Graham Walker, MD’s Post

Great article in recent NEJM on the need to think about care more holistically--social and medical services are delivered through one team. I love the concept of clinicians being "street-level bureaucrats" who can advocate for patients based on their unique social needs. Most clinicians (mainly PCPs) are too busy and burned out to do this themselves. It takes a village--or actually a team--to solve some of the really tough situations. At MedZed we deliver longitudinal team-based care that integrates medical and social services for individuals with very challenging situations. We have so many "wow" moments when things really turn around for our patients. So gratifying. Lives brought back from the brink of disaster. And clinicians energized about their work.

🗓️ TOMORROW, September 26, 4:30 p.m. ET 🗓️ Don't miss our next #SocialMedicine Rounds: "Anchor Models and the Future of Healthcare: Investing in Community Health and Wealth" Healthcare institutions can be major drivers of economic boon in their communities, yet these dollars do not always directly impact the communities these facilities serve. The anchor strategy is a place-based business approach that imbues wealth into communities via hiring, investing, purchasing and community engagement. One such example is the seminal Chicago anchor model, and September’s Social Medicine Rounds will explore how the anchor model approach was used in this neighborhood and ways it can be applied to other contexts such as the Bronx to address structural drivers of health inequities. Register here: https://buff.ly/3PlfkWH What are social medicine rounds? Our Social Medicine Rounds are an opportunity to connect our staff, faculty, trainees and community members to leaders who discuss the medical, economic and psychosocial issues impacting the health and wellness of our Bronx community.

Recently, the California Health Care Foundation and our health care community partners shared with the California Assembly Health Committee how state leaders can help create a more diverse health care workforce, and how such efforts can improve patients’ health access, experiences, and outcomes. What are solutions for building a workforce that align with state’s population, especially the 15 million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal? 🔹 Improve the disaggregation of data to better understand the language needs of Medi-Cal patients. 🔹 Increase academic scholarship funding and student loan repayment resources for early career professionals who want to work in underserved communities. 🔹 Advance holistic admission processes at all health profession schools in California, especially medical, dental, and pharmacy programs. 🔹 Bolster allied health profession partnerships between California Community Colleges and California State University campuses. “There are no spot fixes,” said CHCF’s Kathryn E. Phillips. “Our health workforce is a critical infrastructure. It’s the infrastructure of care. And just like our roads or our bridges, we need regular assessment. We need infrastructure upgrades. Our workforce deserves more. Our patients need care.” So great to be with our partners at this hearing! Kiran Savage-Sangwan, California Black Health Network, Dr. Seciah Aquino, Libby Abbott, Roots Community Health Center, and Ilan Shapiro MD MBA FAAP FACHE Learn more about the hearing and how California champion health workforce diversity: https://lnkd.in/gtbWtzv9

At CHCF, we believe in a health workforce that mirrors the diversity of our state, especially for the 15 million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal. How can California achieve this? 🔍 Improving data disaggregation to understand patient language needs better. 💡 Increasing scholarship funding and loan repayment resources for people passionate about serving underserved communities. 🏫 Advancing holistic admission processes in California’s health profession schools to foster diversity. 🤝 Strengthening partnerships between California Community Colleges and California State Universities to bolster allied health professions. As CHCF’s Kathryn E. Phillips shared at a recent Assembly Health Committee hearing: “Our health workforce is a critical infrastructure. It’s the infrastructure of care. And just like our roads or our bridges, we need regular assessment. We need infrastructure upgrades. Our workforce deserves more. Our patients need care.” We were honored to testify alongside our many partners working to build the representative workforce we all want and need: California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Black Health Network (CBHN), Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Roots Community Health Center, and AltaMed Health Services, among many others. Learn more about the hearing and how California champions health workforce diversity: https://lnkd.in/gxYFRUUm

Have you ever wondered what our healthcare system would look like if there were a more thoughtful balance between regulation and innovation, where unnecessary friction and redundancies were reduced and a nimbler adoption of effective innovations as allowed? Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Annie E. Casey Foundation Fellow, Ryan Estes, MBA, LCSW,LCAS,CCS has, and he has thoughts on why it is necessary that we challenge the status quo. This question takes center stage in today's rapidly evolving landscape, where access to quality care is paramount. In this collaborative interview, Tina Simpson, JD MSPH and Liz C. interview Ryan, also the Chief Operating Officer of Coastal Horizons, a nonprofit organization managing the delivery of behavioral health and integrative care to children, adults, and families across Eastern North Carolina. We delve into the challenges of rate setting in healthcare, addressing innovation constraints in regulated markets, navigating monopoly environments and their impact on quality of care, and the crucial art of balancing regulation within the context of a nimbler healthcare system. Listen to his episode here: https://lnkd.in/egKMtye7 #healthcare #behaviorhealth #rateregulation #healthcareinnovation #atromitosway

Thanks for sharing Crystal Hayling. A new 7page report (free) - Ensuring Equitable Access to Participation in the Electoral Process: A Policy Brief From the American College of Physicians - concludes: "During the past 2 decades, voter turnout in U.S. presidential elections has ranged from 51.7% to 66.9% of the eligible population. Low voter turnout rates and inequitable electoral institutions, such as gerrymandered districts, can skew policy decisions toward the preferences of a smaller group and fur- ther exclude individuals and communities who have been historically marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes. "Voting and health are directly connected through the institution of policies by ballot initiative and the election of officials who incorporate health into their platforms. They are also indirectly connected, as civic participation connects persons to their community and empowers them with agency in decision making. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians seeks to inform physicians, medical students, and other health care professionals on the links between electoral processes and health; encourage civic participation; and offer policy recommendations to support safe and equitable access to electoral participation to advance health equity for both patients and health care professionals."

Rural communities face a disproportionate shortage of qualified health care providers, with 70% of Health Professional Shortage Areas located in rural and frontier communities of the U.S. states and territories, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration. This means that many people who live in rural areas travel long distances to receive health care or choose to go without much-needed care. As a part of Cambia Health Foundation’s strategy to expand access to behavioral health care in underserved communities in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington, we partner with organizations working to close the health care gap in rural communities. On National Rural Health Day, we celebrate our community partners doing the work on the ground to make health care more accessible for people no matter where they live. Moab Free Health Clinic, Utah Center for Rural Health, Family Health Services, Medical Teams International, Oregon Office of Rural Health, AARP Oregon, Daisy CHAIN, Raíces de Bienestar, Southern Oregon University, Eastern Washington University, Thriving Together NCW, Idaho Community Health Center Association, Cascade Medical

Interesting article on this intersection!