MOVING INTELLIGENT CHANGE FORWARD
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I hope wherever you are, you are well in every sense of the word. I’ve tried to share a few favorite reads that don’t remind you (again) that we’re in the midst of a pandemic. There are some gems: even while we struggle to find a cure/vaccine for COVID, we’re making important progress toward better early diagnosis for cancers. Public health is (finally) being recognized as the essential element in our national health strategy. We’re learning that sharing information, intellectual property and equipment/resources is a bedrock of rapid response and meaningful change. Most importantly, we’re recognizing as a nation the integral link between physical and mental health and well-being. May is Mental Health Month (see
www.mhanational.org/may
) and what better time to understand how to improve the policies that enable us to be mentally healthy, as well as learn about how to take care of ourselves during this challenging time. All the best for your whole health!
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Always The Bridesmaid, Public Health Rarely Spotlighted Until It's Too Late
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The U.S. is in the midst of both a public health crisis and a health care crisis. Yet most people aren't aware these are two distinct things. And the response for each is going to be crucial. If you're not a health professional of some stripe, you might not realize that the nation's public health system operates, in large part, separately from the system that provides most people's medical care.
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Tech Giants Pledge Their IP to COVID-19 Fight
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The Open COVID Pledge has added a big group of tech heavy hitters. IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. and Sandia National Laboratories have pledged free use of their intellectual property to fight COVID-19 during the pandemic, joining a growing list of tech companies and academic and research institutions.
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The coronavirus pandemic is pushing America into a mental-health crisis
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Three months into the coronavirus pandemic, the country is on the verge of another health crisis, with daily doses of death, isolation and fear generating widespread psychological trauma.
Federal agencies and experts warn that a historic wave of mental-health problems is approaching: depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.
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People are dying from coronavirus because we’re not fast enough at clinical research
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When medical historians look back at the Covid-19 pandemic, they will reckon with how the United States, with its vast technological and scientific resources, stumbled so badly in the face of an emerging virus. They’ll wonder why the country responded so slowly, and why, in particular, it lacked adequate diagnostic tests for months after cases started to rise.
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Is value-based insurance design experiencing a renaissance?
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Think of your favorite movie. Maybe it’s a classic from your childhood or early adulthood. In these days of what’s old is new again, it may experience a renaissance for a new generation. (Full disclosure: I’m a child from the “Back to the Future” years and pause when I come across the original or the sequels on television). In the past year, we’re seeing a similar renaissance around value-based insurance design (V-BID) — a classic strategy for some employers.
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Anchor Businesses Can Be Change Makers For Community Health Improvement
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The COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting economic fallout, is a harsh reminder of the inextricable link between the health of a community and economic prosperity. The Office of the US Surgeon General has identified that link as a priority area.
A unique public–private partnership forged during the COVID-19 crisis highlights the opportunity for businesses to become partners in community health improvement.
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What Do High Drug Prices Buy Us?
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US patients pay far more for the same brand-name drugs than do patients in other affluent countries; these prices are often well out of proportion to the clinical benefits they offer. Recent legislation passed by the House of Representatives would give the federal government the authority to negotiate prices on a modest number of costly brand-name medications, based on factors such as the drug’s effectiveness, the adequacy of alternative treatments, and market size.
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Watchdog scolds HHS for lacking a big-picture plan to incentivize antibiotic development
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Amid growing anxiety over a lack of antibiotics, a new report from a Congressional watchdog found that the Department of Health and Human Services lacks an overarching strategy for developing new incentives to manufacturers.
In particular, the Government Accountability Office argued in a new report that the HHS so far hasn’t agreed about the need to offer certain types of so-called pull incentives, which could be offered to companies to help cover manufacturing and marketing costs after antibiotics have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and reached the market.
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Early Detection: A New Front in the War on Cancer
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President Richard Nixon famously declared the war on cancer in 1971. For a long time, the United States was losing, but the tide has finally turned. The American Cancer Society recently reported the largest single-year reduction in cancer mortality ever—a 2.2 percent drop. Prevention—especially big declines in smoking—and advanced treatments targeting late stage cancers have been the cornerstones of the fight.
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Passion + Quality = Change That Matters
I embrace the powerful opportunities in our evolving health care landscape. I founded Momentum Health Strategies to be a catalyst for change through continuous learning, diverse engagement and thoughtful policy and practice initiatives. I deliver innovative, strategic thinking and a passion for improving the patient experience. My personal drive and dedication to high-quality results will help you navigate the competitive terrain you face and convert your vision to action.
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Momentum Health Strategies
Jennifer L Bright, MPA
(703) 628 - 0534
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