« June 2019 Issue

In this Issue

Editor's Note

There is growing recognition in many spheres of the health policy and practice world that improving access to high-quality, affordable medical care isn’t enough to improve and maintain health. The social determinants of health – social, environmental and economic factors that shape our lives, and the policies that create those conditions – also play a role in the health of individuals and communities. Initiatives to address social determinants are becoming a priority for many health advocates, health systems, policymakers and the philanthropic community. We decided to focus this quarter’s Spotlight on this issue to share why Community Catalyst is prioritizing social determinants of health and how we are approaching this work across the organization – whether it is investing in local work to build grassroots community power to address social determinants or consulting with major health systems to engage on these issues. Each article features one aspect of this growing body of work, with much more to come in the years ahead.

—Kathy Melley, Director of Communications

 

 

O N   T H E   W I R E

News and Publications

Center Business Development Manager Mark Rukavina was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article explaining the burden consumers face when challenging medical debt collections.

Lois Uttley, director of the Women’s Health Program, described the potential challenges that secular and Catholic hospital partnerships pose to women and LGBTQ+ individuals’ access to health care in a Kaiser Health News article.

Center Director Ann Hwang, MD, was quoted in a Fierce Healthcare article describing obstacles in health care technology innovation at a POLITICO panel in January 2019.

In an article in the American Journal of Managed Care, “Will 2019 Kick Off a New Era in Person-Centered Care?,” Center Director Ann Hwang, MD, and Center Research Director Marc Cohen, PhD, discuss both the implications and limitations of Medicare’s star rating system.

Among our publications this year are an agenda for advancing health justice and our 2019 federal policy priorities. We also issued a report outlining policy solutions for ending surprise medical bills and best practices for white-led health advocacy organizations to promote health equity and racial justice.

The Center announced its second annual Speak Up for Better Health award. Learn more and nominate a health care champion here.

Join us in welcoming:

Avery Brien, state advocacy manager, Program on Substance Use Disorders and on Justice-Involved Populations; Kim Nguyen, state advocacy manager, State Consumer Health Advocacy Program; Maya Nakamura, program associate, State Consumer Health Advocacy Program; and Briana Croteau, office administrator.

We are delighted to share the following promotions:

Marissa Korn to program and advocacy coordinator, State Consumer Health Advocacy Program; Melissa Ough to associate director, Dental Access Project; Sarah Pearce to program coordinator, Dental Access Project, in addition to her work with the Missouri Expanding Coverage through Consumer Assistance Program; Daniel Frost to digital strategy and communications manager; and Madison Tallant to program coordinator, Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation

Media Contact

Jack Cardinal
Deputy Director of Communications
617-275-2923 
jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org

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