Going Way Upstream: How One Foundation Redefined Its Work to Improve Population Health

2019 ◽  
pp. 301-314
Author(s):  
Peter Long ◽  
Brittany Imwalle

This chapter presents a case study from the Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF) which in 2016 achieved considerable success in its work to expand access to high-quality health care and to end domestic violence in California. The case of BSCF demonstrates how to integrate disparate health care services, such as primary care and specialty care, and behavioral health and primary care, to improve access and quality while potentially lowering costs. BSCF created networks of established leaders within the health care and domestic violence safety nets in California and influenced safety net systems in California to think and act differently. However, despite these notable successes, BSCF struggled to sustain, scale, and spread these innovations to other organizations and systems or to embed them into policy changes. The chapter analyses why.

2019 ◽  
pp. 291-300
Author(s):  
Leslie Mikkelsen ◽  
Rea Pañares ◽  
Larry Cohen

This chapter looks at prevention and public health. Preventing illness and injury in the first place has the potential to be a powerful component of a country's strategy to improve population health while strengthening access to quality health care and reducing costs. The chapter looks at the Community-Centered Health Home (CCHH) term, which is used to describe health care organizations that take an active role, in partnership, to improve community conditions that impact patients' health (for example, supporting rental housing code enforcement, building septic systems, and improving community access to healthy food and places for physical activity). The chapter looks at ways to test the CCHH initiative. The chapter concludes by stating that CCHH contributes to the US's journey toward a system of health by highlighting the value of health care in partnering with its surrounding community and offering a systematic approach to partnering with community groups to improve community conditions, while continuing to meet the daily priority of delivering high-quality health care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
D E M C Jansen ◽  
A Visser ◽  
J P M Vervoort ◽  
P Kocken ◽  
S A Reijneveld ◽  
...  

Abstract To successfully navigate increasing autonomy, independence and health behaviors in adolescence, accessible adolescent health care services (AHS) are essential. AHS comprise all services in primary care that are aimed at the specific needs of adolescents and can be provided in various settings such as public services, private services, schools and hospitals. In the MOCHA project (Models of Child Health Appraised) we assessed the structure and content of AHS in 30 European countries against the standards in the field of adolescent health services: accessibility, staff attitude, communication, staff competency and skills, confidential and continuous care, age appropriate environment, involvement in health care, equity and respect and a strong link with the community. The results revealed that although half of the 30 countries did adopt adolescent-specific policies, many countries did not meet the current standards of quality health care for adolescents. For example, the ability to provide emergency mental health care is limited. In addition, one third of the countries do not have a formal policy which guarantees the confidentiality of a consult and the possibility to consult a physician without parents knowing. Finally, around half of the countries do not have specialized centers in adolescent health care in order to tackle comprehensive health issues. Access to adolescent health care services needs to be improved for vulnerable adolescents such as migrant adolescents. Schools, ambulatory settings and hospitals should offer accessible, comprehensive health care and a culturally appropriate approach, particularly given the number of migrant adolescents living in EU and EEA countries. Finally, the health care systems should improve their communication strategies, to assist young people in understanding their rights and responsibility in the domain of health, and how and where to access to adequate care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjan Miremadi ◽  
Kamyar Goudarzi

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on the role of hospital business models by examining the innovative business model of Moheb Hospitals, which have successfully achieved the goal of reducing costs and delivering high-quality health-care services in Iran by encouraging public–private partnership.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a single case study.FindingsThe study results illustrate the hospital’s current business model and its underlying elements. After presenting the findings, this paper is concluded by presenting the standing issues that should also be addressed and how improvements and adjustments can be made.Originality/valueThis study offers new insight to identify and analyze the shortcomings of health-care sector in Iran and introduces new methods to efficiently use current competencies.


Curationis ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Visser ◽  
A. H. Nel

The worldwide economic recession and the concomitant limited stock of finances have had an influence on the available money of every household and have also inhibited the improvement of socio-economic conditions and medicine. The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) has the objective of improving the living conditions of the people with regard to housing, education, training and health care. The latter seems to be a major problem which has to be addressed with the emphasis on the preventive and promotional aspects of health care. A comprehensive health care system did not come into being properly in the past because of the maldistribution of health care services, personnel and differences in culture and health care beliefs and values. The question that now arises, is how to render a quality health care service within the constraints of inadequate financing and resources. A comprehensive literature study has been done with reference to quality health care and financing followed by a survey of existing health services and finances.


Author(s):  
Alexandra Nowakowski

In this autoethnography, I analyze stereotypes and misconceptions about people with cystic fibrosis (CF). I examine these illness representations and their social underpinnings through critical analysis of my journey to conclusive diagnosis with CF after first being tested for the disease in early life, and the events that have followed from that turning point. Using experiential data and prior research, I explore and refute harmful misconceptions about life with CF. I challenge the notion that people with CF never grow old. I also contest the idea that people who receive conclusive diagnoses during adulthood only then transition into patient identities. In doing so, I compare and contrast my own experiences with evidence from other patient narratives. I engage lived experiences from both outside and within the CF community to explore intersectional perceptions of aging. By giving voice to the diverse realities of aging with CF, I illuminate larger gaps in the illness management literature and the health care services it informs. I conclude that narrow representations of illness experience can ultimately impede quality health care and social support for people aging with CF, and that centering diverse patient voices can positively transform both clinical and community experiences.


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