Lucy Tu
@LucyTTu
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2024 Rhodes Scholar | @Harvard Sociology & Neuroscience | prev. @AAASMassMedia Fellow at @SciAm | Writer describing the extraordinary in everyday words. 🧬🥼
Joined December 2018
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Pinned Tweet
Here’s my beautiful mother holding the Sept. issue of
@SciAm
! Where you can find my first-ever print byline!
When my family first immigrated to Nebraska, my teachers told my mom I “wasn’t very good with words” & she shouldn’t speak Mandarin with me at home. How far we’ve come…
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Sharing personal news: I was selected as a Rhodes Scholar! I'll spend my next two years at Oxford, still writing & studying reproductive law.
Here are two photos to capture the moment: 1) Mini-me w/my family, who inspired the tenacity driving my work. 2) Me, 15 mins post-Rhodes!
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Maternal mortality in the U.S. isn't just bad. It's getting worse.
For
@sciam
, I spoke with doctors, new parents, and birth justice advocates to understand why. Most importantly, what can we do to fix the fractured state of maternal healthcare in the U.S.?
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Sharing some ✨personal news ✨! This summer, I’ll be at Scientific American as an
@AAASMassMedia
Fellow.
This has been a dream of mine since I published my first article. To be a Mass Media Fellow as an undergraduate makes me so excited for what’s to come!
Stop the presses! We’re so excited to share the 2023 Mass Media Fellows! This summer, these 21 fantastic scientists and writers will be honing their
#SciComm
skills at news outlets across the country. Learn more about the incoming class here:
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Hey mom, that's me!
I'm halfway through my time as a
@AAASMassMedia
Fellow and absolutely loving my summer of
#scicomm
. Thank you again to
@AmstatNews
for sponsoring this opportunity!
Harvard Stats teaching fellow and undergraduate Lucy Tu received the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship from the ASA! She will spend 10 weeks teaching science classes to K-12 students and working at Scientific American as a science journalist:
@AmstatNews
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Hey, that’s me! It’s T-minus 12 days until I start reporting for
@sciam
on all of the scientific gobbledygook.
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I am deeply honored to have been elected to Harvard's Phi Beta Kappa 'Junior 24' alongside 23 outstanding students. My heartfelt thanks go to my teachers, mentors, & family for their unwavering support on my academic journey.
I am truly blessed to have these people in my life!
24 members of Harvard's Class of 2024 found out on Monday that they had been elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest academic honor society.
@RyanDoanNguyen
and Rahem D. Hamid report.
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Of the articles I've written during my
@AAASMassMedia
fellowship for
@sciam
, this is a favorite.
Tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease in the world. This recent deal between public health advocates and Johnson & Johnson will make it (slightly) easier to treat.
The best TB drug was out of reach of millions--until advocates in India and S. Africa (
@StopTB
) convinced pharma giant J&J to drop prices. (W/ a little push from YA novelist
@johngreen
).
@LucyTTu
has the story.
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In my first for
@sciam
, I report on a potential breakthrough drug to prevent long COVID—a syndrome that has baffled both patients and clinicians.
Expert opinions diverge on whether this trial offers sufficient evidence to begin prescribing the medication.
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(The second grainy photo was sent to a friend who loaned me her shoes after my heel tragically and suddenly snapped before my interview).
You can read more about my plans for Oxford here:
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There is an endless list of people to thank: my brilliant professors and mentors (incl.
@JocelynViterna
&
@askdrfatima
), the folks at
@AAASMassMedia
and
@sciam
for nurturing my love of writing, & my family and friends, who have taught me to embrace joy in all that I do!
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For
@PublicHealthMag
, I spoke with
@MagdaMatache
about anti-Roma racism. Of her many insights, Magda discussed how the Roma have been labeled as "contaminators" during the COVID-19 pandemic. This narrative was all-too-familiar to me as a Chinese American.
