Workforce Capacity
FEATURED ARTICLE
Palliative Care: A Primer for State Policymakers
/in Policy Reports Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Palliative Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Workforce Capacity /by Lyndsay Sanborn and Kitty PuringtonStates Utilize Cross-Agency Resources to Address Health Care Workforce Shortages
/in Policy Alaska, Indiana Reports Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Workforce Capacity /by Natalie Williams and Kitty PuringtonThe National Academy for State Health Policy examined how Indiana and Alaska leverage their resources and build new partnerships to implement innovative, cross-agency approaches to bolster their health care workforces. These case studies explore: Cross-agency coalitions that develop and implement innovative workforce strategies; Opportunities to use data to identify and address workforce shortages; Strategies to […]
2018 Elections and State Health Policy: Expect More Innovation
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Workforce Capacity /by Anita Cardwell and Sarah LanfordSignificant state health policy changes are on the horizon as a result of Tuesday’s elections, which ushered in new governors and political changes in state legislatures across the country. Seven governorships (IL, ME, MI, NV, NM, KS, and WI) will switch parties and be steered by Democrats who all campaigned on health policy proposals. The […]
A Snapshot of the Key Health Policy Issues at Play in 2018 Governors’ Races
/in Policy Blogs Administrative Actions, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Workforce Capacity /by Anita CardwellWith elections just three weeks away, governors’ races in 36 states – with 17 open seats – are down to the wire and important health policy issues, such as Medicaid expansion, stabilizing insurance markets, public options, and prescription drug price controls, are at play in most of them. The National Academy for State Health Policy […]
States Explore Strategies to Advance Palliative Care at #NASHPCONF18
/in Policy Blogs Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Palliative Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Workforce Capacity /by Kitty Purington and Hannah DorrStates, as regulators, payers, and innovators of health care, are uniquely positioned to improve the lives of Americans with serious illnesses by promoting access to palliative care. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is working with state leaders to expand and improve palliative care, explore how these services align with other initiatives (e.g., […]
State Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Disease Crises Through Medicaid and Public Health Partnerships
/in Policy California, Florida, Texas Reports Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Tina KartikaProtecting public health in an era when infections can quickly spread from remote areas to major world cities requires creative and well-orchestrated responses from national, state, and local governments. One of the critical partnerships states can forge before, during, and after such crises is between public health and Medicaid. This report, supported by the Health […]
Flurry of Bills Targeting the Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Families Reach Congress
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Miara Handler and Carrie HanlonThe country’s opioid crisis has had a devastating effect on women, children, and families, and continues to strain state health, foster care, and social service agency budgets. A flurry of bills has recently been introduced in Congress to prevent or reduce the effects of the opioid crisis and many directly impact families and children. The […]
Oklahoma Uses Focus Groups to Identify Strategies to Better Serve Foster Care Youth
/in Policy Oklahoma Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Anita Cardwell and Olivia BaconOklahoma uses focus groups to identify ways to improve treatment guidelines, communication, and medication monitoring for foster care youth enrolled in Medicaid. May is National Foster Care Month and for the fourth consecutive year the number of children in foster care nationwide has climbed, fueled in part by the opioid epidemic, according to the Adoption and […]
State Agencies Partner to Address Health Care Workforce Shortages
/in Policy Indiana Blogs Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Workforce Capacity /by Natalie WilliamsTwelve governors flagged health care workforce needs as a key priority in their 2018 State of the State Addresses, an increase from only eight in 2017. States across the country are experiencing shortages of health care professionals, with the gap projected to increase in the coming years as America’s population continues to age. These workforce […]

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. 
























































































































































State Strategies to Increase Diversity in the Behavioral Health Workforce
/in Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD Featured News Home, Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Opioid Use Disorder, Workforce Capacity /by Mia Antezzo, Jodi Manz, Eliza Mette and Kitty Purington