Poor health outcomes and health disparities are major issues in our society, especially in the Deep South, which faces a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases compared to the rest of the nation. Tulane University is now part of a new $82 million National Institutes of Health effort that will harness the research expertise of academic medical centers to address disparities in the prevalence and treatment of chronic diseases for residents in this part of the country. 

Recent data from the Louisiana Department of Health's Office of Public Health shows drowning deaths among children dropped 40% between 2021 and 2022, reflecting a positive shift toward safe swimming practices in our communities.