Awareness, Clinics
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National Health Center Week 2022

It’s National Health Center Week. As healthcare has become more and more expensive, the need for low-cost healthcare has increased. Many people living in rural parts of the country have very limited options to see a doctor, and depending on their insurance status the number of available “in-network” healthcare providers is even lower. Many people do not regularly see their doctor, only seeking care when a more serious condition arises. It can be a stressful situation to be uninsured and have an unforeseen medical problem come up — especially during the ongoing pandemic. This week is meant to celebrate and […]

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Health, Safety
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Be Safe and Healthy in the Summer Sun, Heat, and Crowds

Summer has arrived in the United States. Over the following months, it will be important to protect ourselves from the health risks posed by the sun and heat. Regardless of skin color, exposure to the sun carries many dangers to one’s skin — from wrinkles often associated with aging to freckles, sunburns, benign tumors, or cancerous skin lesions. Exposure to heat can also have many negative impacts on one’s health ranging from a rash, exhaustion, fainting, or even death. During the ongoing and evolving coronavirus pandemic, being in crowded areas — even outside — without appropriate protection measures can pose […]

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Awareness, Mental Health
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National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Minorities in America have unique mental health experiences. Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), and other minority groups experience systemic barriers in daily life that are so unrelatable for white Americans that many refuse to believe they exist. Recognizing the disparities in access and experience of mental health can raise awareness and reduce stigma for vulnerable people.   By nearly any measure, Black people suffer worse health outcomes in America. Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to white women. Black children are more than three times more likely to die after […]

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Healthcare Reform
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Criminalized Abortion Is Still Healthcare

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 50-year-old precedent of Roe v. Wade that guaranteed the right to abortion based on the 14th Amendment’s Constitutional right to privacy. On June 24, 2022, people in waiting rooms in certain states were told they couldn’t go through with their appointment for abortion — regardless of the time spent in travel, money spent following strict screenings prior to terminating a pregnancy, or risk to lives of parents and their children. Some would have to drive hours out-of-state to possibly get an appointment. Some will be forced to carry their pregnancy to term, […]

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A folder labeled "Antibiotic Resistance" with a pen and stethoscope on it, adjacent to red and white pills spilling out of an orange pill bottle.
Medicine Safety, Prescription Drugs
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Antibiotic Resistance – Dangerous and Expensive

Antibiotic resistance is a problem most healthcare providers are aware of, but many patients are not. While I learned about MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) in medical school over 40 years ago, as a pediatrician antibiotic resistance was most evident when my patients returned with persistent ear infections. In retrospect, it was more complicated than I knew at the time. While some of the resistant ear infections appeared to respond to a different antibiotic — many of which were likely caused by bacteria resistant to the initial antibiotic chosen — others did not. It is now known that a lot of […]

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About Us

Welcome to the NeedyMeds Voice! We look forward to presenting you with timely, provocative pieces on healthcare reform, patient advocacy, medication and healthcare access, and other health-related news. Our goals are to educate, enlighten, and elucidate; together, we will try to make sense of the myriad and ongoing healthcare-related changes in the U.S. today.