Public Health — Perspectives

The Department of Public Health (DPH) Little Free Library as an Environmental Justice Opportunity at Cal State LA

The Public Health Student Association at Cal State LA, guided by Dr. Evelyn Alvarez, created a Little Free Library to promote climate literacy and encourage reading on campus. The project began after the pandemic disrupted earlier plans for a sustainability film festival. Students and faculty worked together to design and install the library, which features books on climate change, public health, and leisure reading. It was first placed in Simpson Tower and later relocated to the University Library for greater accessibility. Community members can take or donate books, and a survey with a QR code collects feedback to track its impact. The project highlights the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and creative public health interventions that support literacy, environmental awareness, and student engagement.

Public HealthHHPRSeptember 8, 2025Comment

Healthcare for the Homeless

Low-income families do not always have the same accessibility to receiving medical care, and this is a profound issue when it comes to promoting the United States’ freedom and equality for all. The United States’ healthcare system caves in when it comes to morally adjusting to provide basic needs for those who desperately need it. In regards to the surge of homelessness in the United States, the healthcare system needs to invoke a change in order to prevent the increase and spread of disease and disparity among the low-income community. Ultimately, in order to overcome the higher than average disease and mortality in the homeless community, it is primarily necessary for healthcare systems to provide low-income individuals with homes and jobs instead of monetary values and adopt a universal healthcare model.

Public HealthHHPRApril 25, 2023health careComment

A Values-Based Argument for Universal Healthcare in the United States

It is unacceptable that the United States, which prides itself on being a global power and proponent of democracy, deprives its citizens of the access to quality, affordable healthcare that all people deserve. Contrary to frequent arguments that national healthcare systems inherently contravene core American values, I argue that a system of universal healthcare must instead be constructed to fully realize these ideals — principally, innovation, quality, and liberty of choice.