Nationally, the ACS found that districts with higher uninsured rates also tended to have lower incomes and be in states where government officials chose not to expand health coverage. Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health care overhaul signed into law by President Barack Obama.

The ACA extended Medicaid eligibility to people up to 138% of the federal poverty level, but Texas was one of the states that did not choose to expand eligibility. A 2012 Supreme Court decision, King v. Burwell, rejected the provisions of the law that made the expansion mandatory.

Texas also had the top 10 congressional districts in the nation with the highest rate of uninsured among those earning less than that threshold of 138%. All but two of the state’s congressional districts were among the top 10% in this category.

A 2020 state comptroller report estimated that more than 650,000 people in the state lost their employer-linked insurance during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the country’s overall uninsured rate has fallen from nearly 15% in 2013 to 8.7% in 2020. According to ACS data covering a period of five years ending in 2020, only 12 states had an uninsured rate. greater than 10%: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming.

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center received his first Stand Up Against Cancer (SU2C) grant that will integrate him into the Southeastern Consortium for Lung Cancer Health Equity (SC3), a group that will focus on why lung cancer continues to be a leading cause of death among racially and ethnically diverse populations from the country.

The four-year, $3 million grant will facilitate health disparities research and scientific collaborations between researchers at three National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers and train the SU2C Lung Cancer Health Equity Research Team. The grant is made possible through the support of Bristol Myers Squibb and is part of SU2C Health Equity Initiative. The initiative focuses on increasing diversity in cancer clinical trials, launching advocacy group collaborations and awareness campaigns, and funding research aimed at improving cancer outcomes and rates. screening in medically underserved communities. In addition to Hollings, the team will also include the Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Director of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Raymond N. DuBois, MD, Ph.D., said he hopes this will be the first of many grants, and he looks forward to the expertise that researchers from the three NCI-designated centers will bring to help vulnerable minority populations. “SU2C funds and develops the newest and most promising cancer treatments to help patients today with the goal of accelerating the pace of new discovery by connecting top scientists in unique collaborations to create breakthroughs. This consortium does exactly that,” he said.

“His overarching goal is to identify and overcome barriers to lung cancer screening and to develop more accurate strategies to identify those most at risk of developing lung cancer.”

Lung cancer continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among racially and ethnically diverse populations in the United States, particularly for the Black/African American (AA) population. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer, but it is the leading cause of cancer death in black/AA and white men and women. From 2012 to 2017, the incidence rate of lung cancer was 18% higher in black/AA men than in white men, but 10% lower in black/AA women than in white women. Although trends in incidence disparity are reversing, black/AA people with lung cancer continue to have a more advanced stage of disease at diagnosis and lower survival rates than those with lung cancer. white people.

The consortium team leader is Robert Winn, MD, director of the Massey Cancer Center, and the co-team leader is Marvella Ford, Ph.D., associate director of population science and cancer disparities research at Hollings. Louise Henderson, Ph.D.; a cancer researcher at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center will serve as the team’s principal investigator. SC3 will target lung cancer disparities among the Black/AA population using a novel “cell-to-society” approach. The consortium will create a sustainable infrastructure to collect relevant biological, clinical, individual and contextual data needed to increase lung cancer screenings. Additionally, researchers will develop more accurate methods to identify those most at risk for lung cancer diagnosis and/or poor treatment outcomes.

The consortium’s two objectives relate to lung cancer screening and genetic risk markers. Figure provided

Ford said the team was carefully designed to combine basic scientists and population and behavioral scientists from each institution to create a highly translational, disparity-focused study. While some cancers don’t have screening for early detection, lung cancer does, so the urgency is to catch cancer earlier and save lives.

“It’s easy to talk about translational research, that is, research that leads to direct human benefit. It’s much harder to operationalize it,” Ford said. “There are different languages ​​in medical and scientific disciplines, and we need to learn to see through the same lens to find real solutions. This is where the term cell to society comes in. We have designed a truly translational project by combining basic science and community outreach approaches.

The project combines two different objectives. One is to test a navigational approach to lung cancer screening to tackle one of the potential barriers that could prevent people from getting screened. “Our previous work has shown that patient navigation can be a very effective strategy and can help meet the needs of our medically underserved patients. The second objective is very interesting because we will examine samples taken from people who have been screened and analyze them for genetic risk markers.

The basic science component of the grant at Hollings will be led by Gerard Silvestri, MD, Hollings researcher and pulmonologist specializing in lung cancer. His career has been dedicated to evaluating, managing and improving outcomes for lung cancer patients. All three states — North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia — are in the tobacco belt, with high lung cancer rates and disparities, he said.

