Dear John,

Join us on February 26 for our Journal Club event featuring a closer look at a new Health Affairs research article, “Housing-Sensitive Health Conditions Can Predict Poor Quality Housing,” that was published in our theme issue focusing on housing and health.

Author Daniel Neill of New York University and Health Affairs Senior Editor Laura Tollen will participate in a detailed discussion of the paper’s data, methods, and policy implications.

Trends In Nursing Home Staffing

In the Ahead of Print article published today, John Bowblis of Miami University and his team of coauthors examine trends in the use of staffing agencies among freestanding nursing homes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers find that between 2018-19, on average, 22.5 percent of nursing homes used any direct care agency nursing staff, but during 2022, this number rose to 49.1 percent.

Bowblis and coauthors also determine in 2022 that there was “significant variation in the use of agency staff across states.”

Vermont, New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania had more than 70 percent of nursing homes using any direct care agency nursing staff, while Oklahoma, Alabama, Washington, DC, and Arkansas had fewer than 30 percent of nursing homes using agency staff.

The share of hours worked by agency staff also increased from 3.2 percent in 2018 and 2019 to 11 percent in 2022. 

Community & State is the business segment of UnitedHealthcare that provides health care coverage for the economically disadvantaged, the medically underserved and those without the benefit of employer-funded health plans. These state-based health plans meet local needs, while leveraging the national resources of UnitedHealthcare.

There is still time to submit an application for the 2024–2025 Health Equity Fellowship for Trainees cohort!

Applications are open until tomorrow, February 15, 2024.

The purpose of the Fellowship is to increase the quantity and quality of manuscripts published by early-career researchers interested in addressing health inequities among underserved racial and ethnic populations, while cultivating future health equity research leaders.

In the program, fellows will receive multilayered mentorship from experienced Health Affairs authors and editorial staff for eighteen months (July 2024–December 2025).

Federal Policy Changes Must Occur To Provide A Lifesaving Stimulant Drug Intervention

Michael G. McDonell et al.

Celebrating Black History Month

This Black History Month, we're highlighting influential Black voices and organizations who have made an impact on health equity and policy.

In an October 2023 article, Zachary Dyer and coauthors discuss the Structural Racism Effect Index, which measures exposure to structural racism effects in nine domains, and is freely available online.