Making great strides in maternity health through baby steps
In celebration of National Minority Health Month, American Managed Car Journale® We've partnered with UPMC Health Plan to launch a month-long podcast series. The first episode focuses on the Baby Steps maternity program, which supports pregnant women. Diana P. Byas, manager of maternity care management at UPMC Health Plan, describes the program's unique features, her dedicated team, the importance of equitable maternity care for minorities, and community support for better maternal health outcomes. We talked about the importance of cooperation.
Dr. Mitzi Joy Williams talks about clinical trial accessibility challenges and solutions
Mitzi Joy Williams, M.D., founder and medical director of Joy Life Wellness Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center, says she believes in the challenges of recruiting and retaining underrepresented populations for clinical trials, especially in MS research. shed light on. He emphasized the need to increase the visibility and accessibility of clinical trials, and urged clinicians to adopt inclusive trial designs and engage in community outreach. Williams also emphasized the importance of addressing issues such as lack of awareness, mistrust, and accessibility barriers faced by minority communities, and advocated for a multi-stakeholder approach to improving accessibility to clinical trials.
Institutional practices for charitable access to medicines for uninsured patients
A new study analyzed prescriptions for uninsured patients at an academic medical center's charity care program. Most prescriptions were for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and pain, and more than half were prescribed externally. The medical center covered 44% of his prescriptions filled in-house, costing him $111,052. The researchers highlighted the need for sustainable drug access mechanisms and proposed developing a charity drug formulary to improve quality of care and reduce costs.
Blacks and Native Americans are overwhelmed by 'deaths of despair,' UCLA health study finds
Contrary to previous assumptions, a recent analysis was published in . JAMA Psychiatry Researchers found that mortality rates related to “deaths of despair” such as suicide, drug overdose and alcoholic liver disease are on the rise, particularly affecting Black and Indigenous communities. Previous research has identified trends among middle-aged Americans. However, the highest rates were among whites. The latest study is long-term and includes racial and ethnic groups that were previously excluded.
Confronting deadly maternal and child health disparities, part 1: U.S. introduces doula support
Although maternal morbidity and mortality rates are widely publicized, the underlying causes, particularly racial disparities, remain complex. Several experts from different fields of maternity care and reporting contributed to the first part of this special series. Implicit biases contribute significantly, impacting care delivery and exacerbating systemic challenges. Initiatives like doula support hold promise for reducing disparities, but system changes, including policy mandates and financial incentives, are needed to effectively address the maternal health crisis.
