Colin Cave, MD

Very thoughtful piece out from American Enterprise Institute James Capretta. His diagnosis seems spot on to me. I quibble on a few of the solutions. I think public option plans have a place in disciplining a market that lacks incentives to control costs (and high hospital prices with outliers at the very high end), but he identifies the key levers for lowering costs--more standardized plans and services, and incentives to use lower cost services and settings. This makes me hopeful for bipartisan solutions. https://lnkd.in/edgv7MJQ

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Great conversation with Stacie Weeksof Nevada Medicaid. Topics include: strengthening the workforce, innovations through stronger communications, and innovations for BH and jail health programs. Run time: 12 mins https://lnkd.in/gyb3tQq2

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Oregon is leading the way as the first state to use Medicaid money explicitly for climate-related costs to address social needs for their most vulnerable residents. Let's push for California to follow suit. #climatechangeisSDOH #Medicaid #climateresilience #communityresilience #climatechangepolicy #stateinnovation

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Every April, we acknowledge National Public Health Week (NPHW), elevating the successes, accomplishments, and vital role of public health. This year’s NPHW theme — Protecting, Connecting, and Thriving: We Are All Public Health — deeply resonated with me. Many of the recent conferences I have attended have focused on the power of connection to transform our health systems and institutions to center equity, people, and community — a practice that is at the core of ChangeLab Solutions’ mission. I am enlivened by the innovative ideas, relationships, and energy sparked when people working at every level of public health come together to create an actionable vision for change. At ChangeLab Solutions, we focus on transformative approaches to public health policies — from using legal and policy levers that hold the greatest potential for equitable systems change to reforming governance systems to better engage and listen to community voices. We are inspired to deepen our shared work because we are all public health. I invite you to read our spring newsletter to learn about some of our current projects and partnerships, ranging from a new article on centering law in public health education to resources that can assist states with reforming outdated HIV criminalization laws and policies. Explore our current work: https://lnkd.in/gij89cgW #HealthEquity #PublicHealth #PublicHealthLaw

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Here are some highlights from the Bay State Banner coverage of the Health Equity Compact, Health Equity Trends Summit on June 6. More than 1,000 leaders from across the state gathered in person and via hybrid. “We recognize that we are all in this together. Systemic change towards equity benefits everybody, with lower health care costs, improved standards of care and more vibrant communities,” said Michael Curry, president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, during welcome remarks. A ‘whole-of-government approach’ Across government, too, leaders are looking to collaborate. A state effort called Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts — or AHEM — is anchored in the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services but is meant to cross secretariat lines to other parts of the administration in an effort to close racial, economic and regional disparities in health outcomes. It’s part of what Governor Maura Healey called a “whole-of-government approach” during remarks at the summit. “Across the board, we know that health equity is the key to systemic improvement,” said Healey, pointing to efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic that closed vaccination gaps and put Massachusetts near the top for uptake rates nationwide. Technology and AI Beyond governmental efforts, the summit also looked toward new technological horizons, with a panel focused on artificial intelligence and its potential to impact equity in health systems. Beyond the sci-fi-esque dreams of being able to have a discussion with an AI to diagnose an individual patient, Dr. Renee Crichlow, chief medical officer at Codman Square Health Center and a member of the Health Equity Compact, said the technology could be used to change systems and streamline internal processes in a way that could mean more dollars being spent on patient care, rather than going toward things like a billing department. “The fact is, if you look at the way we spend our health care dollars, that’s where we’re going to have impact, when we have a practice redesign when we empower primary care at the clinic level,” Crichlow said. #HealthEquityCompact #HETS2024 #HealthEquity #AI #AIEquity https://lnkd.in/eXxE_5uS

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State and local governments should consider the long-term sustainability of their programs beyond the end of pandemic-related funding opportunities. #GuidehouseExperts are working with states, counties, and cities nationwide to develop effective sustainability frameworks and successfully plan for the post-ARPA environment. Guidehouse State and Local Government

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Listen to the latest episode and learn how innovation and compassion for a community is improving oral health in Oregon!

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"It Is Time to Consider More Price Regulation in Health Care." My favorite excerpt below: Research on hospital productivity in Medicare finds that hospitals often misallocate their resources, and the hospitals that spend less may have outcomes that are as good as the hospitals that spend more. In the commercial market, hospitals paid higher prices do have better mortality outcomes, but that is only true in less concentrated markets. In markets with little competition, hospital prices are high but quality is lower than in competitive markets. Amitabh Chandra Sherry Glied JAMA and The JAMA Network #hospitalconsolidation https://lnkd.in/eZ2mqGje

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"In 2003, the Institute of Medicine examined the impacts of health care disparities and proposed solutions in Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial Bias and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Because disparities persist, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened an expert committee to revisit the 2003 report." The link to the updated report release webinar is below:

