A new report includes several recommendations to improve healthcare in rural Tennessee communities, which center on workforce development, access to care, and social drivers of health (SDOH). Gov. Bill Lee established the Tennessee Rural Health Care Task Force in 2019 to improve health access and outcomes for rural Tennesseeans. The task force included … Read more
A new Oregon State University (OSU) report shows a severe crisis within the state’s healthcare workforce and calls for several measures to address it. OSU contracted with the Oregon Health Authority to develop the report for the Oregon Health Policy Board, fulfilling legislation that requires biennial assessments of the state’s healthcare workforce, and … Read more
While industry leaders have made progress in addressing some disparities in health care, it’s clear that many inequities remain in place. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated those inequities, which some experts discussed at the 2022 Alaska State of Reform Health Policy Conference. Veronica Sandoval, Principal at Genentech’s Chief Diversity Office, said Genentech studied epidemiology … Read more
Dr. Sandy Ho has been hired as chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer for the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). For more than two decades, Dr. Ho has contributed to and been recognized at the regional and state levels for advocacy and championing transformational equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work. They strive to … Read more
Washington’s Universal Health Care Commission discussed the state’s readiness to establish a single-payer system Thursday. The commission was created after Senate Bill 5399 passed during the 2021 legislative session to make health care more accessible and affordable for residents. Health Management Associates (HMA) staff is helping the commission by providing guidance in developing … Read more
Hispanic Michiganders were more likely than white Michiganders to suffer severe COVID-19 symptoms, have longer hospital stays and experience increased social stressors—being unable to pay rent, buy food or arrange child care, according to a new University of Michigan study. The findings shine a light into the health inequalities that were already observed by an … Read more
The Michigan Opioids Task Force announced a Request for Proposal (RFP) in January for a consultant to develop and lead a new Racial Equity Workgroup within the task force. The consultant will mainly work to incorporate community voices into the decision making process of the task force and to provide on the ground accounts of … Read more
The Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP) recently held their annual conference, which brought together panelists to discuss Utah’s uninsured population and how it relates to inequities in our health care system. The conference touched on the many barriers to coverage for those who are uninsured and the investments needed to address those barriers. … Read more
Three experts came together at the 2021 Oregon State of Reform Health Policy Conference to talk through diversity, equity, and inclusion investments and their impacts on the social determinants of health. The panel reviewed efforts underway to collect better data around the social determinants of health, create a more inclusive health care workforce, and connect … Read more
Four leaders in the Oregon State Legislature came together to discuss the outlook for health care and health policy at the 2021 Oregon State of Reform Health Policy Conference held earlier this week. This “four corner conversation” brought together health policy leaders from both the left and right sides of the political spectrum and from … Read more