COVID-19

Ensuring Equity in Telehealth

August 29, 2022

Health Equity, Telehealth

Telehealth could extend care to millions of underserved people — but only if they can access it.

Beyond the Doctor: Helping Trusted Care Managers Increase Vaccination Rates

Heather Stringer

Older Adults with Complex Needs, Medi-Cal

Researchers partner with community-based organizations to reach homebound, older adults at risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

San Diego Health Centers Fight Provider Burnout by Fostering Workplace Friendships

Aisling Carroll

The program was supported by the California Improvement Network, a community of health care organizations that promotes ideas for better care delivery.

A Qualitative Study of Expanded Methadone Take-Home Access in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Behavioral Health

In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, federal guidance permitted greater access to methadone "take-home doses" for people in treatment for opioid use disorder. This paper reviews the treatment experiences of patients and providers at an opioid treatment program in San Francisco.

New Technology Is Transforming Care in California’s Safety Net

Silvina Martinez

Telehealth, Behavioral Health, Health Equity

Federally Qualified Health Centers in California overcame language barriers, uneven digital access, and workflow changes to increase telehealth visits for primary care from 2% of visits to 61% during the pandemic.

The Prognosis for Telehealth

Telehealth, Health Equity, Medi-Cal

The future of primary care could be a hybrid model of in-person and telehealth care, including both phone and video visits.

California Spent Millions to Boost COVID-19 Vaccination Rates of Medi-Cal Members — But They Lag Even More

Medi-Cal, Homelessness & Health Care

Gaps in COVID-19 vaccination rates among the state’s Medi-Cal population persist. Five Medi-Cal plans still have vaccination rates under 50%.

Frontline Nurses Are Burning Out. This Digital Health Start-Up Is Trying to Change That

Laudio aims to help managers reduce high turnover rates among nurses and other frontline health care workers — a longstanding problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helping Californians Maintain Coverage After the Public Health Emergency

California’s success in avoiding unnecessary Medi-Cal disenrollment and smoothing transitions to other coverage will be crucial.

Biden Lays Out His Health Policy Agenda

Alyssa Llamas, Dawn Joyce

Behavioral Health, Health Care Costs

Some of his key items are already underway via administrative actions, while others require legislative action in Congress.

‘You Want Your Immune System Protecting You and Your Baby’

Xenia Shih Bion

Ob/gyns, a nurse, and a midwife answer FAQs about the COVID-19 vaccine, pregnancy, and fertility.

As COVID-19 Was Peaking, LA Delivered Medical Care to People in Emergency Housing

February 25, 2022

Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Homelessness & Health Care, Behavioral Health, Older Adults with Complex Needs, Medi-Cal

Thirteen primary care providers and three behavioral health and substance use treatment organizations delivered 14,000 health care consultations to over 3,500 clients.

Amid Pandemic Stress, Kern Medical Steps Up Recruitment of Health Care Workers

February 17, 2022

Aisling Carroll

Workforce, Behavioral Health

Kern Medical has ramped up efforts to recruit new employees at every level and to fill the training pipeline with future health care workers.

AltaMed Asks Unvaccinated Latinx Californians: “Come On! What Are You Waiting For?”

February 7, 2022

The nation’s largest independent federally qualified health center has partnered with other organizations to provide tens of thousands of COVID-19 shots as part of a comprehensive public education campaign.

COVID-19 Is Reshaping California’s Health Workforce

February 1, 2022

Avram Goldstein

A conversation with Joanne Spetz, director of UCSF’s Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies.