Mental health inequities are costing the U.S. $477.5 billion annually. This could rise to $1.3 trillion in 2040 if left unaddressed.

The post Mental Health Inequities Could Cost $1.3 Trillion in 2040. How Can the Industry Prevent This? appeared first on MedCity News.

Kaiser Permanente’s new Food is Medicine Center of Excellence will “combine clinical services, research, education and community engagement,” according to the organization.

The post Kaiser Permanente Unveils Food is Medicine Center of Excellence appeared first on MedCity News.

Leaders need a framework to identify, understand, effectively address diversity gaps, and measure improvement across the continuum of care. A data-driven approach can provide valuable insights into demographic trends, disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, and the underlying factors contributing to these discrepancies.

The post Overcoming Key Diversity Gaps Within the Healthcare Continuum appeared first on MedCity News.

How targeted outreach and heightened engagement can help companies achieve better outcomes

The post Breaking Down Barriers to Obesity Care appeared first on MedCity News.

Obesity/overweight is a significant causal factor in chronic illness and cancer. Weight loss can help people with obesity/overweight avoid and/or manage chronic illness. GLP-1s cause weight loss. So, are GLP-1s the answer to America’s obesity and chronic illness crises? Not if we overlook a key problem at the heart of both challenges: lack of access to nutritious food in the land of plenty.

The post GLP-1s Alone Are Not the Answer to America’s Obesity and Chronic Illness Crises appeared first on MedCity News.

Without taking specific steps to improve trial diversity, advances in inclusive treatments will continue at a snail’s pace.

The post Five Strategies To Boost Clinical Trial Diversity appeared first on MedCity News.

Companion care company Papa has created two programs for health plans: one that addresses social drivers of health and one that aims to improve health plans’ star ratings.

The post Papa Launches Programs To Address Health-Related Social Needs, Improve Star Ratings appeared first on MedCity News.

Foodsmart is rolling out its new program that enables doctors to refer their patients to Foodsmart’s dieticians and healthy eating platform, as well as write prescriptions for healthy food just as easily as they might a normal pharmacy prescription. The initiative is being rolled out at Advocate Health, Intermountain Health and Memorial Hermann Health System.

The post Foodsmarts’ New Program Allows Doctors to Prescribe Produce Just as Easily as They Can Medication appeared first on MedCity News.

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is working with the GED Testing Service to help members earn a General Educational Development (GED) diploma for no cost. Members can register online and gain access to GED study materials in both English and Spanish.

The post Blue Shield of California Plan Helps Members Earn GED Diploma appeared first on MedCity News.

As the food as medicine movement grows, some payers and healthcare organizations are carving out specific roles and teams dedicated to food and nutrition. Doing so can be beneficial considering the significant impact diet can have on health outcomes.

The post ‘Food Equity Can’t Be a Side Gig’: How Food as Medicine is Becoming A Core Team Capability appeared first on MedCity News.

AWS is funneling an additional $20 million into its health equity initiative, bringing the company’s total investment in the program to $60 million. As AWS continues to advance the mission of this program, the company is focusing on three main priorities: increasing access to high quality care, building resilient communities, and mitigating the harmful effects of climate change.

The post AWS to Infuse Another $20M Into Its Health Equity Program appeared first on MedCity News.

In an interview last week, Larry Cohen — CEO of Health 2047, the American Medical Association’s venture studio — noted that digital health programs have proven to do a good job of improving patient outcomes — but only for certain groups. As technology continues to advance, he urged healthcare leaders not to underestimate the effectiveness of engaging patients by having boots on the ground.

The post Health2047 CEO: As Tech Advances, the Power of Community Engagement Can’t Be Forgotten appeared first on MedCity News.

The Medicaid Innovation Collaborative announced five pilot programs in Kentucky, New York and Iowa. Each program addresses the health-related social needs of Medicaid beneficiaries living with a chronic condition, like diabetes.

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New research found that there are no racial disparities in weight loss results among patients taking obesity drugs. However, the study found that people of color have less access to services like behavioral care or surgical interventions, which are often needed in order for patients to lose weight and keep it off. To tackle this issue, Enara Health CEO Rami Bailony argued that the U.S. healthcare system must innovate the way it dispenses weight loss drugs, employing a more holistic care approach.

The post Why One CEO Thinks Drugs Won’t Be Able to Solve the Obesity Crisis appeared first on MedCity News.

The contributors to food insecurity include age, having a disability, being on a fixed income and being a single parent, according to a recent report from FarmboxRx.

The post Report: The Top 4 Contributors To Food Insecurity appeared first on MedCity News.

