Health Policy Update: April 17, 2025
In an effort to help our Funding Partners better understand the changing health policy landscape in the new administration and Congress, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is expanding the GIH Health Policy Update newsletter to three issues per month. Working in collaboration with Leavitt Partners, a leading health care policy consultancy, we are adding new installments of the newsletter on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, while we will continue to partner with Trust for America’s Health on the installment released on the second Wednesday of the month.
Foundations and the Media
Local and national media outlets can help grantmakers inform and educate the public about important health issues and promote the work of their grantees. For many foundations, however, working with the media is uncharted territory.
Partnering to Improve Public Health
The public health system is the nation’s first line of defense against many threats, both naturally occurring and manmade. It ensures the public’s health and safety by identifying and tracking disease, protecting food and water supplies, educating the public on a variety of health issues, and responding to disasters.
For the Benefit of All: Ensuring Immigrant Health and Well-Being
This Issue Brief explores the unique health, social, and policy issues that affect immigrant populations; it looks at attitudes toward immigration and how these influence support for social programs and the provision of public benefits; it highlights philanthropic activities to improve health care access and coverage for immigrants and their families; and discusses how grantmakers are working to ensure the health and well-being of immigrants in their communities.
In Harm’s Way: Aiding Children Exposed to Trauma
Every year, thousands of children nationwide experience trauma as a result of exposure to violence, abuse, natural disasters, severe illness or injury, loss of loved ones due to violence or accident, or forced relocation. This exposure can have both immediate and long-term effects on children’s health and their ability to function fully in their families, schools, and communities. This Issue Brief focuses on the needs of children exposed to trauma, strategies for early identification and intervention, and ensuring the provision of timely and appropriate services to them and their caregivers.
Building a Healthier Future: Partnering to Improve Public Health
GIH’s latest Issue Brief Building a Healthier Future: Partnering to Improve Public Health combines the conversation of a one-day Issue Dialogue with a background paper to identify significant opportunities for grantmakers to partner with public health agencies at the local, state, and national levels, as well as with organizations outside of the traditional public health system, such as faith-based communities, employers, and community organizations. Specifically, this document will help further grantmaker efforts to build and sustain public health partnerships.
For the Benefit of All: Ensuring Immigrant Health and Well-Being
Immigrants and their families contribute to the diversity and economy of the nation, contributing to vibrant, productive, and healthy communities. Yet, immigrants face several barriers to health and well-being. Some result from being disproportionately low income and uninsured; others are unique, such as cultural and linguistic barriers; limited eligibility for public benefits; and bearing the brunt of unwelcoming public views, attitudes, and policies.
Considering Quality: Engaging Consumers to Make Better Health Decisions
Given information and opportunity, consumers can play an important role in improving health care quality and the responsiveness of the health system to their needs. Whether they are making decisions about choosing a health plan, a particular provider, a course of treatment, or how to incorporate healthy choices into their daily lives, empowered and engaged consumers can be a potent force for change.
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