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Arthur Minahan

Desire to help people leads undergraduate student to aid in research project

1/15/19

When senior kinesiology major Arthur Minahan found out about the opportunity to participate in an innovative research project investigating potential additional benefits of a popular pain management gel, he jumped at the chance to participate. Supported by an endowment, Minahan gained real-world research experience that will help him excel both in his classes and his career.

A woman in a coat, scarf and winter hat poses for a photo outdoors. She stands in the middle of a tree-lined road, which is out of focus in the background.

The Medical Minute: Easy treatments can help lift winter blues

1/2/19

For many people, the winter months bring a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder, which is characterized by symptoms such as daily feelings of sadness or depression, lack of energy, problems with sleeping, moodiness, changes in appetite and loss of interest in usual activities.

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Negative mood signals body's immune response

12/20/18

Researchers at Penn State found negative mood is associated with higher levels of inflammation, inspiring future research to investigate how daily interventions can improve mood.

A young boy poses for a photo holding a 3-D printed model of his own heart. A step-and-repeat backdrop bears the logos of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Penn State Children’s Hospital.

Focus on emerging technology brings better patient care

12/12/18

Several timely topics were presented at the eighth annual Innovations in Healthcare Technology Conference sponsored by the Technology Council of Central PA and hosted by the Center for Medical Innovation at Penn State College of Medicine.

Patient factors may only marginally improve readmission prevention programs

12/11/18

Researchers at Penn State, the University of Michigan, and UCLA studied Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) disproportionately penalizes safety net hospitals, leading to concerns that the program’s omission of patient social complexity may aggravate healthcare disparities by penalizing financially-challenged hospitals and reducing their resources to improve care. The researchers found that although adding patient functional and social factors improves the program’s ability to distinguish patients who are or are not readmitted, it does so only slightly.

fitness app

Pumping up fitness app features may add muscle to workout commitment

12/6/18

Fitness apps are easy to download and can help motivate people to start workout routines, but that may not be enough to sustain those routines in the long run. However, Penn State researchers suggest there may be ways to tweak those apps to inspire a deeper commitment to a fitness routine and help users hit their fitness goals.

Pediatric Trauma and Injury Prevention manager Amy Bollinger, right, a woman with shoulder-length hair, stands at a podium discussing unsafe toys at a press conference. Behind her stand Reuben Mathew of PennPIRG, left, and Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, right. Between the two men is a table with wrapped gifts.

Trouble in Toyland: Bollinger warns about dangerous toys

12/6/18

Penn State Children’s Hospital Pediatric Trauma and Injury Prevention Manager Amy Bollinger joined Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and consumer watchdog group PennPIRG at the state capitol to discuss dangerous toys during the holiday shopping season.

A woman in a sweater and jeans is standing, holding a small, wrapped gift behind her back with her right hand.

The Medical Minute: When to give a health-related gift

12/5/18

The gift of promoting a healthy lifestyle is probably one of the most valuable things you could give to someone you care about this holiday season, yet it can also turn into a potential landmine of gift-giving disasters.

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Medicaid improves access to care, but effects vary by race

11/28/18

Medicaid is an important tool to reduce insurance-related health disparities among Americans, according to Penn State researchers. Among a national sample of previously uninsured Americans, enrollment in Medicaid was found to lead to a substantial reduction in out-of-pocket costs, increased prescription drug utilization, and improved access to health care services as compared to individuals who remained uninsured.

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