Just over 100 years ago, an especially virulent influenza ignited a cataclysmic pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million to 100 million people around the world. The pandemic of 1918 also ushered in new ways of understanding and delivering health care. Advances that followed the pandemic included a national disease reporting system, employer-based health insurance,…Read More…

  Gov. Murphy’s budget, now before the state legislature, includes initiatives to create a more resilient, equitable and healthier state. The Quality Institute supports the goals of the governor’s budget. We have unprecedented opportunities now, especially with an expected $9 billion coming to state and local governments through the federal American Rescue Plan. We must…Read More…

Last Saturday, I Zoomed into my first New Jersey Local Boards of Health Association (NJLBHA) meeting. The group focused on the critical topic of school re-openings during the COVID-19 pandemic. One member, a researcher and public health physician, presented the latest studies on school re-openings. Then we heard two opposite examples of how public health…Read More…

Today I am sharing a report recently posted on the website of the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI). The report provides data to help us determine whether New Jersey’s Out-of-Network Consumer Protection, Transparency, Cost Containment, and Accountability Act is successfully protecting consumers and reducing overall health care costs. It also provides some insight into…Read More…

We begin the new year with optimism after the emergency use approval of two COVID-19 vaccines and more in the pipeline. These vaccines are urgently needed as the virus continues to surge. We’re especially thrilled to see health care workers on the frontlines obtain the benefits of the vaccine after months of bravely caring for…Read More…

Congress may surprise us and finally deliver on addressing surprise medical bills. Bi-partisan members of both Houses are working to get the No Surprises Act on President Trump’s desk before next week.  The bill would apply to employer-sponsored insurance, generally regulated under federal law, and would cover about half or more of all Americans with…Read More…

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…

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…

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…

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…