Researchers combined soil measurements and public health data to identify area where children may be exposed to unsafe levels of lead in the dirt.

by Rebecca Owen15 October 2025 (published- EOS)

LINK: Chicago Soil Maps Childhood Lead Exposure Risk – Eos

Lead is a neurotoxin that can damage multiple body systems and lead to learning and developmental problems. The element has been phased out of use in paint, gasoline, and other industrial applications for decades, but it can persist for years in the soil. Children, who can be particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, can accidentally ingest and inhale lead particles when they play in contaminated areas.

Even though one in four U.S. homes likely has soil lead levels over the recommended safety limits, no major U.S. city includes systematic soil monitoring as part of its lead prevention services, and blood testing often happens only after exposure.

…“…analyzed 1,750 soil samples from Chicago’s 77 community areas. The researchers then used these data with the EPA’s Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic model (IEUBK) to estimate how much lead children are likely to have in their blood. Comparing these data to actual EBLL findings from the Chicago Department of Public Health and accounting for factors such as household income, the age of housing, and the housing’s proximity to industrial land, the researchers built a comprehensive map that identifies the Chicago communities most at risk for soil lead exposure.

More than half of the citywide soil samples showed lead levels above the EPA’s recommended threshold of 200 parts per million—with some hot spots rising above 300 parts per million. When matched with the modeling from IEUBK, an estimated 27% of children across the city are at risk of EBLL. In the hot spot areas, that risk rises to 57%.

These findings suggest that though median household income is the strongest predictor of EBLL prevalence, soil lead levels are also a significant predictor. Systematic soil testing could become a crucial way to reduce children’s risk of lead exposure in contaminated areas, the authors say. (GeoHealth, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GH001572, 2025)

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If you feel a lift after exercise, you're in good company. Movement can boost mood, and according to the results of a new study, it can also help relieve symptoms of depression. [NPR & WBEZ]

As part of a review of evidence by the Cochrane collaboration — an independent network of researchers — scientists evaluated 73 randomized controlled trials that included about 5,000 people with depression, many of whom also tried antidepressant medication.

Exercise is more important than ever

"We found that exercise was as effective as pharmacological treatments or psychological therapies as well," says Andrew Clegg, a professor at the University of Lancashire in the U.K.

The findings are not a surprise to psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Mateka, medical director of psychiatry at Inspira Health. "This new Cochrane review reinforces the evidence that exercise is one of the most evidence-based tools for improving mood," says Mateka.

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Feb. 17, 2026  A Public Health Opportunity: Addressing the Health Needs of Justice-Involved Individuals during Reentry

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Access to mental healthcare remains out of reach for millions of Americans, with some states facing more severe shortages of mental health professionals than others, new federal data shows. [Becker's Behavioral Health]

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Health Workforce published its latest quarterly report of Designated Health Professional Shortage Area Statistics on Jan. 14, reflecting data as of Dec. 31, 2025. For mental health, an area generally qualifies as a shortage area when the population-to-psychiatrist ratio is at least 30,000 to 1 — or 20,000 to 1 in communities with unusually high need.

Compared with the 2024 snapshot, the latest HRSA figures suggest shortages have worsened. The number of designated mental health professional shortage areas rose from 6,418 to 6,807 as of Dec. 31, and the population covered by those designations grew from about 122 million to 137 million. Over the same period, the percentage of Americans’ mental health needs met improved only slightly — from 26.4% to 27.3% — while the estimated number of additional practitioners needed to remove the designations increased from roughly 6,200 to 6,800. The figures suggest that workforce growth has not kept pace with demand.

Below is a breakdown of how each state and Washington, D.C., rank based on the percentage of mental healthcare needs met.

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The U.S. has reached a watershed moment in the fight against cancer: Seven in 10 people now survive five years or more after diagnosis, according to the latest annual report from the American Cancer Society. [NBC News & American Cancer Society] 

That’s a big improvement since the 1970s, when only half of those diagnosed lived at least five years. In the mid-1990s, the rate was 63%.

The 70% figure is based on diagnoses from 2015 to 2021. The findings were published Tuesday in the American Cancer Society’s medical journal, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Five years is the most common benchmark for measuring cancer survival, since the risk of certain cancers’ recurring declines significantly if the cancers haven’t come back within that time.

Thanks to improved treatment options over the last decade, many cancers have gone from death sentences to chronic diseases, according to the report’s lead author, Rebecca Siegel, the American Cancer Society’s senior scientific director of surveillance research.

“It takes decades for research to understand and develop these more effective treatments, and now we’re seeing the fruits of those investments,” Siegel said.

The report estimates that 4.8 million cancer deaths were prevented from 1991 to 2023, largely because of better treatments, earlier detection methods and reductions in smoking.

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There is exactly one vaccine that prevents several cancers. It's safe, effective, and puts the elimination of cervical cancer within reach. Even as the world reaches this medical moment, the U.S. faces a persistent challenge: human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake has remained steady but is insufficient to achieve herd immunity. [MedPage Today} 

We should want broad community protection: a staggering 85% of people will get an HPV infection at some point in their lives. And with approximately 78% of 13- to 17-year-olds receiving at least one dose of the HPV vaccine, coverage lags significantly behind other routine childhood immunizations. HPV vaccination rates were on the rise until 2022, when initiation stagnated for the first time in about a decade. This stall is further complicated by geographic disparities, with rural areas showing dramatically lower rates compared to urban areas -- for example, the percentage of adolescents up to date with HPV vaccination ranged from 39% in Mississippi to nearly 80% in Massachusetts in 2024. This gap, and the knowledge gap about the virus' prevalence and impact, leaves individuals and the public vulnerable.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today published draft guidance designed to facilitate the use of Bayesian methodologies in clinical trials of drugs and biologics, helping drug developers make better use of available data, conduct more efficient clinical trials, and deliver safe and effective treatments to patients sooner. [FDA US Food & Drug Administration] 

"Bayesian methodologies help address two of the biggest problems of drug development: high costs and long timelines,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Providing clarity around modern statistical methods will help sponsors bring more cures and meaningful treatments to patients faster and more affordably.”

