Author Archives: Erin Dobbins and Lauren Passero

About Erin Dobbins and Lauren Passero

Erin Dobbins is currently pursuing her PhD in Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Public Health. She is interested in how patients with difficult to diagnose diseases navigate economic and logistical barriers to healthcare access. Erin also holds a BFA in studio art with a concentration in fibers. She enjoys sewing, knitting, and spending time with her dog.

The Complexity of COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution in Rural Areas

By | January 14, 2021
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During the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted health inequality created by social determinants of health (SDoH) in the United States. SDoH include all aspects of the living environment, social support, safety, well-being, and resource availability, directly or indirectly influencing physical health outcomes. Consideration of SDoH is critical for successful comprehensive COVID-19 vaccine rollout.… Read More »

Crafting more effective homemade masks and putting them to work

By | March 30, 2020
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The COVID-19 pandemic is placing healthcare professionals in the untenable position of rationing personal protective equipment (PPE) and working with suboptimal protection. This post explores which materials may be best suited for crafting homemade masks and considers how to use homemade masks productively. Personal protective equipment is critical when caring for patients with respiratory infection.… Read More »

Hitching our Wagon to the Stars: Making the Most of Quality Reporting

By | December 7, 2017
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has a set of “Compare” websites – Hospital Compare, Nursing Home Compare, Home Health Compare, etc.; consumers and policymakers can compare physicians, long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, hospice care, and dialysis facilities today, and other settings may follow. Together with their associated health care quality measurement… Read More »