“No one has looked at genetic profiling specifically in underserved communities. What if we could find a cost-effective biomarker to show increased or reduced risk of lung cancer to better utilize cancer screening resources?”
— Dr Gerard Silvestri

One of the goals of the grant is to develop a population-based sample collection to search for novel lung cancer biomarkers. Ford said collaborating with community partners, such as the Fetter Health Care Network, allows researchers to reach underserved communities to ensure equal representation. Biomarkers are a tool doctors use to determine a patient’s risk of developing a disease or a way to monitor disease.

“No one has looked at genetic profiling specifically in underserved communities. What if we could find a cost-effective biomarker to show increased or reduced risk of lung cancer to better utilize cancer screening resources?” asked Silvestri , adding that this new consortium is an invaluable result of the SU2C grant.

“We will share samples, resources and clinical data to make a meaningful difference in underserved communities. As a consortium, we will be able to apply for larger grants in the future than we could obtain if we worked alone. »

As NCI-designated cancer centers, all three centers report a high enrollment rate of underserved minorities in interventional trials, and both Hollings and Massey are part of an elite group of 14 centers across the country, each referred to as a Minority and Underserved NCORP Institutionan award given to institutions with a long track record of recruiting minorities for clinical trials.

Ford said it looks forward to the expertise the 13-member team will bring. The team includes early career investigators at each institution to ensure they train the next generation of cancer researchers with expertise in health disparities. Ultimately, the team plans to use the cell-to-society translational approach and lessons from the current project to address other cancer disparities.

Hollings has extensive expertise in lung cancer screening and depth in her research on health disparities. “I think this combination of factors makes us an attractive partner in this three-party consortium,” Ford said. “I think it’s important that states facing similar disparities come together to develop this consortium that gives us more leverage than we would have individually. We all face the same battle, but we can much better to carry it out together.

Washington lawmakers addressed a wide range of health care issues during this year’s legislative session, from staffing shortages to barriers to long-term care, and made progress in addressing equity gaps persistent within hospitals and health systems.

But more work is needed to find solutions to some specific worker and patient safety issues, such as how to better support the state’s chronically understaffed hospitals and overworked employees.

Many mental and behavioral health advocates also came out of the 2022 session wishing more had been done to expand the roles of social workers, therapists and psychologists, although the state’s new supplementary budget, approved Thursday night allocates more than $100 million to help treat behavioral health. labor shortages.

And as the world enters its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers have also earmarked more than $1 billion in unspent federal aid to help stabilize school districts and strengthen education industries. hotels and conventions, the arts sector and small businesses.

Millions will also be invested in cancer research, updating public health data systems, tackling the state’s opioid epidemic, creating more insurance coverage options disease and smoking prevention.

Here’s what Washingtonians should know about this year’s major health care bills and new policies to watch.

COVID Response

Democratic lawmakers this week announced a state budget deal that would use more than $1 billion in remaining federal coronavirus aid, including $345 million to stabilize school districts and $215 million for industries. hotels and conventions, the arts sector and small businesses.

The new supplemental budget also includes $125 million for the state’s current pandemic response, including vaccine distribution, diagnostic testing, disease surveillance and community outreach.

An additional $1.6 billion will be paid into a special disaster response account to help with the ongoing pandemic recovery for families, schools and businesses.

Meanwhile, a bill that would end the COVID state of emergency declared by Gov. Jay Inslee never made it out of committee, nor did a set of bills that would have restored jobs to those who have been fired or resigned due to COVID vaccine mandates.

Hospital/nursing staff

One of the most debated health-related bills this legislative session opened another conversation about state staffing shortages, but ultimately did not pass the Legislative Assembly. House Bill 1868 would have established new staffing standards, including a mandatory nurse-to-patient ratio, better enforcement of meal and rest breaks, and an end to mandatory overtime policies, among other rules.

The state’s three largest health care worker unions fought to keep the bill in hopes of improving retention and workplace safety, but leaders and hospital executives opposed it. the legislation, claiming it would have forced health systems to delay care, eliminate certain services or turn patients around. a way.

“By failing to meet safety staffing standards this session, a handful of lawmakers have allowed hospital leaders to continue to put profits ahead of patient care,” Washington State Nurses leaders wrote. Association, SEIU 1199NW and UFCW 21 in a joint statement this week. “But we are not giving up. We will continue to fight for safe staffing standards, whether in the Legislative Assembly, at the bargaining table or during the vote.

House Bill 2007, which plans to help nurse educators with their student loans, has been passed by the Legislative Assembly and will aim to encourage more people to pursue nursing education, said Representative Eileen Cody, Speaker of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee. in a statement last month.

