Wellness Equity Alliance

09/04/2026

Measles cases in the United States have surpassed 3,000, reaching their highest level in 35 years.

The scale of the outbreak is significant not only because measles is highly infectious, but because it reflects broader public health challenges: declining vaccine confidence, a challenge that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the difficulty of translating scientific evidence into community action.

In an interview with Scripps News, Wellness Equity Alliance’s CEO and Founder Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, DTMH, FIDSA discussed several factors contributing to the current outbreak, including the amplification of vaccine hesitancy by public figures and federal officials.

👉 “Microbes don’t know the difference between red states and blue states. Politics really needs to stay out of public health.”

https://www.scrippsnews.com/health/us-measles-cases-hit-35-year-high-as-expert-warns-vaccine-hesitancy-is-fueling-the-outbreak

US measles cases hit a 35-year high. A public health expert says vaccine hesitancy and politics are fueling the dangerous surge.

09/04/2026

September is Su***de Prevention Month, and we thank Dailydunes for helping bring awareness to the community that the Indio Behavioral Health Crisis Walk-In Center is open 24/7, for ages 5+, no appointments or referrals needed, and no waitlist for immediate crisis assessment, support, and stabilization.

Anyone age 5+ can walk in, at any time, for immediate care for behavioral health, mental health, and substance use concerns, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

You’ll be welcomed by staff including clinicians and peer support specialists. Together, you'll figure out what's going on and what would help most.

💙 You are not alone.

📍 We're Here
47915 Oasis Street, Indio CA
760.239.9187

09/04/2026

CDC data as of 9/1/26 shows 407 reported West Nile virus human cases this year, including 285 severe neuroinvasive cases and 23 deaths.

Cases peak in late summer and may be underreported because some people who are infected are asymptomatic.

In a Fox News interview with Senior Health Editor Melissa Rudy, Wellness Equity Alliance’s CEO and Founder Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, DTMH, FIDSA discussed risk factors, symptoms to watch for, preventive actions, and the neuroinvasive component of the West Nile virus.

👉 “If there's ever any severe headaches, stiff neck, disorientation, vision loss, feeling like you're just really confused, and if you're over the age of 65, or have immunocompromising conditions like severe diabetes or cancers, that's when you're going to want to seek emergency management as quickly as possible."

Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine or cure for West Nile but there are supportive treatments available.

https://www.foxnews.com/health/deadly-mosquito-borne-virus-claims-first-life-major-us-city-cases-spread.amp

09/02/2026

Wellness Equity Alliance is excited to welcome John Kirby as Director of Street Medicine.

John brings more than three decades of experience across HIV/AIDS, substance use, behavioral health, homelessness, LGBTQ+ advocacy, medical care for underserved communities, program development, and fund development.

After serving in United States Army, John began his career in direct service as an HIV testing counselor and expanded into leadership roles across substance use treatment, HIV prevention, community-based programming, methadone services, outpatient behavioral health, and executive-level program development.

Most recently, he directed behavioral health and social service programs addressing the social determinants of health across one of the largest FQHC systems in Southern California.

At WEA, John will help advance health equity and guide our street medicine programs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Coachella Valley, and San Diego that integrate medical care, behavioral health, substance use treatment, HIV care, and care coordination for people too often left outside traditional systems of care.

Welcome John! We’re so glad you’re here!

09/02/2026

A bat brought into a home on Martha’s Vineyard tested positive for rabies, marking the island’s first documented case since 2019.
Human rabies remains rare in the U.S., with fewer than 10 confirmed cases typically reported each year. But once symptoms develop, the disease is almost always fatal.

In a Knewz article, Wellness Equity Alliance’s CEO and Founder Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, DTMH, FIDSA provided perspective about the broader interaction between people and wildlife.

👉 “As the human population increases, people venture into ‘areas we shouldn’t be, becoming accidental hosts to rabies. As this continues, wildlife populations have also exploded, feeding off trash, outdoor pet foods and compost left behind by humans.”

While the Martha’s Vineyard case is likely a “one-time event,” it’s important to take possible exposure seriously.

Because bat bites can be tiny and easily overlooked, seeking medical attention immediately after a possible exposure is an important part of preventing rabies from becoming a medical emergency.

https://knewz.com/rabies-infected-bats-america-marthas-vineyard-first-since-2019/

A rabies-infected bat found on Martha’s Vineyard has prompted a 45-day quarantine for two cats as experts warn about deadly rabies risks.

