Health Policy Commons^™

Of Rats And Men, Thomas S. Walsh

Capstones

This capstone is a data-driven investigation into New York City's rat problem. By using publicly available government data to map rat activity in NYC, I identified several socio-economic variables that correlate with rat populations at the community district, borough, and city-scale. I used these findings (mainly that rat problems are linked to lower incomes) as the basis of an investigation, which includes interviews with residents, experts, and city officials. Prof. Bobby Corrigan, urban rodentologist and formerly with the NYC Department of Health criticizes the city's efforts for the first time on the record.

https://thomasseiyawalsh.wixsite.com/ratstone

Project Renew Worcester, Danni Yue, Amy Zhang, Jing Han, Omid Ashrafi, Yiming Xu

School of Professional Studies

n The client for this capstone project is RENEW Worcester which is a fledgling solar power project whose main goals are to bring renewable energy in the form of solar power into local, primarily low-income communities and are committed to the mission of making the transition off of fossil fuels to clean, renewable power. Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, they are a local chapter of Co-op Power which is a consumer-owned sustainable energy cooperative (co-op) made up of numerous different local chapters all over the New England area as well as the state of New York. The problem that we will ...

Hiring Workers With Disabilities Makes Sense Whether The Job Market Is Hot Or Cold, Kathleen A. Petkauskos

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

The U.S. Department of Labor released its latest report in September, and it was more of the same. Unemployment remained at 3.9 percent, where it has hovered for much of the year, but there was a shift for one key demographic.

After decades of struggle, workers with disabilities are beginning to move the needle, outpacing the employment gains of people without disabilities. In August 2018, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities jumped to 30.2 percent from 29.5 percent the year before. The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities also increased, rising ...

Disease Prevalence And Politics- A Study Of Chagas Disease In Bolivia, Rebecca Dickson

Access*: Interdisciplinary Journal of Student Research and Scholarship

Reducing disease prevalence within South America is critical for reaching global health goals and increasing life expectancy of vulnerable populations. Chagas disease, often referred to the “the New HIV/AIDS of the Americas,” is a prevalent cause of disability and death within Bolivia (Hotez et al. 1). The Plurinational State of Bolivia, a large South American nation-state, is a crucial player in promoting global health outcomes. However, intra-state political turmoil and historical tensions often affect its healthcare systems, which in turn affect individual health outcomes. This paper traces these connections within the Bolivian healthcare system- first by identifying political and ...

Aligning Health & Social Systems To Improve Population Health: Networks, Governance & Information, Glen P. Mays

Glen Mays

Utilization Management Programs Are Critical For Effective Mltss Programs, Jessica Carpenter

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

When discussing an efficient managed long-term services and supports (LTSS) program, the importance of a utilization management program cannot be overlooked. It’s a way to not only ensure individuals receive the high-quality services they need, but also realize substantial cost savings for payers.

A View Of The Drug Pricing Blueprint, Bonnie C. Greenwood

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

Drug spend is predicted to experience the fastest annual growth between 2017-2026 compared to other health care goods and services.Contributing factors include increasing unit prices of branded and generic medications, growth of the specialty drug market, and greater numbers of people with access to prescription drug coverage. A recent analysis estimates total drug expenditures in 2016 to be $480 billion when accounting for gross profits of intermediaries in the distribution chain, such as wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and pharmacies. Certainly, the complexity of the drug distribution and reimbursement system and lack of pricing transparency can be viewed both ...

The Battle Over Fracking: The Mobilization Of Local Residents, Mehmet Soyer, Sebahattin Ziyanak

The Qualitative Report

In the last decade, the natural gas industry has grown rapidly, and North Texas has become a major shale gas-producing area. This paper studies the power struggle of two rival groups (Frack Free Denton and Denton Tax Payers for a Strong Economy) over fracking in Denton. How did each of these groups challenge the claims-making activities and goals of their adversaries?” We conducted data from ten in-depth interviews from each side to compare concerns about fracking. This study focuses on the campaign of the two groups on each side of the debate. We developed the model of merging the theoretical ...

Using Economic Analysis To Understand The Value Of Population Health Improvement Strategies, Glen P. Mays

Glen Mays

An Analysis Of The Universal Home Care Program: Considerations For Implementation With The Context Of Maine's Existing Ltss Programs, Eileen J. Griffin Jd, Elizabeth C. Gattine Jd, Louise Olsen, Stewart Bratesman Mpp

Disability & Aging

A citizen initiative on the November 2018 ballot (Question 1, An Act to Establish Universal Home Care for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities) would establish a "Universal Home Care Program" (UHC Program) to serve older adults and persons with a disability living in Maine. This report does not constitute either support for or opposition to the referendum but is intended as an independent assessment of how the UHC Program could be implemented if it were to be approved by Maine voters. This analysis focuses on the implications of the UHC Program within the context of the Medicaid and state-funded long ...

Case Files Key To Comprehensive Medical Board Reviews, Jody Simpson

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

There are many obstacles public retirement systems must overcome to ensure clinically sound medical board recommendations. Complex medical records that describe various conditions and ailmentsmust be compiled and analyzed to make accurate recommendations. There are key elements to inform a successful medical board review, and chief among them is compiling robust, well-documented case files. If you begin the process with incomplete documentation, you run the risk of getting a partial clinical picture of the member. Not having a full clinical picture could make it difficult to achieve a fully-informed decision.

