Building an Equitable Health Care Delivery System: Federal and State Strategies
Thursday, April 2, 2015
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm EDT
Federal and state policymakers are increasingly focused on addressing health disparities as part of their approach to improving health, improving health care quality, and reducing costs. This webinar discusses aligning payment models, creating new partnerships, and building infrastructure and data systems to achieve health equity. Speakers from Ohio and Louisiana describe their states‘ health equity initiatives and federal programs they are leveraging. An official from the CMS Office of Minority Health describes federal resources to help states advance health equity and opportunities for alignment of federal and state activities.
Speakers
- Chip Allen, Director of Health Equity, Ohio Department of Health
- Rebekah Gee, Medicaid Medical Director, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
- Cara James, Director of the Office of Minority Health, CMS
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