“Currently, there are 6,000 fewer nurses in the state than we desperately need, but colleges that teach nursing cannot enroll enough new students to fill the gap due to lack of nurse educators available to teach them,” Cody, D-West Seattle, wrote. .

The bill establishes the Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program as part of the Washington Health Corps, which also operates a separate program that provides loan repayment assistance to health care workers who agree to practice in an “area of shortage” – where medical professionals have been in short supply – for at least three years.

Health Equity

Washingtonians will soon see changes to the state’s charitable care law, which promises free or reduced-cost medical care to low-income patients. The Legislature this week passed House Bill 1616, which requires large hospital systems to provide more financial assistance and increases eligibility for rebates and full waivers of out-of-pocket hospital charges.

Starting July 1, about half of all Washingtonians will be eligible for free or reduced-cost care at hospitals that house about 80 percent of licensed beds.

Under current state charitable care law, individuals whose household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for charitable care. Now, anyone below 300% of the federal poverty level will be eligible for medical financial assistance.

“Under current law, a single parent working two minimum-wage jobs at 50 hours a week was not eligible for financial assistance at hospitals in Washington — that’s not right and it had to change,” he said. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement this week.

Lawmakers have also taken steps to address insulin affordability issues by passing Senate Bill 5546, which reduces certain copayments for the hormone from $100 per month to $35 per month. Diabetes advocates said the legislation could do more to address the bigger reasons for high insulin prices – like complicated insurance plans – but many were still in favor of the measure and celebrated its passage.

The law will come into force on January 1.

The state’s birth doulas, which provide physical and emotional support before and after pregnancies, also celebrated a significant victory with the passage of House Bill 1881, which will allow doulas to seek state certification and certification. get Medicaid reimbursement.

The bill will increase access to birth doulas and work to close equity gaps in perinatal care, especially among Black and Indigenous communities, which have been disproportionately affected by perinatal mortality rates. , said supporters of the bill.

Long-term care

Lawmakers this session solidified changes to several state long-term care services and programs, including amending a controversial section of the WA Cares Fund.

Inslee signed House bills 1732 and 1733 in January, a day after Senate lawmakers voted them out of that chamber. The new laws will delay the WA Cares payroll tax for Washington workers and increase the number of people who can claim permanent exemptions to avoid contributing to the program.

The fund was adopted in 2019 as a social insurance program that helps people with difficulty living alone pay for a range of services, such as transport and meal preparation, nursing care and assistance with independent living.

The program is funded by a 0.58% payroll tax on state employees, which was supposed to start earlier this year but is now delayed until July 2023. The delay is seen as a victory for those who fear that some people will pay. in the program, but might never see the benefits.

“By authorizing this extension, access to long-term care becomes more accessible to people closer to retireest,” Cody wrote in a statement last month.

The final supplemental budget also includes funding that tackles barriers to discharge – which have prevented hospitals from offloading patients who no longer need a hospital bed but still need some type long-term care.

The $548.7 million that has been set aside to help patients exit acute care was ‘significantly enhanced’ by Inslee’s hospital staffing initiative, which it announced in January .

“It’s not only better for patients who are otherwise stuck in hospitals, but it frees up hospital resources for patients in need of acute care,” said Zosia Stanley, vice president and associate general counsel at Washington State. Hospital Association, in a press release.

She continued: “With the ongoing response to COVID-19, hospital resources have proven particularly valuable.”

Information from the Seattle Times archives was used in this story.

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Fred P. Pomerantz Center for Art and Design Gallery recently celebrated the opening of Black Health and Wellness, an exhibition of fine jewelry by FIT professor Frank T. Fraley who recognizes the both Western medicine and homeopathic practices across the African Diaspora.

With over 30 years of experience in the jewelry industry, Fraley – owner of Fine Design by Noah – has personally curated a collection of approximately 30 pieces of fine jewelry from the Dominican Republic and Ghana.

The Black Health and Wellness exhibit uses Fraley’s fine jewelry craftsmanship to tell the story of the many common medicinal and wellness practices in Black communities and a nod to the theme of commemorating this year. The showcase honors black scholars and practitioners of Western medicine and doulas, midwives, herbalists, naturopaths, midwives and others.

Throughout history, people of color have relied on their self-determination to bring appropriate health care to their communities amid rampant discrimination and disparities in traditional institutions. This includes the establishment of hospitals, such as the Howard University College of Medicine, and smaller clinics run by grassroots organizations, including the African Union Society.

While efforts have been made to understand and address the physical and mental health of Black communities, the COVID-19 pandemic has further reinforced the inequities plaguing the healthcare system. Black Americans often look to ancestral rituals, traditions and healing practices that are deeply rooted in the culture.

