What Eliminating Barriers to Interstate Telehealth Taught Us During the Pandemic
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all states and the federal government approved unprecedented flexibilities that significantly aided the response to the crisis by expanding telehealth, bolstering care in underserved areas, increasing access to mental health services, and importantly, providing some relief for overstressed hospitals and health systems losing health care workers. Now, as temporary waivers in most states are expiring, this publication describes opportunities to apply lessons learned to bring long-term benefits to the health care system.
The Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations
This report reviews the research literature to assess the evidence supporting whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access in each of these five dimensions have been effective in reducing health care disparities. The policy initiatives considered vary widely in terms of the decisionmakers best suited to implement them and therefore require multi-sector collaborative solutions to improve access to primary care in underserved areas.
Mindfulness and Healing Justice
The Kataly Foundation’s Mindfulness and Healing Justice program hosted a discussion with grantee partners to explore the connections between healing, collective transformation, and power-building. The conversation highlighted the need to meaningfully resource mindfulness and healing justice work led by Black and Indigenous people and all communities of color.
Realizing Parity, Reducing Stigma, and Raising Awareness
The Department of Health & Human Services, Department of Labor, and Department of the Treasury have released the 2022 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act report to Congress. The new report provides updates on compliance, enforcement, and consumer protection efforts.
Behavioral Health Data Added to Health Equity Tracker
The Health Equity Tracker, supported by the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, Annie E. Casey Foundation, CDC Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Google.org, and AARP, recently announced the creation of a behavioral health category and the addition of six indicators related to mental health and substance use.
Older Adults’ Mental Health Needs
A new report from The Commonwealth Fund compares older adults’ mental health needs and access to treatment in the United States and other high-income countries to better understand coverage gaps and opportunities for improvement.
New York State Health Foundation Brief Examines Food Scarcity’s Influence on Mental Health
A new issue brief authored by the New York State Health Foundation, “Food Scarcity’s Influence on Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York State,” builds of previous analyses foundation analyses that documented increased rates of poor mental health and food scarcity among New York residents. Using national research as the basis, this new report explores the association between experiencing food scarcity and poor mental health during the pandemic.
New Archstone Report Reflects on 30 Years of Palliative Care Investment
For three decades the Archstone Foundation has focused investments on improving the care and experience of people with serious illness. Their portfolio has championed numerous palliative care and end-of-life initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. Reflecting on this body of grantmaking, the foundation has released a new legacy report that examines this work, grantee achievements, and the enduring impact of this investment.
Philanthropy @ Work – Transitions – January 2022
The latest on transitions from the field.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation: January 2022
Racism and Racial Inequities in Health: A Data-Informed Primer on Health Disparities in Massachusetts serves as a foundational resource to broaden the collective understanding of racial and ethnic health inequities and disparities. The primer is intended to support discussion about how our healthcare system and other systems that impact health enhance or undermine health, and to facilitate the development of solutions to strengthen those systems to serve all Massachusetts residents.