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Before writing this story, I understood nothing about astrophysics and cosmology. Now, I understand just a bit more...and you can too!
Check out my latest for Scientific American here! 🌌🔭
Voracious black holes feeding on matter in the early universe display the curious spacetime phenomenon known as time dilation
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Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned nearly 50 years of precedent for abortion rights.
For
@sciam
, I spoke with
@JodySteinauer
of
@UCSFBixby
about the future of OB-GYN training and reproductive healthcare.
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English is not my family’s native language. Growing up, that was always most apparent when we were at the hospital.
Honored to write this piece for
@Health_Affairs
with
@beiernelson_
through the brilliant mentorship of
@askdrfatima
!
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90% of climate disasters are related to water – too much, too little, too dirty – but 3% of climate finance is invested into global water systems.
For
@PublicHealthMag
, water microbiologist Joan Rose of
@michiganstateu
tells me how we can turn the tide.
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Incarcerated persons are some of the most vulnerable and stigmatized in our society when it comes to poor healthcare, yet they have little legal recourse for medical maltreatment.
Thank you
@_Eric_Reinhart
for amplifying our work!
“The US is not a signatory to [the UN convention against torture] and lacks an independent national regulatory body charged with developing explicit health standards for correctional facilities and providing robust oversight.” NEJM is stepping up. Will we?
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So grateful to have my article on psychedelic therapy for racial trauma recognized in
@AHCJ
's Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism contest!
You can read the piece here:
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Can a fingerprint of your brain unlock the mysteries of cognitive disorders? 🧠
In
@SmithsonianMag
, I explore how scientists are harnessing the brain's power for mental health.
Read more here!
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Brilliant reporting by
@broderick_timmy
, covering a decades-old banyan tree at the physical and cultural heart of Lahaina.
The 150-year-old banyan tree has been a cultural hub for Hawaii’s town of Lahaina for centuries
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As
#ozempic
and other obesity medications make headlines, it's crucial to recognize disparities in access and quality of obesity care.
Read my latest with
@askdrfatima
,
@ObesityPsychMD
,
@Dr_K2U
, and more!
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I can't sing the praises of the Harvard Sociology Department enough! Brilliant faculty and students.
A special thank you to DUS and my future thesis advisor
@JocelynViterna
. She is the special kind of professor that truly cares about teaching and inspiring each of her students.
Congratulations to Sociology concentrator Lucy Tu!
Lucy is one of 24 juniors who were selected to join Harvard College’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
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By the way, my mother didn’t listen to those teachers. Instead, my parents helped me fall in love with writing — in English and in Mandarin.
There is still a lot to learn, but I’ve become much better with words since then. ✍️
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An all-around gorgeous story — from the precise & intricate descriptions of the science behind xenotransplantation to the touching patient stories weaved throughout.
And as an added bonus: an amazing infographic by
@ChristiansenJen
!
I've been working on this story for over a year, and it's without a doubt the most personal story I've ever written: Surgeons Aim to Transplant Organs from Pigs to Humans to Help Solve the Donor Shortage
@sciam
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As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, jails can be breeding grounds for infectious disease & health disparities. With
@askdrfatima
& James Jolin, I write in
@JournalGIM
about repairing the disconnect between correctional & mainstream healthcare.
Read here➡️
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Federal agencies are increasingly recognizing the value of
#IndigenousKnowledge
in health and climate policy. But will this progress endure in the long run?
My latest with
@MakesYouCakes
for
@PublicHealthMag
:
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Look at
@larsen_lydia
go! A fantastic story from another
@AAASMassMedia
fellow.
El Nino has officially started along with concerns about heat stress and coral bleaching in Pacific reefs. New research shows that during the 2015-16 El Nino, some reefs fared better than others due to changes in ocean current.
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New neuroimaging techniques highlight our brain’s “fingerprints” and their potential for identifying early signs of mental health disorders, including
#schizophrenia
,
#anxiety
, and
#autism
. Read my recent piece for
@DiscoverMag
here!
