University of Utah (U of U) Health’s Wellness and Integrative Health program is led by Amy Locke, MD, Chair of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health. Locke has taken on the role of Chief Wellness Officer at University of Utah Health to expand a whole-person health approach to programs for employees, patients, and community members. … Read more
The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) was recently featured in the New York Times for its efforts in Houston that have provided housing to thousands of homeless individuals. Their work is being hailed as a model for addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis. The Houston Housing Authority is committed to providing support to low-income, elderly, and … Read more
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) recently released emergency department (ED) utilization data for the state’s Medicaid program and found that each year, approximately 25% of Health First Colorado members visit the emergency room at least once for care. Some 4% of members visited the ED 6 or more times per … Read more
A partnership between Utah’s Summit County and University of Utah Health Plans was featured in a report by the Institute for Medicaid Innovation for its work to address social determinants of health (SDOH) and improve health equity during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled Medicaid Managed Care’s Pandemic Pivot: Addressing Social … Read more
Community health workers (CHWs) in Utah are one of the most effective ways to engage underserved folks to help address the social determinants of health (SDOH). At our 2022 Utah State of Reform Health Policy Conference, three experts discussed the importance of CHWs, initiatives in Utah aiming to address SDOH, and the progress of those … Read more
Peter Weir, M.D. is the executive medical director of population health at University of Utah Health (U of U Health). Weir helps lead the Intensive Outpatient Clinic (IOC), a clinic focused on addressing the social determinants of health by integrating physical and behavioral health. Weir will speak about Utah’s continuing effort to address social determinants … Read more
This week’s newsletter features some of the highlights from our recent 2021 North Texas State of Reform Health Policy Conference. From this year’s prolonged legislative activity to the uncertain future of the state’s safety net, needless to say there’s a lot happening in the Texas health policy space. With so much to talk about, we … Read more
Most of the health care community acknowledges social determinants of health (SDOH) and the role they play in health outcomes. But how can organizations adopt a plan to address factors like housing, food insecurity, and family life in a financially sustainable way? In this video from our 2021 North Texas State of Reform Health Policy … Read more
Melissa Freigang is the founding director of the Prosperity Center of Excellence at Weber County, which works directly with the Weber-Morgan Health Department to assist in alleviating intergenerational poverty and homelessness while promoting strategies to prevent homelessness and connecting impoverished families with needed services. In this Q&A, Freigang talks with State of Reform about the … Read more