We envision a Pittsburgh that is welcoming to all, including those with disabilities, and hope to increase accessibility in the city. Though the ADA has been around for more than 20 years, accessible accommodations are still often considered an extra feature, and not a civil right with the force of federal law behind it.

"On Drugs" is a podcast where people will talk about everything related to drugs. Their experience with drugs, addiction, treatment, benefits, harms, research, drug policy, and anything else we can think of it in the future.

The goal of this podcast is to de-stigmatize this topic, to expose those who know nothing about the topic, and to put a human face and human voice to the stories we all hear about drugs.

Before we can tackle the question of what our relationship with drugs should be, we need to bring it out of the shadows, to see it for what it is, and to talk about it, openly and honestly.

About Addiction is committed to challenging harmful stereotypes surrounding addiction and recovery. In today's world, "the addict" is often depicted as someone who is lazy, weak-willed, and even dangerous to our communities. Individuals battling substance use disorders are consistently portrayed in this inaccurate and unfair light, leaving many stranded in a world of overwhelming stigma and cyclic abuse. 

The reality of addiction is that it knows no boundaries. Addiction affects people from all walks of life, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Addiction is not a lack of moral judgment, nor is it a lack of willpower. Addiction is a mental illness, a heavily-researched disruption of the body's normal physiological processes.

We, as a nation, are currently facing an epidemic of prescription drug misuse, abuse, and addiction. The number of Americans battling substance use disorders is growing exponentially, with over 100 lives lost to drug overdoses every single day. 

Thankfully, we are beginning to see increased recognition and concern for this problem. Across the nation, communities are mobilizing to create new resources for treatment and recovery. But all of these efforts can only do so much good if we continue to allow harsh and inaccurate stereotypes to propogate. It is paramount that while we continue to build these resources, we simultaneously shift public opinion about addiction away from judgment and discomfort and toward understanding, support, and acceptance. 

About Addiction believes that we must create a world where individuals with substance use disorders are first recognized for who they truly are: human beings, each unique and valuable, who have fallen on difficult times. We must make a conscious effort to learn and to understand the process of this disease and how we can help those affected. We must support our neighbors in their recovery, both short- and long-term, and empower them to re-build their lives and pursue healthy, successful futures. Re-shaping perspectives of addiction is truly the first step on the road to recovery.  

The flu is a common disease, affecting all ages, which can lead to serious illness and even death. Many people percieve the flu as something similar to a cold: It's not going to kill me. I'll be fine. I don't need my flu shot. Faces of the Flu allows people to tell their flu stories to show others how bad the disease can really be. Through this project, Faces of the Flu aims to increase the utilization of flu shots to prevent further morbidity and mortality from influenza.

To educate the underserved populations in our communities about the various resources that are available to assist the survivors of sexual assault and trauma prior to the onset of harmful coping mechanisms, as well as, eliminate the chains of generational repetition that has a tendency to occur.

The World Health Organization defines The Social Determinates of Health (SDH) as the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age, along with the systems put in place to deal with illness. These are in turn shaped by a wider set of forces that include the local environment, economics, education, social and community context, and access to healthcare.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we know that poverty limits access to healthy foods and safe neighborhoods and that more education is a predictor of better health. We also know that differences in health are striking in communities with poor SDOH such as unstable housing, low income, unsafe neighborhoods, or substandard education. By applying what we know about SDOH, we can not only improve individual and population health but also advance health equity.

Addressing these factors are vital to improve the overall health of the population. The SDH are ultimately influenced by the money, power, and resources at the local, state, and international level which has a large influence in health inequities.

Educating health professionals about the social determinants of health generates awareness among those professionals about the potential root causes of ill health and the importance of addressing them in and with communities, contributing to more effective strategies for improving health and health care for underserved individuals, communities, and populations.

The West Virginia Partnership for Health Innovation (WVPHI) is a non-profit called for by the West Virginia State Innovation Model plan to catalyze health care improvement in West Virginia. WVPHI is available as a resource to assist Governor Jim Justice, the state legislature and state agencies—namely the Department of Health and Human Resources and PEIA—as they evaluate and develop policies for health care transformation. The mission of WVPHI is to assist the state, particularly, in moving it toward a health care system that is value-based. A value-based health care system is one where there is a commitment to achieving three key outcomes: better quality of care, lower overall costs and better population health outcomes.

Value-based health care is a key way to improve West Virginia's terrible population health status. Until the state's population health improves, West Virginia cannot hope to achieve economic diversity and vitality.

Research has shown that African American women are one of the most sedentary groups of people. This is problematic because inadequate exercise along with a poor diet can contribute to medical issues, such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, and others. Our organization seeks to promote activity, a healthy diet, and lifestyle changes among African American women. We hope to improve health outcomes and quality of life.

Our goal is to create a society where an individual experiencing a mental health issue can be successful and thrive. We plan to achieve this by providing mental health education to the public creating a more understanding culture and reducing stigma. Working to collaborate and bring attention to the problems facing the mental health community. We hope to connect individuals who are suffering from a mental health problem with appropriate and effective treatment and support. We want to help the person while maintaining their independence, dignity and hope for recovery. 

We have record high numbers of people in Pittsburgh that do not have adequate access to health care services. Conservatively 20% of Pittsburgh neighbors are living below the poverty line. Sadly, Pittsburgh is above the national average for metropolitan cities. Transportation and cost are barriers to even the most basic medical care as health systems in these less fortunate areas continue to close and relocate to more affluent suburban locations.

Our goal is to close the health insurance coverage gap by providing health care free of charge for Pittsburgh’s underserved population in our neighborhoods.