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How do we ensure our global blood supply is sustainable & inclusive? With
@askdrfatima
&
@SimarSBajaj
, I discuss the importance of diversity and equity in blood donation initiatives.
Read it here!
#BloodDonation
#equity
#medtwitter
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For
@healthline
, I write about Caring Contacts, a simple & overlooked suicide prevention method. It's the only approach shown to prevent deaths by suicide in clinical trials. My conversations on this topic were enlightening, and heartbreaking at times too.
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Last July,
@JamesJolin2
,
@askdrfatima
, & I wrote on the federal Inmate Exclusion Act, which prohibits using Medicaid for the healthcare of incarcerated people.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services just announced an exemption to help California inmates access medical care!
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I would be remiss if I didn’t thank
@SarahExplains
at
@sciam
for hosting me and
@AmstatNews
for sponsoring this fellowship!
Also, a huge shoutout to former fellow
@ChenMaggieSY
for her encouragement during the application process.
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For
@undarkmag
,
@JocelynViterna
and I write about the potential approval of the first OTC birth control pill in the US. But approval isn’t enough to guarantee reproductive autonomy in a post-Dobbs world.
Read why here:
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Low-income & POC communities suffer most from these birth control access barriers -- a reflection of past reproductive coercion in the US. OTC birth control can only deliver choice if these issues are addressed. As
@EbonyJHilton_MD
says, "Options mean nothing without access."
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You can read the full article here.
We've seen some major progress in cutting the costs of TB diagnosis & treatment in the last year. But there is so much more to be done!
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Respecting patients and promoting effective treatments for
#obesity
begin with person-first language, as
@SimarSBajaj
,
@askdrfatima
, and I discuss in this commentary for the European Heart Journal.
Read it here!
#medtwitter
#weightstigma
#weightbias
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Happy
#WomensHistoryMonth
! Read my story for
@PublicHealthMag
here.
These women are working to protect women’s rights and health across the globe
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For
#InternationalWomensDay
, my inaugural
@PublicHealthMag
article profiles six inspiring women's rights leaders who are challenging authoritarianism around the world.
#IWD2023
Read the story here!
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Magda was hopeful and determined to rectify these inequities. “My focus is ensuring that research is conducted in an unbiased way so we can truly diagnose the problem of racism in health.”
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If you listen to something today, make it this
@sciam
podcast, narrated by
@TulikaBose_
.
Maternal healthcare in the U.S. is in a crisis. And the burdens of discrimination and restricted access to care are unevenly distributed.
A perfect storm of factors has led to huge disparities in maternal health — from the historical links between racism and gynecology, to the systemic erasure of America’s Black midwives.
🎧 Learn more in this new podcast featured on Science Talk, co-produced with
@Nature
. 🔗…
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/🧵
Incarcerated persons are an overlooked but vulnerable population.
In 2021, 0 states met all the CDC's COVID-19 jail quarantine recommendations. 1 in 5 states failed to meet ANY recommendations. Incarcerated persons were largely omitted in state vaccine plans too.
#MedTwitter
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Thanks for sharing this piece! As psychedelic research & legislation progresses, it’s important to consider the advancement of individual and community-focused healing.
In-depth piece by
@LucyTTu
exploring how
#psychedelics
could be used to heal racial trauma.
Interestingly explores how community healing should be more explored, as racial trauma is not only felt (& continued) by an individual
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Patients with obesity & disabilities face a double burden of stigma/nonaccomodation. And both groups remain overlooked in academic literature & mainstream medicine.
Our study is the first to describe eligibility for obesity treatment by disability type➡️
A study now in press found people w/
#disabilities
had higher odds of
#obesity
& eligibility for antiobesity treatment, so insurance coverage should be expanded to cover such treatments.
@matownsend
@MechelleClaridy
@SimarSBajaj
@LucyTTu
@askdrfatima
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What can the medical/public health community do?
