Health Affairs

This week, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation released results of a survey that aimed to find out what Americans think about the country’s role in global health. The February 2012 telephone poll asked a variety of questions, including whether US spending on global health is at an appropriate level. Other questions went beyond health... Read the rest of this entry »

The tragedy that occurred in Joplin in May 2011 is back in the news as its anniversary rolls around. This week, President Obama delivered the commencement address to the 2012 graduating class of Joplin High School. The twister arrived just after the 2011 graduation ceremony, completely destroying the school. The new school is supposed to... Read the rest of this entry »

This week, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a national plan to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. The National Alzheimer’s Project Act, legislation that was passed unanimously by both houses of Congress (yes, you read that correctly!) in 2010 required HHS to come up with a plan, said... Read the rest of this entry »

The May GrantWatch column in Health Affairs focuses on efforts of foundations around the United States to address the problems of ‘food deserts’—low-income communities where there are limited locations for residents to buy reasonably priced fresh fruits and vegetables. The topic of food deserts can be controversial in some quarters: Did you see the recent... Read the rest of this entry »

I was on vacation this past week. When I returned, I saw an e-alert from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Health Policy Research with just “E. Richard Brown” in the subject line. The e-alert delivered the sad news that a few days earlier in April, Brown, known to all as “Rick,”... Read the rest of this entry »

If you are taking some time off this week for Easter or Passover, you may want to dust off that resumé and apply for one of these positions. I have included a few interesting points about each position, but read the full position description for many more details. These jobs were posted on foundation websites... Read the rest of this entry »

As most people have heard, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments this week (March 26-28) on the constitutionality of various aspects of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. People have scrambled for seats at the court, and, according to what I heard in a news report, some have paid others to stand in... Read the rest of this entry »

I always enjoy my annual trip to Grantmakers In Health’s (GIH’s) big conference. This year I did not have far to go—Baltimore. So, here is my “reporter’s notebook,” as Katie Couric would say. In this round-up post, I mention some interesting things I heard at the opening speech by GIH’s president and CEO and at... Read the rest of this entry »

Periodically, I do a people post here, similar to the class notes in an alumni magazine! Find out whatever became of that person who was your program officer or who sat next to you at a conference. Gwyn Barley has been named director of programs for the Colorado Trust. In this position, she will be... Read the rest of this entry »

Here are some openings that I found today on various foundations’ web sites and by word of mouth. Positions range from foundation presidents to a program assistant! Three Foundations Are Seeking New Presidents The Commonwealth Fund, as many of you know, is seeking a new president, because its long-time and well-known president, Karen Davis, is stepping down... Read the rest of this entry »

Derek Yach, senior vice president for global health and agriculture policy at PepsiCo, was one of the plenary speakers at the recent Grantmakers In Health (GIH) Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore. A strategist, Yach previously has held positions at the Rockefeller Foundation, Yale University, and the World Health Organization (WHO). His remarks provided “food for... Read the rest of this entry »

Here are some blog posts that caught my eye this week, as I sifted through foundation blogs I follow. The descriptions are brief—just to give you a flavor of what the post is about.  This is a short week in the office for me, as I head over to nearby Baltimore for the Grantmakers In... Read the rest of this entry »

Read about some comings and goings at foundations and an appointment to the Institute of Medicine. Ned Calonge, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Colorado Trust, was elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in October. A physician, Calonge is a former medical director for the state of Colorado and is on the... Read the rest of this entry »

This GrantWatch column in the just-released February 2011 issue of Health Affairs is full text, free access, to all readers. As many of you are aware, under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, individuals and small businesses, as of 2014, will be able to compare health insurance plans and enroll in them through state-based marketplaces... Read the rest of this entry »

Every few weeks I do a round-up highlighting a few recent posts from foundation blogs that have caught my eye. Topics this time are global health (specifically, neglected tropical diseases), health reform, wellness, and lessons learned by a seasoned funder. Global Health/Neglected Tropical Diseases “Tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases,” by Julie Jacobson, on the Bill and... Read the rest of this entry »

Read news about the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Greenwall Foundation, and Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. See descriptions of two policy jobs at health foundations. These tidbits recently came across my desk. •The Greenwall Foundation’s website notes that effective January 1, 2012, its grant making “will focus solely on building and enriching the Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program... Read the rest of this entry »

Read about the New York State Health Foundation’s “five-year, $35 million campaign to reverse the diabetes epidemic [in the Empire State] by improving clinical care, sustaining a comprehensive and coordinated care system, and promoting prevention.” The GrantWatch Profile in the January 2012 issue of Health Affairs, titled “New York State Health Foundation’s Diabetes Campaign Is Influencing... Read the rest of this entry »

We compiled a list of the most-read posts during 2011, in case you missed any of these. The most-read GrantWatch Blog post in 2011 was on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s skill at using social media to communicate with those who follow its activities. And that is not surprising, because of the large population that... Read the rest of this entry »

On December 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released findings from the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. The results may surprise you. For example, over the course of her lifetime, one in four women has been a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Here is a... Read the rest of this entry »

In combing through a number of foundation blogs that I follow (as time permits), I found these recent posts, which you may find relevant to your work. The topics covered by these writings range from oral health to the Gates Foundation’s interactions with grantees and on topics from mental health to HIV/AIDS prevention. Bloggers include... Read the rest of this entry »