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Health
Care Without Harm is an international coalition
of hospitals, medical professionals, community groups,
labor unions and consumers that is working to make health
care ecologically sustainable and not a source of harm
to the public or the environment. The coalition was
formed in 1996 after the Environmental Protection Agency's
report identified medical waste by incineration as the
largest source of dioxin air pollution.
The Web site provides information about medical waste,
including mercury, PVC, DEHP, pesticides and cleaners.
A library offers additional resources about potential
hazards, and a media room features press releases and
reports pertinent to health care and the environment.
If you are interested in what is or is not being done
to help the plight of the uninsured, visit the Cover
the Uninsured Week Web site. Part of a project supported
by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former Presidents
Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, this coalition of national
and local organizations sponsored a "Cover the
Uninsured" week in March to increase public awareness
about the uninsured. Next year's event is planned for
May 10-16.
The group's goals are to: raise public awareness of
the plight of the more than 41 million uninsured Americans,
generate media attention, encourage national support
and create a single rallying point for those individuals
and groups interested in working to extend health care
coverage. The site provides information about how individuals
can get involved in the campaign, local events, news
stories and media information.
University
of Iowa Health Care's Virtual Hospital is a digital
library of health information. Designed for health care
providers and patients, the site provides easy-to-access
information. For providers, scores of medical textbooks
are classified by topic, specialty or body system, and
numerous patient simulations and case studies are included.
Patients can access booklets about specific medical
conditions as well as general information on staying
healthy. The site also offers continuing education courses
for nurses.
The U.S. government interagency kids' portal, or FirstGov
for Kids, is designed for children and includes
links to sites where they can explore, learn and have
fun. Kids can choose from categories such as arts, careers,
computers, government, money and health. Links within
the health category include: health for girls, air quality
index, the CDC's answers to kids' questions on health
issues, a global health odyssey mini tour and the FDA
for kids, which includes information about animal care,
food safety and vaccines.
The National
Patient Safety Foundation is an organization devoted
to improving the safety of patients through knowledge
and public awareness. The site provides data about staffing
shortages and their effect on patient safety.
The patient safety resource page lists a library of
information, current events, discussion forum, patient
safety resources, information for patient safety officers,
publications, family resources and a speakers' bureau.
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