As Veterans Day approaches, we’re highlighting the work of the national Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys initiative, which includes veterans among its populations of focus. Military members and veterans don’t just experience war, loss, injuries, and fear during service. Their social connections are disrupted when they are deployed, and again when they are discharged home. They return to communities where most people are not able to relate to their experiences, and they experience trauma-related symptoms at a disproportionate rate. 

We are deeply saddened by the news that Alfred Olango, a Ugandan native living in El Cajon, Calif., was shot dead by police following a call from his sister asking for assistance with a mental health crisis. Olango's death does not stand alone, but rather is the latest in a long line of deaths of mentally ill people at the hands of police, a burden that falls most heavily on communities of color. 

The National Collaborative for Health Equity, Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, and Prevention Institute announced the launch of a new project to examine the potential for public health departments to actively pursue racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic equity in health, as well as in the systems and conditions that produce health.

PI praises First Lady Michelle Obama's announced changes to the Nutrition Facts label. For the first time, Nutrition Facts will include grams of added sugars and the percent daily value of added sugars, and require portion sizes to more accurately reflect how people consume packaged foods. 

PI's Larry Cohen issued a statement on two major developments in tobacco control this week -- the FDA's move to regulate e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, and CA Governor Jerry Brown signing a set of tobacco-control bills into law to regulate e-cigarettes, expand smoke-free workplace protections, and raise the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.

PI applauds CMS's efforts to transform and improve how primary care is delivered and paid for in the United States by paying doctors based on health outcomes, and move away from the traditional fee-for-service payment structure.

PI's Larry Cohen praises the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for their unanimous vote to raise the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21 from 18, including e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

PI's new report about community trauma provides insight into timely issues like high rates of gun violence in inner cities; protests in Ferguson, Baltimore, and elsewhere; and systemic poverty, unemployment and poor health in communities of color. It also offers solutions.

PI's Larry Cohen comments on the film--Concussion--which tells the story of one doctor’s research into traumatic brain injuries suffered by football players, and his crusade to educate the nation about the dangers of its most popular sport and challenge the National Football League (NFL) to protect its athletes.

PI applauds the Surgeon General's leadership and vision on walkability, showing that regular physical activity can help prevent or manage chronic disease, boost quality of life,  connect community members to one another and neighborhood resources, and close gaps in health and safety.

PI applauds the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for voting to require warning labels on soda advertisements, ban soda advertisements on city property, and bar the city from spending money on soda, and the Davis City Council for approving an ordinance making milk and water the default beverage options for kids’ meals.

On Wednesday, May 6th, advocates from across the state will converge at the Capitol for ENACT Day 2015. ENACT Day is a prime opportunity for community coalitions, grassroots organizers, and advocates to develop policy advocacy skills.

PI's Larry Cohen and ten other California public health and health equity leaders sent a strong letter of support to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for its campaign against e-cigarettes. This letter came together quickly and the small group of signatories represents many of our colleagues and community members across the state who equally appreciate the effort of CDPH.

Read our blog post on KevinMD explaining why the shift in Medicare payment towards rewarding quality of care over quantity of services is an opportunity for prevention.

Healthcare entities are increasingly looking outside their own walls, and to the community, for ways to promote health equity, writes PI’s Leslie Mikkelsen in a recent Equity of Care blog post.

Read our Op-Ed, published in several newspapers in the San Francisco area, which argues that NFL player Chris Borland sent an important message to youth when he retired from football due to concerns about head injuries.

Read PI's statement on a pending report on federal dietary guidelines, which represent a prime venue and opportunity to define not only a healthy diet, but a healthy food system.

Read our Sacramento Bee Op-Ed on the California Department of Public Health's new report and health advisory declaring e-cigarettes a community health threat.

Read the statement by PI's Larry Cohen on the New York Court of Appeals decision striking down New York City's rule limiting portion size of sugary beverages.

Read PI's statement on the Prevention and Public Health Fund in the 2014 omnibus spending bill.