09/01/2026

Stimulant use disorder has surpassed opioid use disorder in prevalence for the first time, with 4.5 million Americans now affected. Yet there is still no FDA-approved medication specifically to treat it.

In Behavioral Health Business, reporter Ashleigh Hollowell examines the growing treatment challenge and the role of contingency management, an evidence-based behavioral intervention that rewards measurable changes in behavior but continues to face reimbursement and implementation barriers.

Wellness Equity Alliance’s CEO and Founder Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, DTMH, FIDSA provided insight into what it takes to make treatment accessible including:

👉 “When it comes to contingency management, getting that covered is really, really challenging. So, zooming out, we have to incentivize funding, testing, patient coordinator time, peer support specialists, technology, transportation supports. There are a lot of pieces, and it takes a lot of creativity. You can’t just check boxes.”

https://bhbusiness.com/2026/08/31/stimulant-use-disorder-might-be-providers-next-quiet-crisis/

This is an exclusive BHB+ story.   The prevalence of stimulant use disorders has surpassed the number of individuals with opioid

08/31/2026

This year marks the 25th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose. The theme is, “25 Years On. Still Needed.”

The CDC reports a decrease of almost 14% from the 81,313 deaths estimated in 2024, but the scale of loss from overdose deaths remains devastating with nearly 70,000 U.S. overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2025.

• An overdose happens when a substance overwhelms the body and causes serious symptoms, including slowed or stopped breathing, loss of consciousness, or inability to respond.
• Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose when given in time, including overdoses involving fentanyl, he**in, or prescription opioids.
• Overdose risk can be reduced by carrying naloxone, avoiding use alone when possible, avoiding mixing substances, using fentanyl test strips when available, and calling 911 right away if an overdose is suspected.

People who are unsheltered, isolated, using alone, or disconnected from traditional healthcare systems need overdose prevention support that works.

Street medicine helps by bringing naloxone education, medication support, behavioral health care, primary care, and connection to treatment to people right where they are.

08/31/2026

A central North Carolina teenager is critically ill with a disease that has long been associated with the hottest days of summer in the South: a brain infection caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri.

According to the CDC, “Most N. fowleri infections occur when people swim or submerge their heads in warm fresh water like lakes, ponds, or rivers.” It can also be found in the soil.

WRAL TV Climate Change Reporter Liz McLaughlin examined how warming freshwater could create favorable conditions for the heat-loving amoeba across a wider geographic area and potentially for a longer part of the year.

Wellness Equity Alliance’s CEO and Founder Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, DTMH, FIDSA provided additional insight:

👉 “We might see not necessarily just an increased risk of cases per se, but the times in which the cases are presenting.”

For public health, the focus isn’t predicting a sudden surge. It’s recognizing that changing temperatures may shift familiar patterns of infectious disease and adapting surveillance and prevention accordingly.

For people swimming in warm freshwater, simple precautions can reduce exposure, including using nose clips to keep water out of the nose, and avoiding disturbing sediment in shallow areas.

https://www.wral.com/news/local/warming-waters-could-expand-brain-eating-amoeba-risk-aug-28-2026/

A North Carolina teenager is critically ill with the rare infection as scientists study how rising temperatures could change where and when the amoeba thrives.

08/26/2026

Climate change can affect where and how infectious diseases emerge. Whether diseases can be prevented, detected, and treated depends on effective infrastructure and low barrier access to healthcare.

On an episode of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, host Ted Flanigan spoke with Wellness Equity Alliance’s CEO and Founder Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, DTMH, FIDSA about health equity, infectious disease, climate change, and the systems people rely on for care.

🖥️ Watch full episode: https://ecomotion.us/.../dr-tyler-evans-on-the-need-for.../v

08/26/2026

Wellness Equity Alliance is excited to welcome Katrina L. Balovlenkov, LCSW, as Chief Behavioral Health Officer.

Katrina brings more than 20 years of experience across behavioral health, HIV, substance use, public health, social work, education, and community-based care.

Her work has focused on strengthening health systems, advancing patient-directed approaches to care, and developing services that respond to the realities of people who are unsheltered, or navigating complex barriers to care.

As Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Katrina will help guide WEA’s behavioral health strategy across programs that integrate innovative healthcare via street medicine, clinical care, public health, lived experience, and community partnership.

Her leadership will strengthen WEA’s ability to deliver accessible, responsive, and integrated community-based care for populations most impacted by health inequities.

Welcome Katrina! We’re so glad you’re here!