Public health officials have been trying for years to get dirty syringes and the diseases they spread off Texas streets with needle exchange programs that allow IV drug users to get clean ones — and always they’ve come up short. Given November’s election results, they fear 2011 may be no different.
Julie Chang
Julie Chang is an award-winning journalist overseeing coverage of the most pressing health policy impacts on Texans. She started her career at the Beaumont Enterprise and continued at the Austin American-Statesman, where she spent eight years. Her beats have included crime, education, social services and investigations. Prior to joining the Texas Tribune, Julie served as the managing editor of County magazine, a publication of the Texas Association of Counties. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in Houston, Julie can speak Mandarin.
Posted in
Health care
A “B” for Effort
One in 10 Asian-Americans has hepatitis B, a rate that is 20 times higher than the rest of the population — and is surely pronounced in Houston, which has the fourth-largest Asian population of any U.S. metropolitan area. But state public health officials struggle to get funding for vaccinations and outreach.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
TribBlog: TYC Making Strides?
Texas’ juvenile correction agency has made major improvements in protecting youths within the past three years, according to a new report.
Posted inState Government
Red November
Rick Perry won his third full term as governor of Texas on Tuesday, defeating former Houston Mayor Bill White by a convincing double-digit margin and positioning himself for a role on the national stage. And he led a Republican army that swept all statewide offices for the fourth election in a row, took out three Democratic U.S. congressmen and was on its way to a nearly two-thirds majority in the Texas House — a mark the GOP hasn’t seen since the days following the Civil War.
Posted in
Health care
David Blumenthal: The TT Interview
The national coordinator of Health Information Technology on why it’s important for Texas doctors to make the transition to paperless medical records, how they can do it while protecting patient privacy and why rural areas are not entirely on the e-bandwagon.
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Health care
TT Interview: David Blumenthal
Dr. David Blumenthal, the national coordinator of Health Information Technology, talks about electronic medical records, why it’s important for Texas doctors to make the paperless transition and how they can do it while protecting patient privacy and improving care.
Posted in
State Government
A Quarter-Ounce of Prevention
Callers have flooded the Texas Poison Center this year with reports of chest pains and increased heart rates because of a synthetic drug that mimics marijuana. Some cities are already taking steps to outlaw the substance, and lawmakers will propose a statewide ban in the next legislative session.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: No-Show Ed Commish Peeves Legislators
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott’s absence from joint hearing at the Capitol today left some lawmakers annoyed.
Posted in
Health care
Dependents’ Day
Relief for young adults without health benefits may be on its way today, as several key provisions of federal health care reform take effect. The law mandates that insurers allow parents to enroll dependents up to age 26 regardless of their student status.