Advocacy

Community mental health agencies consistently lag in the implementation of health information technology (IT) resulting in fewer opportunities for care coordination and data sharing. Federal and state policy approaches can improve the expansion of electronic health records and health IT connecting community mental health care to the rest of the health system.

The Supreme Court will decide if the ACA's preventive care mandate, based on United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations, is unconstitutional, potentially affecting millions' access to cost-free preventive services and restricting evidence-based policymaking. AcademyHealth’s advocacy team explains the case and why we have been supporting USPSTF on behalf of the field.

Significant investments in community health begin with reforming funding approaches and scaling programs that center a community’s experiential knowledge. Participatory grant-making and peer health navigation are two examples of promising health services research approaches that deserve more attention.

For this month only, the November “Read on Washington” is open to all readers. It includes our read on what to watch for in the new Administration and Congress, updates on appropriations, a new Surgeon General report on disparities in smoking, and more.

As the incoming Congress and Administration solidifies, AcademyHealth reaffirms our commitment to advancing evidence to inform policy and practice for better health and health care for all.

This month's "Read on Washington," available only to AcademyHealth members, includes updates on appropriations, updates from the FDA on AI regulation, VHA checklists for strength of evidence, and more.

This month's "Read on Washington," available only to AcademyHealth members, includes updates on appropriations, new announcements on AI strategies from HHS, GAO concerns about public health data redundancy and security, and more.

Research in health services is essential for informing policy decisions to address and forestall the detrimental health consequences of climate change. Part 2 of this blog series identifies priority health services research areas for continued health system reform to address the climate crisis.

The evidence generated from health services research is crucial for guiding state and federal policy efforts to ameliorate and prevent the adverse health effects of the changing climate. Part 1 of this blog series provides an overview of health systems resiliency and the role of health services research in building a resilient health system.

As we marked the sixty-one-year anniversary of the March on Washington yesterday August 28th—a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement—it’s an important time to reflect on the legacy of exclusionary practices and their impact on modern health care inequities. By understanding and addressing the history of sundown towns, we can more effectively reach and support historically oppressed and underserved communities.