“There are multiple facets of Black health and wellbeing that need to be better understood and amplified, and others that may need to be challenged and corrected,” Fraley said. “My goal with this exhibition is to expose people to the rich history of medicine throughout the African Diaspora and to use this education to better both our bodies and our communities as a whole.”

In addition to her own experience living and working in the United States, Fraley spent many years teaching jewelry design to artisans in the Dominican Republic. Currently, he is a professor of jewelry in the international program of the prestigious Altas De Chavon art school in the Dominican Republic. Recently, he also traveled to Africa, drawing inspiration from the Ghanaian people and their unique creations. Both international travel experiences are at the forefront of Black Health and Wellness exhibits in the designs and materials used.

“Frank’s intricate designs and attention to detail combine to create a thoughtful look at the past, present and future of health and well-being in Black communities,” said Michael Coen, Professor and former chair of jewelry design at FIT. “Honoring Black History Month in a unique and authentic way is a difficult task, but I have no doubt that every visitor to the exhibit will be both inspired and educated after their visit.”

An avid golfer and philanthropist, Fraley hosted a series of charitable golf outings to benefit African American health and wellness causes. He designed the Fulani Golf Bracelet, named after the Fulani people, one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, as a beautiful piece of wearable art. The Fulani Golf Wristband is featured in the exhibit and worn by golfers.

Black Health and Wellness will run until March 15. For more information on Frank T. Fraley, visit finedesignbynoah.com.

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After a year and a half of lockdowns, border closures, mask-wearing and social distancing, and the rollout of the vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has moved on to what is essentially a “let it rip” pandemic approach.

It’s a boost from the government to “open up” and “get back to normal”. However, since this approach was adopted, it has led to the spread of omicron at increased rates across the country.

This shift to “learning to live with the virus” makes life more difficult and more dangerous for vulnerable groups such as First Nations, people with disabilities, seniors, people with chronic conditions and immunocompromised people. Refugees and migrants are also more at risk serious illness and death from COVID.

Experts warn: “As the virus moves into vulnerable populations, such as older Australians, people with disabilities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander […] we could see an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.”

This way of thinking was particularly prevalent in the discourse surrounding the release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics COVID-19 Mortality Report. As reported in The Guardiansome media have stated or implied that COVID does not kill enough “healthy” people for it to be considered harmful, thus placing a lower value on some lives.

For example Joe Hildebrand written in an editorial for news.com.au: “…not only did so-called “COVID deaths” account for only 1% of deaths during the pandemic, but 92% of that 1% were people with pre-existing health conditions ranging from pneumonia to heart disease.”

“Living with COVID” doesn’t include everyone

In Australia, some people with weakened immune systems cannot be vaccinated due to chronic disease. There are also some people whose bodies will not respond to COVID vaccines either because of medications for ongoing treatments or because of comorbidities that impact their immune system.

Even if people with chronic conditions get vaccinated, their weakened immune systems mean there is no certainty they would be protected from COVID.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are affected by the disease 2.3 times more than non-Aboriginal Australians.

General practitioner and epidemiologist Dr Jason Agostino of the Australian National University noted“There are nearly 300,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults who are at higher risk of becoming very ill if they are not vaccinated and contract COVID-19.”

ADF staff have been called in to help fight the outbreak, which has infected more than 70 residents and staff.

Via @hapsterpark https://t.co/XKzKS9gtDF

— NITV (@NITV) February 26, 2022

How First Nations communities are still being left behind

Prior to the pandemic, Aboriginal people faced health disadvantages and inequitable access to health care. It has gotten worse since the pandemic. One of the significant issues has been access to affordable food during the pandemic, increased vulnerability of homeless Indigenous people during lockdowns, lack of ability to self-isolate at home, and lack of access to health care. community health.

The pandemic has also disrupted communities that could not see each other due to public health concerns. This has an impact on community approaches to health care, cultural practices and connection to country.

COVID-19 is disrupting the social fabric in the Kimberley as community transmission grows.https://t.co/i7JkEMfMM5

— ABC Indigenous (@ABCIndigenous) February 27, 2022

Some indigenous communities also have limited access to health services and need to be better informed by health workers in their own communities about testing and vaccination. This has been proven by stories like in Arnhem Land, Uncle Charlie Gunabarra, Chairman of the Mala’la Health Service, traveled to remote communities to share information about the COVID-19 vaccine. This led to a a significant increase in vaccinations.

