Faculty

faculty photo
Stephen A. Bezruchka
Senior Lecturer
MD  
Stanford University, 1973
Medicine
MPH  
Johns Hopkins University, 1993
International Health
AM  
Harvard University, 1967
Mathematics
BSc  
University of Toronto (Canada), 1966
Mathematics, Physics
Senior Lecturer, Global Health

Department of Health Services Program Affiliations:
  -  Community-Oriented Public Health Practice
  -  Department of Global Health, (MPH Program)

Stephen Bezruchka works with the Department of Global Health MPH program. He has spent over 10 years in Nepal working in various health programs, and teaching in remote regions. He tries to draw attention to the socioeconomic determinants of the health of populations.

Contact Information
(office)  H-688
1959 NE Pacific St.
Box:  357660
Seattle, WA 98195-7660
(voice)  206-616-2901     (fax)  206-685-4184
sabez@u.washington.edu
Teaching Interests

Population Health, Medical Harm, Qualitative Research.

  • GH 514
    Global Population Health
  • GH 500
    Global Health Seminar
Research Interests
Effective methods of disseminating determinants of population health to the general population so they work to change societal structures to improve America's health

Theories of global health asking the question why do countries order by health
outcomes such as life expectancy in the health Olympics?

Medical harm and the lack of interest in the USA for responding to this marked health risk.

Medical tourism and its affect on host populations

Projects
Population Health Forum
Population Health Forum is an organization of health activists originally launched at the University of Washington, raises awareness of, promotes dialogue about, and explores how political, economic and social inequalities interact to reduce the overall health status of our society. We host forums, sponsor discussions, develop curriculum, teach courses, sponsor workshops, and provide speakers to promote knowledge and to advocate for action in service of a healthier society. The Forum's website http://depts.washington.edu/eqhlth/ has much material and notices of our meetings as well as subscription information for the listserve at the bottom left of the home page.
Selected Publications

Bezruchka, S. (2008). "Becoming a Public Scholar to Improve the Health of the US
Population." Antipode 40(3): 455-462.

Bezruchka, S., T. Namekata, et al. (2008). "Improving Economic Equality and
Health: The Case of Postwar Japan." Am J Public Health 98(4): 589-594.

Bezruchka, S. (2007). Give U.S. Children Our Best. Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Seattle, April 29: J1-J3.

Bezruchka, S. (2006). Economic equality is best medicine: Health of societies
mostly relies on political and economic policies, not the individual treatment
of disease. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Seattle, June 25: C1-C3.

Bezruchka, S. (2006). Chapter 1: Epidemiological Approaches. Staying Alive: Critical Perspectives on Health, Illness and Health Care. D. Raphael, T. Bryant and M. Rioux. Toronto, Canadian Scholars' Press.

Bezruchka, Stephen. Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment. 2nd Edition Seattle: The Mountaineers, 2005.

Bezruchka, S. and M. A. Mercer (2004). The Lethal Divide: How Economic Inequality Affects Health. Sickness and Wealth: The Corporate Assault on Global Health. M. Fort, M. A. Mercer and O. Gish. Boston, South End Press: 11-18

Bezruchka, S. (2004). "Population health issues relevant to neuroscience in Nepal." J Neuroscience 1(1): 4-9.

Bezruchka, S. (2003). THE (BIGGER) PICTURE OF HEALTH. Take Back Your Time: Fighting Overwork and Time Poverty in America. J. de Graaf. San Francisco, Berrett-Koehler: 84-90

Bezruchka, S. (2002). "Hierarchy and health are related." BMJ 324(7343): 978

Bezruchka, S. (2001). "Societal hierarchy and the health Olympics." Canadian Medical Association Journal 164(12): 1701-3

Bezruchka, S. (2001). Is Our Society Making You Sick? America's health lags behind that of more egalitarian nations. Newsweek: 14, February 26.

Bezruchka, S., G. Lluberas, et al. (2000). "Medical Tourism Letters and Response." Jr. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine 12: 63-65

Bezruchka, S. (2000). "Is globalization dangerous to our health?" West. Jr. Med. 172: 332-334

Bezruchka, S. (2000). "Editorial: Medical Tourism as Medical Harm to the Third World: Why? For Whom?" Jr. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine 11: 77-78

Bezruchka, S. (2000). Medical care may harm your health. Seattle Times. Seattle: B-5

Bezruchka, S. (1997). "Editorial: Tourism and the health of local populations." Jr. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine 8(2): 73-74

Bezruchka, S. (1996). "Editorial: Wilderness as medicine for the disabled." Jr. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine 7(4): 285-286

Dissertation, Thesis and Capstone Committees (recent graduates)
2007
Member, thesis committee for Katherine Potter
Mitigating the Maoist conflict: The impact of civil war on health promotion NGOs in Nepal

2006
Chair, thesis committee for Masako Calico
Does number of Community Health Worker influence immunization coverage in rural Bangladesh?

2006
Advisor, capstone for Jennifer Filion
Developing protocols for non-medical staff to manage medical crisis in a housing first model

2006
Advisor, capstone for Camille Samujh
Evaluation of safe storage of firearms training module for health care providers

2006
Member, thesis committee for Sara Wood
"Unless we small people do something:" HIV and youth volunteerism in Swaziland.

2005
Chair, thesis committee for Julie Beschta
The public's health and "healthy" public policy: Perceptions of key decision makers in King County, Washington

2004
Chair, thesis committee for Anita Dupuis
Sources and solutions to health disparities of the Selish, Ksanka and Qlispe people: a shared community perspective

2004
Member, thesis committee for Thomas Kinane
An analysis of the effect of full-time physician consultation supplementing a consulting nurse phone advice system

2004
Chair, thesis committee for Jennifer Meyer
Exploring community perspectives on people-led health promotion and community development: a case study from Northern Thailand

2004
Member, thesis committee for Toru Okura
Far apart; can they come together? A qualitative study comparing medical education in the US and Japan

2004
Member, thesis committee for Chinh Pham
Physicians' perspectives on antibiotic misuse in Vietnam

2004
Member, thesis committee for Josephine Saltmarsh
Youth violence, income inequality, and social capital: an ecologic study

2004
Member, thesis committee for Timothy Struna
The community mirror: a method to evaluate community changes secondary to assets-based community development for health promotion. A case study of the process from Chiang Mai, Thailand