Articles
Health Information Technology (HIT), Care Delivery, Leveraging Technology
Information exchange portal closes the gap between health system and social services
In Dallas, as in many cities, frequent users of emergency services often face underlying social issues. Coordination between health care and social services is often fragmented, but now an information-exchange portal launched by Parkland Health & Hospital System has found success in closing that gap for the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Physician Workforce, Workforce
Rewriting the medical school curriculum
Long-established medical schools are taking big leaps in moving toward a curriculum focused on value and communities.
The A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona partnered with the National Association of Community Health Centers to create a total-immersion training model. During years 2 to 4, students are sent to one of 12 urban or rural community health centers in the U.S., where they are able to experience firsthand what it’s like to care for patients.
Physician Workforce, Workforce
Teaching the next generation of physicians
As a 40-year-old former driver for Meals on Wheels, Brooke Wagen is not a typical medical school student. While her classmates in their 20s might be occupied with settling into their first year of studies and debating which specialty to enter, Wagen already has a concrete vision of how she’ll use her medical education: addressing the health needs of a state-run housing complex for elderly and disabled residents.
Care Delivery
Legal advice as a determinant of health
When Christine Crawford, 57, began discussing gender transition surgery with her hormone specialist at a clinic for Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, she expressed concern over the process of legally changing her name to Christine.
The process, which can take three to six months, was one more stressful item on a "to-do" list that included surgery.
Care Delivery, Patient and Family Education/Engagement
Food that can send you to the hospital
Don’t Eat That
24,029
The number of infections caused by foodborne pathogens in 2016.
5,512
The number of hospitalizations related to foodborne pathogens that year.
98
The number of deaths caused by foodborne pathogens during that year.
Care Delivery
Clinic provides care with LGBT focus
The LGBT community in New Jersey recently welcomed the opening of a new Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital clinic that offers specialized primary care services for the underserved population.
The PROUD (Promoting, Respect, Outreach, Understanding and Dignity) Family Health clinic is part of the RWJ Somerset Family Practice Center and opened in January after a business resource group in the hospital brought to light the need for LGBT-focused care in the state.
Patient and Family Education/Engagement
Childrens health takes center stage
Summer vacations are over, which means that Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre troupe will soon be visiting schools to educate and entertain thousands of kids.
The free program has been around for 30 years and has served nearly 7 million children since its launch in 1985.
Delivery System Transformation, Governance Effectiveness, Care Delivery, Quality & Patient Safety, Strategic Planning
Hospitals team up with Uber and Lyft to transport patients
Soon patients may have no excuse to miss a doctor appointment.
MedStar Health, which serves Maryland and Washington, D.C., recently teamed up with Uber, the ride service, to provide patients with a reliable option to get to and from their medical appointments safely.