How Healthcare Works, LLC

In the late 1990s, obesity became a billable code. That means that doctors could list obesity as a health care diagnosis and receive payment through insurance companies, Medicaid and Medicare. Since that time, obesity has been at the forefront of public health issues. A desire to eradicate obesity from the population has become evident, and it has even extended into healthcare hiring practices. In 2012, a Texas hospital issued a policy those with a body mass index (BMI) over 35 need not apply. The rationale for the policy, however, was not health related. Rather, it stated that the individual's appearance should be fitting to the image the healthcare organization wished to project. According to the CDC, a little over one-third of adults in the United States are obese. In the case of the Texas hospital, that would mean that one out of three applicants would have been turned away because of their size. The CDC further states that weight bias in hiring does exist and that overweight

When looking at various credentials behind health care professionals names, someone might see the letters, "MD, MPH" or "JD, MPH" or "MHA, MPH" or "RN, MPH" or simply "MPH".  The MPH does not stand for miles per hour as some may joke.  Rather, it stands for Master of Public Health. Those holding an MPH complete graduate school training through programs leading to a master's degree. In order to be admitted into a master's level program, the candidate must first have earned a bachelor's degree. A bachelor's degree typically may be earned at a four-year college or university in a variety of major areas. The graduate programs should be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).  The criteria for accreditation includes areas such as Comprehensiveness, Rigor, Flexibility, Qualification, Opportunity, Recognition.  Degrees awarded may be in the following areas: behavioral and social science, biostatist