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Maternity care providers of all types are needed more than ever in California-- especially midwives whom research has shown deliver a model of care that is evidence-based, produces excellent outcomes, is patient-centered, and is what mothers/birthing people say they actually want. That's why it is troubling to see the end of masters-level midwifery programs in favor of doctorate programs (which take longer, are more expensive), as is happening at UCSF. To learn more, check out this great reporting by Catherine Ho on this topic. https://lnkd.in/gkisbs2E

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The FTC is investigating the two largest #dialysis providers who control over 70% of the market for dialysis delivered in outpatient centers. This is a highly consolidated industry, and these big players use #noncompetes to restrict physician mobility. Medicare beneficiaries have a strong interest in a mobile, well-trained physician workforce able to work in all settings, include the home. Medicare invests around $17-$18 billion annually in GME and IME physician training support to hospitals (i.e., those of us who pay Medicare payroll taxes all our working lives invest in physician workforce training). Perhaps #Medicare should consider banning #noncompetes in its "conditions of participation" for hospitals and other providers like dialysis centers. #antitrust Federal Trade Commission Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

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⚖️ Ask Congress to Pass the Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) (H.R. 2923/S. 1384) ⚖️ Bill - H. R. 2923 - Living Donor Protection Act of 2023 Congress.gov link: https://lnkd.in/ejwZnZuB. ⚖️ Bill - S. 1384 - Living Donor Protection Act Congress.gov link: https://lnkd.in/eatNPzWj ⚖️ The Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) is a bipartisan bill intended to: 🔹Prevent insurance discrimination against living organ donors by prohibiting life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based solely on organ donor status. 🔹 The LDPA seeks to include living organ donation as a qualifying event under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), ensuring organ donor job protection during surgery and recovery. ❓ Did you know that roughly one in four living organ donors face difficulties obtaining or affording life, disability, and long-term care insurance after their selfless act of donation? 📈 This statistic is not just concerning; it is unacceptable, especially when 12 kidney patients die each day waiting for a transplant. ⚖️ Together, we can ensure that living organ donors can give the gift of life without fear of insurance discrimination or job loss. 📧 How can you support the Living Donor Protection Act of 2023 (LDPA)? Please take a moment and send the letter using the link below to ask Congress to support the Living Donor Protection Act of 2023. Thank you for your time. National Kidney Foundation #mykidneyvoice

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Do you work in a state, Tribal, local, or territorial health department in the United States? Participate in the Governmental Public Health Job Task Survey, help strengthen the public health workforce, and get $10 ;) The purpose of the survey is to better understand what tasks people in specific public health jobs do the most and which tasks they believe are the most important to their work. This information will give the workforce, governmental public health leaders, and academic institutions and training programs better insight into what a wide range of governmental public health jobs entail and what might be needed to best support people in these roles. https://lnkd.in/eBv2kFUw Thanks to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Public Health Accreditation Board, and National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) for supporting this work!

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In Pierce County, Washington we've experienced virtually NO opposition to any of our projects. It behooves the developer to know their market. A little prior planning goes a long way in protecting investors assets. #behavioralhealth #BehavioralHealthServices #BehavioralHealthCare #behavioralhealthawareness #behavioralhealthjobs #MentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters #mentalhealthawareness #commercialrealestate #commercialrealestateinvestor #commercialrealestateinvesting

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Have you HERD the news?! MHP and Clinica Family Health intend to merge to become Clinica Family Health and Wellness. As one combined organization we will provide affordable and holistic physical, mental, and dental health services from locations across Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, and Adams counties. We anticipate the merger to be completed in September 2024. How exciting is that?! We'll provide quality, comprehensive, and community-based healthcare for thousands of local individuals and families - including those with Medicaid, Medicare, and uninsured. Why are we doing this? The healthcare environment is rapidly changing and access to care in a fragmented system is a continued challenge. This merger will help us remove some of these barriers and bring together more resources to meet the needs of our community. For the past 2 years, MHP and Clinica have been thoughtfully discussing how we could better work together to address these realities. It became abundantly clear that merging—leveraging over 100 years of combined experience and expertise in physical and behavioral health—was the strongest way to effect meaningful change. We look forward to continuing to serve our community in new and exciting ways! Learn more about the merger: https://lnkd.in/gtAqBFKs

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Indeed a turning point for women's health. I am not a political person, but this is something I can proudly support. Very proud of my friends Liz Powell, Jodi Neuhauser, and Candace McDonald for launching this Women's Health PAC who have the support of thousands of women in the healthcare industry. With more money, research, information, innovation, funding, and focus on women's health... everyone wins. Including men. This is not exclusive, this ensures inclusion of all people, especially women who have been excluded from most of the above including in healthcare. Equity ensures equality, and without a focus on women's health there will be not achievement of equity. #healthequity #healthequityforwomen #womenshealth #women #equality #womeninhealth #womenleaders #womeninleadership #womeninmedtech #PAC #womenshealthPAC

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While a bit outdated, the trend line is encouraging. How is your county doing with this metric? You can look it up at www. countyhealthrankings.com.

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