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Call police for a woman who is changing clothes in an alley? A new program in Denver sends mental health professionals instead.

Elise Schmelzer

September 06, 2020 |

The Denver Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

To avoid unnecessary arrests and reduce police-public friction, Denver's STAR program (Support Team Assistance Response) sends a mental health professional and a paramedic to some mental-health-related 911 calls instead of sending police. In the first three months of the pilot program, the STAR team – covering only certain areas of the city during weekdays – handled 350 calls without needing police backup. STAR builds on a 4-year-old program pairing Denver police with mental health professionals. That program handled 2,223 calls in 2019 and is expanding.

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Blazing the trail: How coast slum flattened the curve

Winnie Atieno

September 04, 2020 |

Nation Africa |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Bangladesh

Although residents in Bangladesh were initially hesitant to take precautionary measures against COVID-19, once one county began reporting cases, the community took swift action. From implementing hand washing stations at the borders of the regions to teaching children and other community members how to make soap and face masks, Bangladesh has not only been able to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases, but has also been able to avoid the typical influx of cholera cases that occur during the rainy season.

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An Ohio county had the second-highest infant mortality rate in the nation. Then they started listening to Black moms.

Sarah Stankorb

September 03, 2020 |

The Lily |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cincinnati, Ohio

A local collaborative in Hamilton County, Ohio has reduced infant mortality by initiating regional educational campaigns and creating “sacred spaces” where Black women meet and learn how to become empowered to "tell the government what pregnant Black women needed." The program, which focused on three pilot neighborhoods and included leaders from the largest maternity systems in the county, resulted in the county recording the "lowest levels of infant mortality ever."

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What the U.S. can learn from Australia's hybrid health care system

William Brangham Jason Kane

September 03, 2020 |

PBS NewsHour |

Broadcast TV Programs |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Australia, Sydney

Australia's health care system combines public and private health insurance to create a hybrid model that caters to every citizen. Although there is some uncertainty surrounding the future of the private health care program due to the younger generation's tendency to choose the public option, overall, "the outcomes for both systems have been quite good," especially when compared to America's system.

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We Can Solve the Coronavirus-Test Mess Now—if We Want To

Atul Gawande

September 02, 2020 |

The New Yorker |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: South Korea

The United States is facing a coronavirus testing problem that is due to both governmental inaction and an inefficient health care system, but the nation has faced a similar problem before. When determining how best to distribute electricity, the creation of the national electric grid decentralized access, which in turn increased supply and lowered costs. To follow a similar path in regards to COVID-19 testing access, South Korea provides an example for what "a functional national grid can deliver when it comes to public health."

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Wisconsin voters should request ballots now for mail-in voting

Max Witynski

September 02, 2020 |

Wisconsin Watch |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wisconsin

In the 2020 Wisconsin primary, increased mail-in voting overwhelmed the system and last-minute decisions to vote by mail led to voter confusion. This increased ballot rejections, which can systematically disenfranchise some populations. Learning from these failures, officials will send absentee voting guidelines and applications to 2.6 million voters and use barcodes to track ballots. Due to mail delivery issues, officials also publicly urged voters to request and submit ballots well before the deadline. Critics believe the state could do much more to make voting safe and easy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The Warsaw Ghetto Can Teach The World How To Beat Back An Outbreak

Fran Kritz

September 02, 2020 |

NPR |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Poland, Warsaw

In the 1940s, typhus spread throughout the community living within the Warsaw ghetto, but cases dramatically decreased in the winter of 1941. While some researchers remain unsure why, others point towards a change in behavior that included increasing hygiene and nutrition practices and introducing social distancing.

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Hope, the Senegalese app that saves lives by optimizing blood donations

Morgane le Cam

August 30, 2020 |

Heidi.news |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Senegal, Thies

An app developed by a two telecommunications design engineers in Senegal is helping to connect hospitals with blood donors. The app alerts donors in nearby areas when blood is needed and sends "messages of thanks and donation reminders," which has helped to decrease the regional stigma about donating blood. Although the technology has not achieved widespread adoption, where it has been used, blood donations have significantly increased.

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New York Police Change Attitudes After Implicit-Bias Training

Ben Chapman

August 30, 2020 |

Wall Street Journal |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Mandatory implicit-bias training for all New York Police Department officers influenced the thinking and behavior of a majority of the department, but there is no proof that it reduced racial and ethnic disparities in the department's enforcement practices. A survey conducted after the $5.5 million, 2018-19 training program found that 70% of officers reported a better understanding of the problem and 58% said they attempted to put the coaching they received into practice. The training was aimed at increasing officers' awareness of their racial biases in order to improve relations with the community.

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A Healthy Quality of Life Should Be Available to All — Even the Poor, Sick and Disenfranchised

Jennifer Alexander

August 30, 2020 |

Law at the Margins |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tennessee

Advocates in Tenneessee are looking to California's state-funded programs that approach the issue of homelessness holistically, providing wraparound services. Social services are combined with medical care, to help those who live in poverty and are at risk of medical issues that lead to debt and eventually homelessness. The program is known as Whole Person Care and provides supportive services to those who end up in emergency rooms.

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