Bringing Data Into Focus To Optimize Benefits And Savings For Medicare-Medicaid Members, Jenifer Hartman

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

Dual eligible recipients represent a critical population for state Medicaid programs. To get a better understanding of this unique demographic, MassHealth partnered with UMass Medical School to design data analytics programs around the objective of protecting Medicaid as the payer of last resort.

Over the last three years, these programs achieved over $68 million in new savings by optimizing benefits for dual eligible members. The program also identified and recovered over $21 million in Medicare premium overpayments for Medicaid members with discrepancies in Medicare entitlement and premium charges.

Jenifer Hartman of the Center for Healthcare Financing presented UMass Medical School ...

Managed Long-Term Services And Supports Program Framework: Best Practices, Jessica Carpenter

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

Health plans and accountable care organizations are working with Medicaid programs to transition fee-for-services long-term services and supports (LTSS) to a managed care model known as managed LTSS. With more individuals with disabilities seeking to living in their own homes or in community settings, payers must take proactive steps to ensure individuals receive the right service and in the right setting. This white paper details the actions health plan decision makers should consider while developing a comprehensive managed LTSS program.

Sne-Ptn Attends Cms Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative National Expert Panel 2018, Jay Flanagan

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

Practice transformation networks from across the country are going public with their successful results on patients and clinical practices. UMass Medical School’s Southern New England Practice Transformation Network (SNE-PTN) was one of the networks sharing its positive outcomes.

Association Between Practice Participation In A Pediatric-Focused Medical Home Learning Collaborative And Reduction Of Preventable Emergency Department Visits By Publicly-Insured Children In Massachusetts, Paul Kirby, Anna Christensen, Louise Bannister, Valerie Konar

Commonwealth Medicine Publications

Introduction: This study evaluates the impact of practice participation in a pediatric patient-centered medical home learning collaborative on preventable emergency department (ED) visits among children in MassHealth (Massachusetts Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program).

Methods: Claims and enrollment data were extracted for child MassHealth members (aged 3–18) comprising 2 groups: members enrolled in a group of 13 child-serving practices that participated in an intensive, 29-month long patient-centered medical home learning collaborative (intervention group), and members enrolled in a group of 12 comparison practices with roughly similar panel size, type, and geographic location (comparison group). Preventable ED visits were identified ...

Alternative Financial Services And Health Status In U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Courtney Hundley, Richard W. Wilson 8520196, John Chenault

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Abstract

Alternative financial services (AFS) such as, payday lenders, pawn brokers, tax refund loans, and check cashers are more prevalent in minority and lower income neighborhoods. These are neighborhoods also found to have disparities in health, compared to more affluent neighborhoods and communities. The focus of this paper is to determine if any relationship exists between use of AFS and health disparities.

Using data from a survey performed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), we compared four banking variables to several measures of health for 85 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) across the nation. The four banking variables all related ...

Medicaid Income Eligibility Transitions Among Rural Adults, Erika Ziller Phd, Deborah Thayer, Jennifer D. Lenardson

Access / Insurance

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid Expansion allows coverage for all adults aged 18 to 64 with income below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), and as of 2018, 32 states had implemented expansion. Research prior to the ACA suggests people may transition in and out of Medicaid income eligibility, but little is known about how this may affect rural adults. Movement in and out of Medicaid may increase administrative costs, create benefit and provider discontinuity, or lead to patient difficulties in paying medical bills and accessing care. This brief uses data from the national Survey of Income ...

Call For Submissions - Special Issue July 2019: The Role Of Technology And Innovation In Patient Experience, Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal (PXJ) is excited to announce the call for submissions for its July 2019 special issue on the topic of the role of technology in patient & family experience. A focus on technology and innovation will be essential in healthcare experience, requiring new ways of thinking and doing and the technologies and tools to ensure efficiencies, expand capacities and extend boundaries of care.

This special issue is open to all authors conducting cutting-edge research, implementing innovative practices or with powerful experiences to share around efforts in either creating or implementing technology focused on positively impacting the patient experience and ...

Family Experience Tracers: Patient Family Advisor Led Interviews Generating Detailed Qualitative Feedback To Influence Performance Improvement, Kathryn Taff, Sheryl Chadwick, Deejo Miller

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Family Advisors (PFAs) are integral partners in quality improvement processes at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Mimicking Joint Commission patient tracers, the Family Experience Tracer program was created to gather perspectives from end users of care and provide valuable insights regarding the patient experience. The Patient and Family Engagement team collaborates with departmental and organizational leadership to define the scope of the tracer project and determine meaningful topics to elicit feedback from patients and families. Tracers are conducted across the continuum of care and are led by a Patient Family Advisor to establish an immediate peer relationship. Patients and ...

Can An Interactive Application Be Used To Collect Meaningful Feedback From Paediatric Patients And Their Parents In A Hospital Setting?, Janelle O'Neill, Graham R. Reeks, Lauren Kearney

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this study was to determine the acceptability of using an interactive application (Fabio the Frog) to understand the experiences and perspectives of children and parents/carers regarding their health care encounter for the purpose of quality improvement and consumer feedback. Children’s perspectives of their healthcare were collected via the interactive application through the use of a validated survey, the Children’s Perceptions of Healthcare Survey (CPHS). The acceptability of eliciting views from children and parents via an interactive application platform was collected using an additional survey designed for this purpose. Data were collected in two phases ...