More public health postcards from the United States

Marie McInerney
Ruth Armstrong
Monday, February 3, 2020

@WePublicHealth2020, CroakeyEXPLORE, Global health and climate change, Indigenous health, oral health, physical activity, public health, rural and remote health, Social determinants of health

This is the second in a two-part @WePublicHealth series from a road trip taken by Croakey’s Dr Ruth Armstrong in the United States. See the first post as she travelled through Texas and Louisiana.

In this post, she shares public health postcards from Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, visiting a range of public health issues in her travels, including homelessness, forest fires, dental care and health equity, and issues for American Indians.

Welcoming public spaces and rocks ‘n roll

Fires, ice, and some teething problems

Read the link Read more Read more on oral health

Armstrong also pointed out that, as in Australia, dental pain is a common reason for ED attendance and opioid prescription in the US. And that, also as in Australia, the ideal of addressing oral health inequity with universal dental care remains out of reach.

.Surviving on the ice

A monument and a horror show

For horror fans, Armstrong noted that the hotel was also the inspiration for Stephen King’s book, the Shining, and featured in a TV miniseries of the same name.

Seeking justice

Armstrong reported that the case has been a flashpoint for the ongoing movement to seek justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women – a neglected and under-reported problem in the US.