Nicole Winship

Background - An Evidence-Based Look at the 2025–26 Influenza Season Influenza is a seasonal respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. Illness severity ranges from mild to severe and can result in hospitalization or death, particularly among vulnerable populations. Influenza spreads primarily through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces. The 2025–26 influenza season is shaping up to be more intense and disruptive than those seen in recent years. Across North...

Across the world, healthcare systems are under unprecedented strain. Aging populations, rising chronic disease, and post-pandemic workforce burnout have intensified one long-standing challenge, insufficient nurse-to-patient ratios. While the phrase may sound technical, the stakes are deeply human. Nursing ratios influence survival rates, medical error frequency, staff wellbeing, and the overall resilience of health systems. Why Nurse-to-Patient Ratios Matter A “nurse-to-patient ratio”...

In recent years, the world has watched skies turn orange from California to Canada, Australia to Greece. The smell of burning forests, once a distant problem, now drifts into cities thousands of miles from the flames. Wildfire smoke has become one of the most visible and dangerous signs of a warming planet and it’s reshaping the way we think about air, health, and preparedness. A Growing Global Threat Wildfires are not new, but their frequency, size, and intensity have increased sharply over...