however, the Trump administration has sent a far different message to the American people: You're on your own,' Plough wrote. His article comes after the Trump administration has sought to reduce federal spending, which has included major cuts to research and jobs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS). The cuts have sparked concern about the future impact of extreme weather on Americans and their communities. Due to those cuts, families and communities across the country will have a harder time preparing for and responding to extreme weather events, Plough argued. 'I find these actions to be baffling, reckless, and dangerous,' he said. Plough noted that state and local health and weather officials work tirelessly to protect their communities and alert them to hazards. Instead of following their lead, the federal government has 'cast them aside,' he argued. According to a draft document from April, the White House plans to eliminate NOAA's research office and cut 74 percent of its funding. This would also eliminate all funding for climate and weather laboratories and for regional climate data. About 15 percent of NOAA's staff have been dismissed in accordance with the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) downsizing efforts since the start of the Trump administration. In the Monday report, Plough highlighted a variety of the administration's cuts and changes, including only sending weather alerts in English harming the 67 million who speak another language, and shutting down the Office of Climate and Health Equity. 'All of this is happening as extreme weather due to climate change becomes increasingly common,' he wrote, noting how people at the highest risk are those with low incomes and that lack affordable housing, food, health care and transportation. 'These inequities are often driven by structural racism affecting Black and Brown neighborhoods in particular.' Plough called on policymakers to change course and protect communities amid increasing weather events. State and local leaders cannot accomplish it all, he said, urging federal leaders and the Trump administration to do more. 'Our lives and health depend on it,' he concluded.