The use of medical “pop-up” clinics strive to fill in the “health insurance coverage gap” in providing health care to meet the immediate needs of patients. In addition, “pop-up” clinics provide quality health care and are instrumental in connecting patients to much needed access to preventive services, disease management services, dental, vision, health education, and resources.

* To move from "diversity education" to inclusivity training.

* To empower entry-level clinicians in training, by giving them the tools they need to practice more inclusively across the lifespan of their careers: from classroom, to clinic, to educator.

* To empower educators to deliver high-quality inclusivity education and training, despite deficits in knowlede, background or self-efficacy.

According to the Healthy People 2020 Midcourse Review (2016), only 21.3% of American adults meet the minimum physical activity (PA) guideline recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity per week.  The vision of this action group is to become an advocate for prevention and wellness in health care.  This would involve a cultural shift from a reactive intervention based system to a proactive prevention based system.  This shift would prioritize maintaining an individual's independence and quality of life across the lifespan through minimizing sedentary activities and optimizing physical activity.  

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), stressful or traumatic events that a child experiences while growing up, are proven risk factors for future developmental, behavioral, and emotional distubances. For example, ACEs can impact an indiviual's lifespan, sustance abuse, high-risk sexual behavior, pregancy outcomes, and depression levels. Considering the drastic impact ACEs can have on a child's future, we believe it is imperative to increase protective factors against them and investigate how to mitigate their effects. These effort are driven by the goal of impairing the  tragectory of negative outcomes ACEs induce in order to promote a safer future for children disadvantaged at a young age. 

Patients who lack the basic access to Food Transportation and Housing are at greatest risk for being isolated from the healthcare system. Efforts underway to improve and remove that barrier are needed to ensure long term patient improvement.

Care coordination mistakes are costly... and not just in terms of financial expenses. Some of the most common care coordination mistakes are also major culprits for death and exacerbated patient health problems. U.S. News & World Reportindicates, “Medical errors are [the] third leading cause of death in the U.S. 10 percent of U.S. deaths are due to preventable medical mistakes" such as: Documentation errors  Communication Disconnects Lack of Coordination Neglecting Follow-ups Delays

There is only one problem that has affected every person who has ever lived on Earth, and it is the last one any of us ever face.

Americans have a unique problem with death: it's not simply that we don't know how to talk about it, it's that we largely refuse to talk about it at all or engage with the concepts and realities of our only truly unifying experience.  Healthcare providers feel they are failing if they even consider the topic of end of life conversations.  Popular culture debases our understanding of death by portraying it in every conceivable way other than the one in which we actually experience it. Only through preparation, understanding, and normalization can we improve end of life and the grieving and bereavement process of those we leave behind.

A popular modern author wrote: If you have ever lost a loved one, then you know exactly how it feels.  And if you have not, then you cannot possibly imagine it.

If loss is so universal, why do we not make it a priority to better prepare ourselves to face it?

That is the goal of this Action Group: to face the problem of illiteracy on the topics of death, grief, and bereavement with supportive materials that can be distributed or shared by anybody, in any forum, at any stage of life or in any setting of healthcare.

Vitiligo (vit-ih-LIE-go) is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable. It can affect the skin on any part of your body. It may also affect hair and the inside of the mouth. The main reason and cause of vitiligo is the fact that the body itself decides to destroy its skin pigment. Without a doubt, this is an irregularity of the system. However, the main culprit for this setback is the immune system. Doctors currently can’t predict whether the Vitiligo on a person will spread, and  how fast. Currently, there is no known cure for Vitiligo, but treatment may be able to make skin tone appear more even. However, treatments can be time consuming and expensive, and often not covered by health insurance.  Because Vitiligo affects a person’s appearance, it is considered as a “cosmetic problem.” However, it is more than a “cosmetic problem.” It is a medical condition. People who have Vitiligo have a higher risk of getting some other medical conditions – such as hearing loss; painful sunburns; develop other autoimmune diseases; changes in vision/eye problems; anxiety and depression. Vitiligo is not contagious, and it is not life threatening. However, it is life-altering. Some people develop low self-esteem. They may no longer want to hang out with friends. They can develop serious depression. Most people have Vitiligo for life, so it’s important to develop coping strategies. Researchers have found that many people who have vitiligo often feel anxious and embarrassed around others. It’s easy to understand why. People often stare and make rude remarks. Some people are obviously frightened. Facing this day in and day out can take a toll on a person’s overall wellbeing. 

Vision: 

- Raise awareness about vitiligo and the dermatological and psychological impact the disease has on those affected by it.

- Partner with healthcare professionals, educational institutions and social workers and activists to work diligently toward securing grant funding and increase sponsors and donors.

- Encourage governmental agencies to make vitiligo research and advocacy efforts a high priority.

- Improve the care of patients with vitiligo by providing medical professionals with the best available information about vitiligo and its treatment.

- Improve teacher and staff training in schools so they are prepared to provide support to parents and students cope with this disease. 

The vision of this group is to realize the implementation of medical marijuana as a viable therapeutic option. Although legislation has enacted its use in Pennsylvania for a select number of disease states, a number of barriers to implementation exist before comprehensive medical marijuana therapy can become a reality.

This action group hopes to learn from local leaders in medical marijuana policy reform, anticipate these barriers to impelementation, and combine resources to address the root causes that might affect the greatest downstream change. 

Last, this action group hopes to investigate research showing the influence of comprehensive marijuana policy on opioid abuse and overdose in pilot states across the country. Synthesis and analysis of this research may illuminate the role of medical marijuana as an alternative to opiate therapy in the management of long term pain. We hope to investigate this with both precision and urgency and present our findings to experts in pain management.