Author: Elaine Spencer
-
Health Affairs: Rescinding Health-Related Social Needs Guidance Undermines Trump’s Own Economic Goals
In early March 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Trump administration abruptly rescinded its multiyear guidance framework on health-related social needs (HRSN), eliminating a long-evolving roadmap for states seeking to address social determinants of health (SDoH) through Medicaid programs. While the slew of federal cuts will undoubtedly have major impacts…
-
Obesity Rates Have Increased Across the Country. Early Intervention is Key, Doctors Say.
A new Lancet study has found that almost three-quarters of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, calling it a “crisis point” for the country. In 1990, about half of adults fit that definition. And now, people are becoming obese at younger ages, according to the study. Dr. Steven Gortmaker, director of the Harvard…
-
Advancing Health Equity Through Disruptive Innovation
Moving the needle on health care access and health disparities is no easy task. Inequities for people of color are embedded in the U.S. health system, shaping their health care journeys and often leading to outcomes worse than those experienced by white Americans. That’s where Dr. Chris Pernell, director of NAACP’s Center for Health Equity,…
-
Paying Providers to Address Health-Related Social Needs
Many early discoveries of how poverty and other social risk factors shape the trajectory of disease are the result of researchers leveraging large datasets to study rare events. One was the Dutch Hunger Winter, a World War II–era famine affecting millions of people in the Netherlands’ western provinces. Analyzing medical and military records, researchers discovered…
-
Expert Panel Calls for Nutrition Competencies in U.S. Medical Education
A professionally-diverse panel of medical and nutrition experts have proposed a set of recommended nutrition competencies for medical students and physician trainees. The study addresses a longstanding concern that most physicians in the U.S. are not equipped to advise patients about nutrition and food choices. The proposed competencies are a call to action in response…
-
The $2.8 Trillion Opportunity: How Better Health for All Can Drive US Economic Growth
The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions’ latest analysis reveals how businesses can benefit from a healthier, more productive workforce and contribute to a more equitable society. Health status in the United States varies widely across gender, geography, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic circumstances, and is impacted by other life experiences and systemic biases. The cost of…
-
Hunger to Health Collaboratory 2024 $100,000 ‘Prizes for Innovation’ Winners
Hunger to Health Collaboratory 2024 $100,000 Prize for Innovation Winners: StreetCred and The Giving Grove In 2023, the Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC) established its national Prizes for Innovation with a five-year, $1 million commitment. The Prizes celebrate innovative, systemic work in food and nutrition that advances health equity in the U.S. This year’s winners…
-
From Health to Hunger: Are We Collectively Failing Mothers of Color?
An omnibus maternal health bill introduced to the legislature would have overhauled the way our state manages maternal health, marking a remarkable victory amid the public health crises that persist for pregnant and parenting individuals — especially those who are Black and Hispanic. If passed, the bill would have bolstered midwifery services, invested in postpartum…
-
Universal School Meals May Improve Attendance and Reduce Obesity
Universal free school lunches could lead to fewer cases of obesity, improved attendance and fewer suspensions, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. School lunches are becoming fodder for partisan politics with the selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz — an ardent supporter of free school lunch programs — as Kamala Harris’ running mate in…
-
Boston Mayor Unveils Health Equity Agenda to Improve Racial Disparities in Life Expectancy
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a new health equity agenda Wednesday aimed at improving life expectancy and reducing racial health disparities across the city of Boston. The Live Long and Well agenda, which is the first of its kind, includes a partnership between the city of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission and Boston Community…