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As I was preparing to interview Linda Villarosa, the author of a new book, “Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation,” I saw a headline that reinforced how urgent her book’s message is: “CDC: Maternal mortality disparities have worsened.” The story, from Axios, showed in stark graphics how the maternal mortality gap between Black mothers and mothers of other races has only become larger since 2018. In 2020, the most recent year for which we have data, the maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births was 55.3 for Black women, 19.1 for white women and 18.2 for Hispanic women. (Jessica Grose, 6/22)

As the U.S. reels from a more than 1 million reported deaths due directly to the Covid-19 pandemic, another infectious disease — monkeypox — is beginning to percolate. Cases of monkeypox, which scientists have been warning about for years, continue to rise worldwide. Covid-19 followed by monkeypox offers an opportunity to reflect on what can be done to reduce the impact of this and future pandemics. (Julie L. Swann, 6/23)

One hundred and forty. That’s how many children 18 and under have been treated for gunshot wounds at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in the last 12 months — a nearly 75 percent increase from just three years ago. With so many unspeakable tragedies taking place across our country in recent weeks, we can all agree that Americans shouldn’t have to worry about being shot at their grocery store, church, school, doctor’s office, or anywhere else. We mourn the loss of life, pray, and promise “never again,” but we get stuck on the how. You’ve heard it said already, but it bears repeating: Gun violence is not a political issue. It’s a national public health emergency. And it’s time we started treating it like one. (David L. Callender and James J. McCarthy, 6/23)

In the Dallas area, college-age adults are taking their lives more often than people in any other age group, and by a wide margin. It’s heartbreaking to tally the numbers: More than 250 people in their 20s died by suicide in Dallas County the last four years, according to the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority. The reasons people contemplate suicide are complex, but mental health experts point to economic, housing and social instability as major reasons young adults are feeling increasingly hopeless. (6/23)

As the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies considers this week what programs to fund in the 2023 budget, many public health concerns will demand their attention. One funding decision that would aim to end HIV — and that goal can be achieved — would also provide long-term benefits for the entire health care system. HIV continues to infect thousands of Americans each year, many of them gay men, even though an effective prevention tool known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is available. PrEP, which lowers the risk of contracting HIV by 99%, was first approved by the FDA in 2012 as a daily pill and is now available in a superior form as an every-other-month injection. (Carl Schmid, 6/22)

Increasing the diversity of clinical trial participants is all the rage these days. The numbers tell the story: According to Food and Drug Administration data, in 2020 75% of trial participants were white, 11% were Hispanic, 8% were Black, and 6% were Asian. Given those numbers, regulators and sponsors are trying to broaden the recruitment of people from different racial and ethnic groups. But one thing is missing: a clear explanation of why this is important. (Arthur L. Caplan, 6/23)

Studies have shown that people who have a relationship with a trusted primary care provider are more likely to have higher satisfaction with the healthcare system and are less likely to need care at an emergency room or through an acute hospital admission. Simply put: when people have what they need to go for their annual checkup with a doctor they trust, our communities become healthier and we spend less on healthcare -– two priorities for us in Connecticut. (Dr. Michael Jefferson, 6/23)