➡️Advocate for systemic criminal justice reform (decarceration, restorative justice)
➡️Recognize the need for jail healthcare accreditation
➡️Work w/local DOCs to improve coordination between correctional & mainstream providers
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@elenalingshao
@nytgraphics
Hi Elena! What’s the best way to reach out to you? (DMs are closed to non-verified X users).
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You can follow my writing at Scientific American here:
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@johngreen
spoke with me about this for a
@sciam
article on TB advocacy. Corporations like Cepheid hold a monopoly over TB DNA tests (the gold standard tool for diagnosis), meaning they can charge outrageous prices.
The result? ~4 million TB cases go undetected every year.
The one part of
@JNJNews
's epically bad statement I agree with is the ending--about TB diagnostics. They're right. Millions go undiagnosed because diagnostic tests are ridiculously expensive. I assume this means Johnson & Johnson will join the movement to lower prices for…
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Incarcerated people have a limited and threatened constitutional right to healthcare. In my latest article for
@NEJM
, I write about the U.S.' failure to protect the health of incarcerated individuals and what must be done. (1/6)
Read more here ⬇️
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@IsaLuzarraga
@YourMagEmerson
@TheEVVYs
Woohoo Isa! Way to represent
@mnhoofbeat
by continuing to put out some amazing journalism.
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Extremely grateful to work with
@askdrfatima
@matownsend
@MechelleClaridy
&
@SimarSBajaj
to highlight the need for inclusive, accessible communication and obesity treatment options. I learn so much from them and their experience.
#MedTwitter
#obesity
#healthequity
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This article was my first major freelance piece and my first endeavor in longform narrative journalism. Many thanks to
@GuardianJessica
for her mentorship of a young science writer.
Excited to continue reporting, writing, and parsing through scientific gobbledygook!
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First, the case for an OTC option: 1 in 3 women struggle to access birth control. With the fall of Roe, having reliable contraceptive options is crucial.
@freethepill
&
@IbisRH
have led the charge through research & advocacy.
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This was undoubtedly one of my favorite pieces of work this year: a whirlwind of conversations with mental health advocates, clinicians, and patients, and some personal reflections on how the simplest solutions are overlooked. Grateful to
@Oheytaneasha_
for guidance and support!
Another absolute favorite that I edited this year was written by
@LucyTTu
on
#depression
and Caring Contacts, and how
#interventions
around loneliness have a tangible effect on
#sui
rates
#SuicidePrevention
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8/8 Thank you to the brilliant
@Oheytaneasha_
for edits and guidance! It was an honor to work with her on a subject that’s so personally meaningful to me. Learn more about Caring Contacts through
@UWPsychiatry
’s resources here:
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FDA approval is just the first step in ensuring access to birth control. Pharmacy deserts, costs, & vague laws pose further threats. E.g., in 13 states, pharmacists can legally refuse to dispense meds like Plan B & birth control.
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Thank you to
@laurenjyoung617
for edits and to
@unamandita
for her brilliant graphics!
And sending major appreciation to
@asbryantmantha
of
@BrighamWomens
, who co-led the original study that shed light on disparities in maternal health outcomes.
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A huge thank you to
@PrerauLab
,
@manoach_d
, and Zack Shan and
@DanHermens
of
@usceduau
for sharing their insights!
#MentalHealthResearchMatters
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But “deliberate indifference” & “serious medical need” aren’t clearly defined, meaning poor healthcare conditions persist in jails. As a result of this ambiguity, incarcerated people also have few legal avenues to pursue remediation. (3/6)
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In Estelle v. Gamble (1976), SCOTUS ruled that deliberate indifference to the serious medical needs of incarcerated people violates the Eighth Amendment’s cruel & unusual punishment prohibition. (2/6)
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@JamesJolin2
@askdrfatima
Read our original paper here:
TLDR: The Inmate Exclusion Act is a long-standing barrier to health care coverage for incarcerated people, who experience extreme disparities in infectious disease risk and mental health issues.
