Dear John,

Last week, we published an ahead-of-print article from John Bowblis of Miami University and his team of coauthors that examines trends in the use of staffing agencies among freestanding nursing homes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Be sure to check out this article in anticipation of our March issue, which focuses on physicians, Medicaid, nursing homes, and more!

Structural Racism & Health In Ohio

In the February 2024 Housing & Health issue of Health Affairs, Kierra Barnett of Nationwide’s Children’s Hospital and her team of coauthors document the history of structural racism in Linden, a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio.

Linden is a neighborhood characterized by high rates of unemployment, crime, and disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

The authors contextualize these disparities through an exploration of 100 years of discriminatory state and local policies, particularly those related to housing, that have shaped health in Linden, Ohio.

These policies include racial deed restrictions, redlining, blockbusting, mass incarceration, and subprime lending.

Barnett and coauthors advocate for structural racism–and discrimination-informed strategic community development initiatives to promote lasting change in Linden.

Discover more about this paper's findings below:

• An interactive timeline of the history of structural racism in Linden
• A video abstract featuring author Kierra Barnett
• Kierra Barnett's presentation on her paper at this month's Housing and Health Issue Briefing

Stay tuned for a new episode of A Health Podyssey premiering next week featuring Barnett!

CMS’s 2024 Physician Fee Schedule: A Catalyst For Integrated, Whole-Person Care And Improved Health

Elisa Fisher et al.

Using Law To Advance Population Health Planning

Ashwin Vasan et al.

Join us for the following events in February!

• February 22: Policy Spotlight: One-on-One with Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
• February 26: Journal Club: “Housing-Sensitive Health Conditions Can Predict Poor Quality Housing”

ICYMI, we announced the continuation of our Forefront Series "Medicare and Medicaid Integration."

Due to the ongoing support from Arnold Ventures, we are able to reissue our call for submissions for this series. We will accept submissions until October 31, 2024.

With this in mind, let's take a look back at the series, which has featured policy analysis, proposals, and commentary that we hope will elevate the issues for our audience and inform policies on the state and federal levels to advance integrated care for those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

• How Integrated Programs Can Address The Challenges Of Limited English Proficiency For Dual Eligible Individuals (January 2024)
• Incorporating Value-Based Payment Into State-Directed Payment Arrangements Can Improve Outcomes For Dually Eligible Individuals (October 2023)
• No Choice But To Become Advocates: Fighting For An Integrated Plan For Dually Eligible Adults With Disabilities (July 2023)