Take Five with Amanda Melillo
Amanda Melillo, Chief of Staff of the Quality Institute, leads the Quality Institute’s Leapfrog programming. She talked with Take Five about recent changes in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. After the spring Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades came out this year we saw a real shake-up in scoring. One-third of New Jersey hospitals dropped a grade…Read More…
Aunt Bertha’ Search Tool Begins Helping New Jersey Communities Easily Access Social Services to Promote Wellness
Quality Institute’s Mayors Wellness Campaign, supported by United Health Foundation, working to list all services in one place online Published by Campbell Health Media A community’s resources — from food banks to job training to low-cost housing — have little value if people don’t know about them. That’s why the New Jersey Health Care Quality…Read More…
Huge deal with hospitals could put Rutgers in ‘big 10’ for medical research
Published by Susan K. Livio on NJ.com WEST ORANGE — New Jersey’s largest hospital chain intends to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to help catapult Rutgers University’s medical schools into the “big 10” of research and educational institutions in the nation, NJ Advance Media has learned. The “unique partnership” between RWJ Barnabas Health, the Rutgers Robert…Read More…
Take Five with Cory S. Capps, Phd.
Cory S. Capps, Phd., an economist at Bates White Economic Consulting and published expert on the implications of health care consolidation, will be the keynote speaker at the Quality Institute’s Winter Conference on November 2nd. He spoke to Symptoms & Cures in advance of his talk. You have studied health care mergers for many years…Read More…
When Spending Health Care Dollars, “Choosing Wisely” Is Best Course
The cost of health insurance is rising. Again. High premiums, co-pays and cost sharing are hurting businesses and their employees. Insurers are pulling out of the ACA health insurance market in New Jersey and around the nation. U.S. health care spending, meanwhile, has reached $3.0 trillion, taking money away from housing, education, social services and…Read More…
NJ Businesses Sustain Widespread Health Coverage, Despite Rising Costs
Workers are paying for larger share of medical expenses, through higher contributions and deductibles, reduced benefits. Published in NJ Spotlight by Lilo H. Stainton The vast majority of New Jersey businesses continue to provide health insurance for their workforce, but as the cost of care continues to rise by double digits, employees are paying a…Read More…
As insurance companies bolt from Obamacare, lawmaker prescribes a fix for N.J.
Published on NJ.com by Susan K. Livio TRENTON — With insurance companies in New Jersey fleeing the health exchange created by the Affordable Care Act, a state lawmaker has introduced a bill to create a government-operated plan that he said will stabilize the volatile market. The “New Jersey Public Option Health Care Act” would require the…Read More…
Conversation of a Lifetime campaign spreads in NJ
Published in The Courier-Post by Kim Mulford David Mayer didn’t talk about death or funerals or end-of-life decisions with his mother. Didn’t want to. “Because it’s difficult — you don’t talk about it, ” the Gloucester Township mayor said. “People don’t talk about it. That’s not abnormal.” Instead of having that difficult conversation, the family faced difficult decisions. In her final days,…Read More…
A Story of Empathy and Kindness at the End of a Life
Think medical success stories and you may envision life-saving heroics in a trauma center. Or a brilliant diagnosis of a patient’s rare illness. Or maybe a laboratory researcher who finds a new cancer treatment. All valid successes. But recently I was reminded that success in health care can take more modest forms. Last week the…Read More…
Take Five with Megan Sheppard
The Quality Institute partners with the Cumberland County Department of Health and Inspira Health Network through a three-year partnership grant from the United Health Foundation to improve chronic disease management, health literacy, and access to healthy lifestyle initiatives. Inspira Health Network is a Provider Council member of the Quality Institute. Current Cumberland County Mayors involved…Read More…