Health and Human Services

After years of having to bring a check to the hospital, parents can now just fill out a digital form, pay with a credit card and receive the birth certificate in about two days.

The experience of accessing public benefits online can vary greatly and is shaped both by a state’s digital identity management approach and the applicant's experiences, according to a report released Tuesday.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District’s newest $325 million addition to the Orinda Water Treatment Plant centers around a high-tech plan to use ultraviolet light as a primary decontamination strategy.

With its acquisition of tbh, which supports students in need of food and other basic needs, the mental health platform Uwill is expanding beyond therapy and care to include features for food, housing and financial aid.

With hospitals and researchers around the globe racing to use AI tools as part of a technological gold rush poised to redefine medicine, the Mayo Clinic is seeking to become a leader.

University of Texas at Arlington researchers are working with a domestic violence center to study trends and interventions to help victims escape surveillance through hidden tracking devices and other technologies.

The state Office of Innovation and Department of Agriculture used tech to identify children eligible for the NJ Summer EBT Program. Statistical pattern finding found kids who hadn’t previously been enrolled.

A school district in Maryland is among among hundreds of districts and state officials seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in compensatory damages for years of dealing with the harm caused by social media companies.

The state’s most populous county has launched a $30 million, voter-approved investment in child-care workers. Tech plays a central role in the process by enabling equitable cash distribution at scale.

The launch of this new tool also comes with new responsibilities for the state’s technology workforce. The benefits program could help some 1.3 million state residents.

A recent report by Common Sense Media says three quarters of teens have used AI companions, which are designed to be agreeable and validating. More than a third found them more "satisfying" than interacting with friends.

The data tool and interface, which was built in-house to flag crime and misuse, has saved the state millions and ensures benefits go to those in need. Created with federal funding, it recently earned a governor’s award.

North Carolina’s PATH NC platform will have features including AI-assisted tools. It will also digitally connect the state’s 100 counties for the first time in such a way, offering exponential change in case handling.

The St. Mary’s Food Bank is using GIS technology to get food to communities, an initiative that plays an increasingly important role as the federal government explores funding changes to benefits programs.

The state recently reached a rideshare milestone in its partnership with GoGoGrandparent, an on-demand transportation and delivery service platform designed to offer older adults greater independence at no cost.

The grant, which would have benefitted the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub, led by Southern Research, has been cancelled. The award followed its 2023 designation as one of 31 federal Tech Hubs, setting the stage for funding.

As the federal government’s approach to serving people with autism shifts under a new administration, states continue using technology to meet autistic people where they are, to provide support.

Cypress and Loara high schools in California hope that HALO smart sensors in bathrooms and locker rooms will help catch vaping students by sending instant alerts to school officials.