Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice
Announcements
Recent News and announcements
See all news and announcements from HSPP
December 10, 2025
News from SPH
The AI therapist will see you now: Q&A with Dr. Ateev Mehrotra
Young adults are turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT for mental health advice, highlighting a massive shift in how people seek support. In this interview Dr. Ateev Mehrotra discusses the urgent need to balance AI's capacity for providing accessible, cost-effective care with its potential to cause harm.
December 2, 2025
News from SPH
Oregon’s first-in-the-nation hospital price cap cut costs without compromising care
A Brown University School of Public Health analysis shows Oregon’s cap on hospital payments for the state employee health plan led to major savings without reducing services, staffing or patient satisfaction.
November 20, 2025
News from SPH
‘A breakdown across many decades’: Former WHO communications chief reflects on pandemic disinformation and U.S. withdrawal
Gabriella Stern details the challenge of fighting geopolitical scapegoating and false narratives amid America’s abrupt exit from the WHO at the latest Public Health in Practice Seminar.
November 18, 2025
News from SPH
One in eight adolescents and young adults use AI chatbots for mental health advice
Researchers from RAND, Brown University School of Public Health and Harvard report that young people are turning to generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, for mental health advice at unexpectedly high rates.
November 12, 2025
News from SPH
Brown study finds frequent, risky pain medication combinations following hip fracture
A new study linking pharmacy and Medicare data sheds light on pain management regimens for hip fracture patients in rehabilitation, and raises concerns about potentially dangerous drug-drug interactions.
November 7, 2025
News from Brown
More Americans, especially Black adults, are dying before they can access Medicare benefits
A study by researchers at Brown University and Harvard University shows that a rising premature death rate means Medicare isn’t helping as many people as intended.