Bayesian approaches use a different framework from traditional statistical approaches. In a Bayesian analysis, data from a study are combined with relevant prior information to form a new distribution that can be used for inference and to draw conclusions about safety and efficacy. 

Examples of Bayesian calculations used in various ways in clinical trials can include:

• Determining futility or success earlier in adaptive trials.
• Informing design elements like dose selection in subsequent trials.
• Incorporating information from other sources, such as previous clinical study data, real-world evidence, and external or nonconcurrent controls.
• Facilitating subgroup analyses.
• Supporting primary inference in a trial.

The guidance provides recommendations on the appropriate use of Bayesian methods, with an emphasis on the use of these methods to support primary inference. Bayesian methods may be especially valuable for sponsors targeting rare or pediatric indications, where patient populations are smaller.

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COVID-19 is still killing more than 100,000 Americans a year, new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study shows—underscoring how the virus remains a major health threat even if the height of the pandemic has long subsided. [Newsweek: CDC and JAMA Internal Medicine]

In a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, CDC researchers estimated that there were 43.6 million COVID-19–associated illnesses and 101,300 resulting deaths in the U.S. in the period from October 2022 to September 2023, and 33.0 million illnesses and 100,800 deaths subsequently between October 2023 to September 2024.

The analysis shows that COVID-19 continues to add pressure to outpatient clinics and hospitals, particularly during cold winter flu seasons. The researchers also highlight how older people are more at risk of getting seriously ill from the virus, accounting for most hospitalizations and deaths.

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January 21, 2026

10th State of Health of Chicago Convening 

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Healthcare providers head into 2026 in a more stable position than they’ve been in for several years. Labor markets have become more favorable, patient volumes have largely recovered from recent lows and operating margins are no longer sliding across the sector.

Still, that doesn’t mean the pressure has eased.

Experts told Healthcare Dive that the year ahead will hinge on execution. Health systems that use the current favorable environment to address costs, workforce planning and portfolio strategy may be better positioned as reimbursement headwinds intensify. Those who don’t may find their options narrowing. [Healthcare Dive]

“It’s a neutral outlook,” said Mark Pascaris, senior director and analytic lead for nonprofit hospitals at Fitch Ratings. “But that doesn’t mean it’s a passive one.”

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As the Illinois Medicaid program prepares for significant changes and cuts, state and Chicago area officials on Tuesday urged residents to stay informed. [Health News Illinois]

“We want Cook County residents to know that if you qualified for Medicaid yesterday, you still qualify for it today,” Aaron Galeener, the chief administrative officer of Cook County Health’s CountyCare, said during a press conference in Chicago. “We will share information about any changes to your eligibility or new requirements to keep your coverage. Enrollees should renew their Medicaid plan as they have in the past, schedule primary and preventive care and fill their prescriptions.”

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services has estimated that between 270,000 and 500,000 Illinoisans are expected to lose Medicaid coverage due to the work requirement set to go into effect next year, many due to the administrative burden.

Agency Director Elizabeth Whitehorn said Tuesday that they will “continue to fight to protect coverage, minimize harm and champion care for all Illinoisans.”

“Medicaid is a lifeline for the millions of customers we serve across the state, and the new federal cuts and requirements will very likely drive up the uninsured rate, exacerbate disparities and lead to poorer health outcomes,” she said.

Cook County Health CEO Dr. Erik Mikaitis said Medicaid enrollment had already begun to decline nationally, falling 7.6 percent last year. Last September, 15,600 fewer Cook County residents were enrolled in Medicaid than in July.

While they will continue to provide charity care and help residents with their coverage, Mikaitis said there is only so much they can do with the pending changes to the Medicaid program.

We continue to reiterate that we will do as much as we can for as long as we can, but our resources are finite,” he said. “There may come a time when tough choices have to be made.”

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Public health leaders have urged Illinoisans to receive their flu shots and take other precautions as influenza cases continue to rise across the state. [Health News Illinois] 

The Department of Public Health said Monday that flu activity in the state has climbed to “Very High,” the most severe of five categories of respiratory illness activity as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Just over 5 percent of hospital admissions in the week ending on December 27 were connected to flu cases, more than double the rate from the prior week.

Nearly 22 percent of Illinoisans have received their flu shot this season, while only 6.8 percent have received the COVID-19 immunization.

“Illinois is facing a significant winter surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses with flu activity at very high levels,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “IDPH is monitoring the situation closely and working with our partners in public health and healthcare to protect Illinois families across the state.”

Illinois recently reported its first influenza death in a child this season. Last year, there were 12 pediatric deaths from influenza, 6 from RSV and 3 from COVID. 

The CDC reported Monday that visits to the doctor for fever plus a cough or sore throat, common flu symptoms, are at their highest level of respiratory illness since at least the 1997-98 flu season.

Nationally, about 8.2 percent of doctor visits were for flu-like symptoms during the last week of 2025. At the same point last season, that number was 6.7 percent.

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