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Thank you to
@EricTopol
,
@vass_vassiliou
, and
@BramanteCarolyn
for sharing your insights.
And to
@tanyalewis314
and
@deanmvisser
for edits and guidance on this story!
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4/8 One patient described it to me as a "death of despair." As
@AmandaKerbrat
also explained, “Suicidal people experience a profound sense of disconnection even when they do, in fact, have people in their lives.” Addressing this disconnect is the focus of Caring Contacts.
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3/8 Suicidality is complex, affected by family history, previous attempts, substance use, & access to mental health treatment, among other factors. Still, loneliness and isolation emerged as common points of discussion when I spoke with patients, clinicians, and advocates.
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This is a historic advancement for
#healthequity
& correctional health care. This exemption will create a path to care in jails & help case workers develop care plans for community reentry.
@AmandaSeitz
writes about the exemption here:
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6/8 So, why aren’t people rushing to implement this model? Tony Wood of
@AASuicidology
tells me people can’t imagine an intervention for suicide (something complex and distressing) could be so simple.
@jasoncherkis
also writes brilliantly on this subject.
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A huge thank you to
@christinemehta
for encouraging guidance and feedback and to
@mdelaware
for the brilliant story illustration.
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@AmandaSeitz
What’s next?
➡️10 other states have requested similar exemptions. CMS should approve these, & CA may be an important model for this new Medicaid policy
➡️States should expand support of community reentry programs
➡️In the long term, the US should repeal the Inmate Exclusion Act
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🧵2/8 Quick facts: suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth in the U.S. The CDC estimates 12.2 million adults in 2020 seriously considered suicide, which is a low-ball estimate according to the experts I spoke with. But suicide is also highly preventable.
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@MariusTaba
@PublicHealthMag
@MagdaMatache
Thank you for your kind words and support of this article!
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@SDenneyBull
@AHCJ
As always, so grateful to you for instilling a love of writing and the courage to use my voice! (And for teaching me how to do my hair in a professional way).
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Ensuring access to health care among incarcerated individuals is not just about justice. It’s about public health for all. Improving the health of the most vulnerable can have a ripple effect on the health of our entire society. (6/6)
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Childbirth is often seen as the riskiest part of pregnancy, but the months after delivery can be more grueling, says
@lindsayadmon
of
@UM_IHPI
.
One new mother tells me about her postpartum PTSD: “A little piece of me blamed my son. I’d feel so guilty...I felt like a bad mother.”
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This article involved more than a year of research: studying statutes, summarizing studies, and parsing through international treaties. Thank you to Dr.
@MarcellaAlsan
, Dr. Crystal Yang,
@JamesJolin2
, and Dr. Josiah Rich, my brilliant co-authors.
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7/8 The silver lining is Caring Contacts is getting more attention: a
@SanfordHealth
team is finishing a successful pilot program, & researchers at
@BUSPH
partnered with the Department of Veteran Affairs to implement Caring Letters for veterans who contact the VA’s Crisis Line.
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@KendallSciWrite
She is beauty and brains embodied. I’m a very lucky daughter!
Thank you for the kind words, Kendall.
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A huge thank you to
@JocelynViterna
for many calls and much reflection throughout this piece. And I am so grateful to Nora Belblidia for edits and Sam Yadron for fact-checking!
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5/8 The basis of the intervention is simple: providers send patients a non-demanding letter of care and connection. And the results are amazing, with reductions in deaths by suicide, hospitalizations, suicidal ideation, & suicide attempts seen across clinical trials.
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People of color & low-income individuals are heavily overrepresented in the incarcerated population. E.g., Black Americans are 5.1 times more likely to be imprisoned than White Americans. So, discussions on achieving
#healthequity
in the U.S. must include jail healthcare. (5/6)
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