Schwimmer Script Blog
Improving Health Care Post-Election 2020
Our virtual winter conference on Tuesday began with an inspiring slide show of our members and government partners. They’re working to save lives and caring for those who’ve contracted COVID-19. They’re also delivering food and sewing facemasks — and investing in the health and wellness of their communities. They’re advancing new protocols, vaccines, and therapies…Read More…
2020 Election Results Create Opportunities for Change in U.S. Health Care Policy
With our nation welcoming a new president and federal administration, we should seize the opportunity to improve our health care system. At the Quality Institute, we work closely with our members, many of them on the frontlines of medicine, and we know how federal policies affect all of our efforts to improve safety, quality, and…Read More…
Rutgers Project Echo Provides Critical Support for New Jersey Nursing Homes
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing home residents and the staff who care for them have been in the eye of the storm. In New Jersey, more than 4,000 of the residents have died from the virus. Nationwide, the number is more than 61,000 individuals, which is over a quarter of all COVID…Read More…
Increase and Improve Pregnancy-Related Care for All
Today I’m turning my blog over to Kate Shamszad, MS, MPH, who is a Senior Program Officer in the Quality Institute’s Medicaid Policy Center. The Medicaid Policy Center delivers independent research, analysis, and policy solutions to improve health outcomes while also controlling health care costs. New Jersey is stronger when we can all make decisions…Read More…
Keep Driving Quality — Despite the Challenges of 2020
I recently re-read the blog that I wrote in January, which outlined the Quality Institute’s priorities for 2020. Of course, there’s no mention of PPEs, masks, or COVID-19. But our overall goals and ideas to drive quality, community health, and affordability have not changed during this turbulent year. I’d like to update you as we…Read More…
Our New Work Group Will Support Mental Health in New Jersey Communities
The months of fear, isolation, and deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have created a mental health emergency in our towns and cities. The trauma of the pandemic — along with economic uncertainty, social unrest, and environmental catastrophes — is affecting our emotional well-being. If you cannot sleep at night, you’re not alone. The…Read More…
This Flu Season Is An Important Test for New Jersey
Influenza vaccine is now being shipped to New Jersey, and perhaps never before has a strong, widespread flu vaccination effort been more critical to the health and safety of our residents. There is no vaccine against COVID-19. But we do have an effective flu vaccine. The upcoming winter could be among the deadliest in…Read More…
Refocusing the Mayors Wellness Campaign in the Time of COVID
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh kicked off 2020 with a new Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) to prioritize the health of the city’s residents. There were community walks from City Hall to the Great Falls, an employee wellness program, and community aerobic classes. Then, life as we knew it changed. Mayor Sayegh shared in a recent Op-Ed…Read More…
Advancing Public Health Initiatives Amid a Global Pandemic
As we enter our sixth month of a drastically different New Jersey during the COVID-19 crisis, our members, government officials, and the Quality Institute all face similar questions: What happens to the important public health work moving forward before the pandemic? How do we maintain strong partnerships in the fight for safe, equitable, and affordable…Read More…
Small Employer Health Insurance Needs Fixing
As a small employer, I understand the importance of providing good health insurance to my employees. This is an important benefit that the Quality Institute wants to offer and is also essential to the health of our employees and their families. Until our country provides universal coverage or another method to pay for health care,…Read More…