Kara Gavin
Research and Policy Media Relations Manager
Gavin draws on more than 25 years of experience in communicating about science, medicine and health policy. She focuses mainly on the health services research done by members of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, who work to understand and improve the safety, quality, equity and affordability of health care. As part of the Michigan Medicine communication team, she has lead responsibility for primary care and mental health topics. Contact: [email protected]; Twitter: @Karag
Health Lab
What’s at Stake in the Supreme Court’s ACA Case?
The Affordable Care Act is in front of the Supreme Court, and the health insurance of millions could change if it’s overturned.
Health Lab
Taking a Scalpel to Opioid Painkiller Risks
Surgery shouldn’t lead to opioid dependence or addiction, but research is showing ways to prevent it.
News Release
Voting from a hospital bed: Emergency absentee ballot help available for Michigan Medicine patients
A medical emergency doesn’t have to keep Michigan Medicine patients from casting their ballot in the Nov. 3 national, state and local election, thanks to the efforts of a team of staff and medical students.
Health Lab
Feeling Helpless as the Pandemic Continues? 26 Things You Can Do to Help
How to assist your community, neighbors, family and friends through the fall and winter.
Health Lab
On Eve of Election, Young People Share Views on Healthcare and More
Pandemic and health issues are top of mind for the election, and changes to reproductive health funding are unpopular among people ages 14-24.
Health Lab
Done with 2020? Think 2021. Sign Up for Health Insurance Now
Open Enrollment for health insurance is a crucial time, even as the Affordable Care Act’s fate hangs in the balance.
Health Lab
Real-Time Overdose Tracking Helps Show COVID-19’s Effects
Opioid overdose deaths and uses of naloxone Narcan by first responders both rose during the peak COVID-19 months in Michigan.
Health Lab
The ACA Turns 10 and Faces a Pandemic, an Election and a Supreme Court Case
The Affordable Care Act faces tests from COVID-19 as voters and justices determine the fate of its insurance programs and more.
Health Lab
The Curve is Fattening, Not Flattening. What Can We Do?
Flattening the curve was the key goal last spring. But a third wave of COVID-19 cases has begun as the coronavirus containment effort lapses, and the holidays are coming.
Health Lab
How to Keep COVID-19 From Invading Your “Pod” – and How to Stay Safe if It Does
Pods. Bubbles. Quaran-teams. Many Americans have joined small groups to support online learning, childcare or socialize in the time of COVID-19. But how can pods protect against coronavirus?
Health Lab
Proactivity and Partnership Pay Off for Nursing Homes in a Pandemic
The coronavirus has raced through nursing homes, causing many COVID-19 deaths, but proactive testing and prevention can keep infections low.
News Release
With Affordable Care Act’s future in the balance, U-M holds 10th anniversary discussion with national experts
This year marks both the 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and a pivotal moment for its future because of the national election and a pending Supreme Court case.
Health Lab
Distorted Reality: What to Do About Early Signs of Psychosis
Seeing, hearing or perceiving things that aren’t really there may seem like something to hide, but seeking help early can make a big difference.
News Release
Exploring the mind’s mysteries: 130 years of mental health care & innovation at U-M
When it opened in 1906 on Catherine Street near the University of Michigan’s main hospitals, the stately brick State Psychopathic Hospital meant something new in the world of mental health.
Health Lab
Clashing Meds Can Put Older Adults at Risk, But Many Don’t Check with a Pharmacist
Medication reviews can spot risky drug interactions and chances to save money on prescriptions, but most older adults haven’t had one.