What should happen

A study by the Australian National University, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Lowitja Institute reinforce that First Nations people “must remain a priority group” for Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this study, Dr Tanya Schramm from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said: “Improving access to social determinants such as housing and healthcare will reduce the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 in Indigenous peoples, and this must occur alongside chronic disease care and management and efforts to increase immunization coverage.

Efforts have been made to overcome access to health services during the pandemic through telehealth and online health care options. However, access to these services faces challenges such as limited telephone access, computer literacy and internet coverage. It also has an impact on refugee and migrant communities.

Despite Scott Morrision declaration “We are now at a stage in the pandemic where you cannot make everything free”, not everyone can afford to buy rapid antigen tests. Although there are recent initiatives in place to make them available to concession card holders and the WA population, these tests should be free for all.

Ableism is complex, harmful, and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the damage to priority groups. In order to address this issue, the government needs to better include First Nations communities in its COVID-19 strategies going forward. This can be done by providing resources to health organizations controlled by Indigenous communities in regional and remote areas, as recommended by the Australian Department of Health.

Better government support and communication with First Nations people and their health centers can minimize misinformation and fear around the virus and the vaccine. It could also provide much better access to health care, vaccines and rapid antigen tests.

As Western Australia opens up, some remote Indigenous communities and aged care facilities have been placed under quarantine, we must find better ways to support vulnerable communities in the fight against COVID-19 in Australia .

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This article is republished from The conversation under Creative Commons license. Read it original article.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On the heels of Omada Health $192 million Series Ethe digital health company announced to Mindset 2022 today that it is investing more deeply in its collaborative care model by integrating its behavioral health support into all existing programs (diabetes prevention, diabetes management, hypertension and musculoskeletal).

As a leader in virtual first aid, Omada is continually evolving its programs with the goal of providing better, more integrated care for people living with chronic conditions. This latest integration provides members with care that addresses both mental and physical health to help break down barriers and lead to better outcomes. This update will give members access to the following:

• Initial Assessment of Mental Health Symptoms for Anxiety and Depression
• Detailed resources to address the social determinants of health, including access to health care, food insecurity, and barriers in their built environment
• Tools to address specific behavioral challenges based on cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, including stress management and sleep lessons
• Care teams strengthened with ongoing training and specialized mental health support to better support behavioral health
• Out-of-scope services, including triage of high-risk situations and directing immediate response in times of crisis

“Omada Health has always viewed mental health support as a key component of overall well-being. Our latest investment in integrating support into our programs further reinforces this commitment,” said Jennifer La Guardia, Senior Director of Clinical and Behavioral Sciences, Omada Health. “With nearly half of our members identifying behavioral health symptoms, we are now providing them with even more personalized care to help them understand and overcome these challenges.”

The mental health crisis has reached a crisis point across the United States Currently, 52 million American adults struggle with mental health issues – 21% of the population. Mental health issues have often been isolated from other health issues, but they are deeply connected when it comes to overall health. Among Omada Health members, 47% show high behavioral symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Addressing these issues for people with health conditions offers significant potential for cost savings by promoting better adherence to health treatments and better overall health outcomes.

Additionally, to more comprehensively address chronic conditions, Omada Health is deploying ways to better identify chronic pain sufferers and treat these issues more effectively. Physiotherapists at Omada Health’s MSK platform have always understood the critical link between behavioral health and chronic pain, but now have additional tools to deliver an approach that focuses on mindset first to manage chronic pain.

Seventy-eight percent of Americans prefer medication-free pain management to opioids and initiate physical therapy early in an episode may reduce future opioid use. CDC guidelines also indicate that non-pharmacological therapy is preferred for chronic pain. As the opioid epidemic continues, Omada Health is looking to improve its approach for people with chronic pain.

“Patients with chronic pain, like our members with diabetes, have still not had all of their needs met by the healthcare system,” said Kurt Seefeld, Vice President of Products at Omada Health. “At Omada Health, we empower members, regardless of their challenges. We are now rolling out ways to better integrate behavioral and physical health with a mindset approach, to deliver more effective care.

To learn more about Omada Health’s programs, visit: https://www.omadahealth.com/platform.

About Omada Health

Omada Health provides integrated virtual care for chronic conditions, a major clinical need for employers and health plans. By combining clinical best practices with the science of behavior change, Omada Health improves member health and reduces the cost of care. Working with more than 1,700 clients – including health plans, health systems and employers ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 in a wide variety of industries – Omada offers personalized interventions for diabetes, diabetes prevention , hypertension and musculoskeletal problems. All programs include built-in behavioral health support. Omada Health’s virtual care programs are clinically backed and evidence-based, with results published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. To learn more, visit www.omadahealth.com.

Media Contact
Ali Nix
[email protected]
(339) 227-0583

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR – Associated Press