Some healthcare organizations have reduced health equity to a buzzword, using the phrase superficially without a true commitment to dismantling systemic barriers. During a webinar, two industry leaders — AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld and Emory Healthcare Chief Transformation Officer Amaka Eneanya — discussed why this approach must be avoided and explored how leaders can do better.

The post How to Ensure Health Equity Isn’t Just a Buzzword appeared first on MedCity News.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute announced that it is funding four studies focused on reducing maternal health inequities. The studies all leverage partnerships with community organizations.

The post PCORI Pours $80.5M Into Research On Maternal Health Inequities appeared first on MedCity News.

Pair Team’s $9 million Series A funding round was led by Next Ventures and included participation from PTX Capital, Create Health Ventures, OCA Ventures, CHCF Innovation Fund, Kapor Capital and other investors. In total, Pair Team has raised about $20 million.

The post Pair Team Secures $9M To Improve Health Access for Medicaid Patients appeared first on MedCity News.

Ounce’s $5.2 million in seed funding was co-led by Meridian Street Capital and Flare Capital and included participation from Chelsea Clinton’s Metrodora Ventures, Wilshire Lane Capital, Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta and Unite Us Co-founder Taylor Justice.

The post Ounce Raises $5.2M for Housing and Care Coordination Platform appeared first on MedCity News.

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare in California has begun notifying 43,000 patients about their eligibility for billing corrections and refunds. The system’s patient outreach effort is a result of a recently settled lawsuit filed against Santa Clara County. In the complaint, former patients alleged the county did not inform them about its hospitals’ charity care and discount payment policies, leading them to have to pay large bills.

The post 43K Patients in California Could Get Refunds, Bill Corrections As Part of Discounted Care Settlement appeared first on MedCity News.

UnitedHealthcare awarded grants to 66 nonprofits across 12 states. The grants will support those struggling with social isolation, behavioral health, food insecurity and other social determinants of health.

The post UnitedHealthcare Invests $11.1M To Address SDOH Needs appeared first on MedCity News.

At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.

The post A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence appeared first on MedCity News.

Health Net is making a $46 million investment that will be spread out across 26 counties in California, and will support Continuum of Care programs, which are regional or local planning bodies that help those experiencing homelessness find housing and other services.

The post Health Net Invests $46M To Support Unhoused in California appeared first on MedCity News.

FarmboxRx’s new program, called Feed by FarmboxRx, will supply 200 people affected by SNAP cuts with one box of mixed fresh produce and one box of pantry items each month for six months. They’ll also receive educational materials on how to prepare the food.

The post FarmboxRx Launches Program To Support Those Battling Food Insecurity appeared first on MedCity News.

Dr. Ala Stanford, founder of the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium, provided hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 tests and vaccines to Black and Brown people in Philadelphia’s underserved neighborhoods during the pandemic. In her view, her work was impactful because she acted promptly and focused on community-based patient engagement.

The post Inside One Philadelphia Doctor’s DIY Method to Tackle Health Inequity appeared first on MedCity News.

Health equity strategies need to take factors like racism and lack of power into account, said Dr. Shreya Kangovi, executive director of the Penn Center for Community Health Workers. She made these comments last week at the MedCity INVEST conference in Chicago.

The post Health Inequity Has Been Reduced to a ‘Checklist of Unmet Social Needs,’ Exec Says appeared first on MedCity News.

The Rockefeller Foundation is funding two produce prescription pilot programs at VA healthcare systems in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Houston, Texas. Eligible veterans will be able to enroll in About Fresh’s Fresh Connect program, which provides $100 per month through a debit card, allowing the veterans to buy healthy foods at the grocery store.

The post New Partnership Brings ‘Food Is Medicine’ Programs to Veterans appeared first on MedCity News.

About 8% of Black adults and 7% of Hispanic adults skipped care because of transportation challenges in the last year, compared to 4% of White adults and 2% of Asian adults, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In addition, 14% of adults with low family incomes passed on care.

The post Report: 21% of Adults Without a Vehicle or Public Transportation Skip Care appeared first on MedCity News.

A cell phone is one of the best tools to have when caring for those experiencing homelessness, two experts said during a Tuesday panel at the HIMSS 2023 conference in Chicago.

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Health disparities are often a result of other socioeconomic factors like housing and nutrition. Because of this, the healthcare industry needs to work with other sectors to improve health equity, said Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe of the World Health Organization, at the HIMSS 2023 conference.

The post We Need to Work Across Sectors to Advance Health Equity, Global Health Leaders Say appeared first on MedCity News.