A weekly roundup of public health news
Healthcare workforce squeezed by immigration bans
Recent bans on immigration from the Trump administration could worsen healthcare worker shortages in the U.S., especially in underserved communities, a new study in JAMA Network Open warns.
On Dec. 2, the Trump administration froze immigration applications for people from 19 countries it designated “high-risk” for threats to U.S. security. Nations named in the ban included Afghanistan, Cuba, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
But those countries have played a role in shoring up the U.S. healthcare workforce, with the number of physicians and nurses immigrating from them steadily increasing over the past decade, according to the study. In total, nearly 24,000 U.S. physicians and more than 56,000 nurses hailed from the nations as of 2023, researchers said.
About 460 physicians immigrated to the U.S. from the now-banned countries in 2023 alone, as did about 370 nurses. Cuba, Iran and Venezuela contributed the largest number of physicians over the study period, while Haiti, Cuba and Iran supplied the highest number of nurses.
Healthcare workers from the banned nations were more likely to practice in U.S. counties already struggling with provider shortages. Those counties were more likely to have larger Hispanic and Black populations and lower population levels of education. Researchers warned that restricting immigration from the nations could deepen healthcare inequities in communities that already are facing significant barriers to care.
As of February, an additional 20 nations had been added to the administration’s travel and immigration ban list, and 75 nations were subject to a U.S. State Department freeze on immigration visas.
Rising heat predicted to fuel surge in heart disease deaths
Climate change could sharply increase the toll of heart disease in the U.S. over the coming decades, leading to tens of thousands of additional deaths each year.
If global greenhouse gas emissions continue at a high rate, heat-related heart disease could more than triple by midcentury in the U.S., leading to as many as 70,000 additional cardiovascular deaths every year, according to a May 27 study in JAMA Cardiology.
Poorer U.S. communities are likely to be hit hardest. By 2050, the impact of heat on heart disease could rise nearly fivefold in low-income counties, twice as high as the increase in wealthier counties. People in poorer areas often have fewer ways to protect themselves from extreme heat, such as a lack of air conditioning, and are more likely to have underlying health problems, researchers noted.
Older adults also face greater dangers. People 65 and older already experience much higher rates of heat-related heart disease than younger people. As the U.S. senior population grows, that trend is expected to worsen. Researchers estimated population aging could increase heat-related heart disease 34% by 2050.
The Pacific Northwest currently experiences some of the highest rates of heart disease linked to heat, despite having a cooler climate. Researchers said people in historically cooler regions may be less prepared for unusually hot weather. Looking ahead, however, Southern and Midwestern states are expected to see some of the largest increases in heat-related heart disease.
Maternal mental health support still lacking across U.S.
Few U.S. states go far enough to address the mental health of women before, during and after pregnancy, a new assessment finds.
When it comes to policies such as screening, treatment, insurance coverage and access to mental healthcare providers, the nation receives a “C” grade, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.
The center released its annual state-by-state report cards May 27, doling out 10 “B” grades to California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and the District of Columbia — but no “A” grades. The higher-scoring states generally performed better on measures such as prenatal depression screening, Medicaid coverage and paid parental leave policies.
Many of the lowest-scoring states have large rural populations and face longstanding challenges related to healthcare access, workforce shortages and poverty. While no states received an “F,” 15 states received “D” grades — including Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Oklahoma and Wyoming.
The findings come as maternal mental health problems continue to affect millions of Americans. About 20% of U.S. women experience a maternal mental health condition, such as postpartum depression, anxiety or psychosis. The conditions, which disproportionately affect women of color and people in rural areas, are a leading cause of pregnancy-related death.
Despite worsening rates of illness, fewer than 20% of women are screened for maternal mental health disorders. Between 2016 and 2023, the share of mothers reporting fair or poor mental health increased by nearly 65%, the center noted.
Untreated maternal mental health disorders have been linked to preterm birth, low birth weight and developmental issues in children. The conditions are estimated to cost the U.S. $14 billion each year.
Other recent public health news of note includes:
• The world’s cities would be a lot hotter without tree cover, according to a recent study in Nature Communications. Researchers analyzed nearly 9,000 large cities worldwide, finding tree cover offsets almost half of the urban heat island effect, which causes cities to trap more heat than surrounding areas. More than 200 million people benefit from neighborhood temperatures that are at least a degree cooler because of trees, researchers found. Those cooling benefits are concentrated in wealthier neighborhoods, however. Researchers warned trees alone will not be enough to offset future warming caused by climate change.
• High-deductible insurance plans may make it harder for people with opioid use disorder to receive lifesaving treatment, new findings published May 28 in JAMA Network Open suggest. Researchers looked at insurance claims from nearly 15,000 adults who were prescribed buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, finding patients who switched to high-deductible plans had fewer prescriptions per year than those who remained in traditional plans. People who were hit with the largest increases in deductibles were also more likely to cut back on doctor visits for treatment of their condition.
• Young Hispanic men face higher risks for getting sunburned while working outdoors, according to new federal research. Published May 21 in in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the study found about 13% of adults who were sunburned said their most recent burn happened on the job. Men were nearly three times more likely than women to get sunburned at work. Hispanic adults ages 18 to 29 also faced higher occupational sunburn risks. About 88 million U.S. adults experience at least one sunburn a year, according to the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, increasing their risks for skin cancer.
The Watch is written by Michele Late, who has more than two decades of experience as a public health journalist.re than two decades of experience as a public health journalist.