Kaiser Health News
- Pharma Campaign Cash Delivered to Key Lawmakers With Surgical Precision October 27, 2021With an eye to shutting down Medicare drug price negotiations, drug companies and their lobbying groups gave roughly $1.6 million in the first six months of 2021, with Democrats edging closer than they have in a decade to Republicans’ total haul.Victoria Knight and Rachana Pradhan and Elizabeth Lucas, Kaiser Health News
- Medicare Plans’ ‘Free’ Dental, Vision, Hearing Benefits Come at a Cost October 27, 2021The ads for supplemental Medicare Advantage plans describe vision and dental benefits, even grocery discounts and food deliveries. But look at the fine print.Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
- How Billing Turns a Routine Birth Into a High-Cost Emergency October 27, 2021“Obstetrical emergency departments” are a new feature in some hospitals that can inflate medical bills for even the easiest, healthiest births. Just ask the parents of Baby Gus.Rae Ellen Bichell
- Pharma Cash to Congress October 26, 2021A KHN database tracks campaign donations from drugmakers over the past 10 years.Elizabeth Lucas, Kaiser Health News and KHN Staff
- Direct Primary Care, With a Touch of Robin Hood October 26, 2021Some doctors, sick of mainstream health care’s red tape, are finding refuge in practices that combine concierge medicine with charity care.Bernard J. Wolfson
- Understaffed State Psychiatric Facilities Leave Mental Health Patients in Limbo October 26, 2021The pandemic has so seriously strained already tight state psychiatric hospitals in Georgia, Virginia, Texas and elsewhere that these facilities for the poorest and most vulnerable people with mental illness struggle to admit new patients.Andy Miller
- Analysis: A Procedure That Cost $1,775 in New York Was $350 in Maryland. Here’s Why. October 26, 2021The state’s unique health system controls what hospitals can charge for services.Elisabeth Rosenthal
- In Maine, Vaccine Mandate for EMTs Stresses Small-Town Ambulance Crews October 25, 2021The covid vaccination rate for first responders in the state is more than 95%. But it's lower in more rural areas, where ambulance crews can't function if even just a few people quit.Patty Wight, Maine Public Radio
- Fresh Faces, Fewer Tools: Meet the New Bosses Fighting Covid October 25, 2021Local health officials who quit or were forced out during the pandemic have been replaced by people who must face an increasingly polarized public with fewer powers than their predecessors.Nick Ehli
- 3 States Limit Nursing Home Profits in Bid to Improve Care October 25, 2021Following the devastating impact of covid-19 on nursing homes, state lawmakers want to be sure that government and private payments primarily go to improve care and staffing.Susan Jaffe
Current Events and Foundation News
Updated 7/13/2020
Mt. Sinai Announces 2020 Saltzman Award Recipients
Join us for Channel 3 News at 6 PM, June 23-24, as we salute Cleveland’s Health Heroes and on June 25 when we present them with the 2020 Maurice Saltzman Award as part of the 6 PM news!
The 2020 Maurice Saltzman Award is presented to Cleveland’s Health Heroes who put their lives on the line to care for COVID-19 patients and prevent further spread of the disease. Those honored include not only those working in hospitals, but also those in group homes and long-term care facilities. They include not only doctors, nurses and other caregivers, but sanitation, foodservice and transportation workers, home health workers, public health practitioners and all who have worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe in this time of global crisis.
2020 Maurice Saltzman Award Selection Committee
Enid B. Rosenberg, Chair
Tom Abelson, MD
Nathan A. Berger, MD
Beth Wain Brandon
Pamela B. Davis, MD, PhD
J. David Heller
Jeffrey L. Ponsky, MD
Susan Ratner
Ronn Richard
Fred C. Rothstein, MD
Judge Dan A. Polster, Board Chair
Mitchell Balk, President
Study of ‘downstream’ effects of childhood lead poisoning reveals racial, economic disparities in adulthood
20-year study involving more than 10,000 children tracks consequences of lead exposure from birth through early adulthood
A new study from Case Western Reserve University, funded in part by the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, shows that numerous negative issues associated with lead poisoning follow children well into adulthood—building on evidence linking elevated blood-lead levels with a host of harmful outcomes in education, behavior and health.
These so-called “downstream” consequences include increased involvement in the juvenile justice system, adult incarceration and homelessness, according to the study conducted by researchers at the university’s Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
The findings stem from a research project that—using data over a 20-year period—tracked the life outcomes of more than 10,000 children in Cleveland with elevated blood-lead levels, compared to a control group of students who did not have elevated lead levels. By comparing these carefully matched groups, researchers were able to zero-in on the impact of lead poisoning on both people and public systems.
“The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition believes that no child should ever be lead-poisoned,” said Blaine Griffin, City of Cleveland Councilman and Coalition Steering Committee Member. “This research from Case Western Reserve University underscores the painful reality that lead poisoning not only affects a child’s developing body and robs them of their potential but has a costly impact on our entire community. It doesn’t matter where you live or work—whether you’re a landlord, caregiver, elected official, or resident—we all have a responsibility to address lead poisoning together.”
The full press release can be accessed here (PDF).
Mandel Foundation Approves $5 million to the Lead Safe Home Fund
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation has committed $5 million to the Lead Safe Home Fund, which will provide families and property owners resources to make homes lead safe. This, along with investments from the city of Cleveland, state of Ohio and philanthropic partners, brings the total pool of funds to more than $18 million, according to a news release
“As the COVID-19 pandemic forces us to shelter-in-place, we are reminded how important a safe and decent home is,” stated Mitchell Balk, president of the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and chair of the governance committee of Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition. “All children, no matter their backgrounds, should be afforded every opportunity to live up to their fullest potential. Lead poisoning is an issue of equity, and now is the time to invest in this most basic human need for children today and into the future.”
The full press release can be accessed here (PDF).
Mt. Sinai, Partners, announce Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition
Click the video below to listen to Mitchell Balk’s announcement at January 22, 2019, press conference in the rotunda of Cleveland City Hall.
Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition announces inaugural Steering Committee
During the Lead Safe Home Summit (June 21, 2019), Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation President Mitchell Balk announced the creation of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition Steering Committee.
“The appointment of Steering Committee members marks an important milestone for the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition,” said Balk, who also chairs the Coalition’s Governance Committee. “This group brings to the table a remarkable depth and breadth of leadership, a diversity of lived experiences, and the critical perspectives necessary to address lead poisoning in our community.”
Read the Press Release here (PDF)
Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation Appoints Program Officer
January 2, 2019 (Cleveland, Ohio) – Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation President Mitchell Balk announces the appointment of Cleveland native Ali Foti to the position of program officer. Ms. Foti will begin her duties on February 4, 2019.
Foti is a Hawken School alumna and University Hospitals/ Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital NICU graduate. She is currently completing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is a summa cum laude graduate in Political Science of the University of Michigan.
Among her varied professional experiences, Foti created health equity trainings for cancer care providers as Health Education & Training Coordinator at the George Washington University (GW) Cancer Center. She also oversaw government relations to increase patient access to their health data as Health Information Technology Policy & Outreach Coordinator at the National Partnership for Women & Families. Also in Washington, DC, she served on the Health Equity and Accountability Act Community Working Group and the Consumer Work Group of the Federal Advisory Committee to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. More recently, Foti contributed to capacity-building trainings to support Boston non-profit organizations in planning health promotion programs through the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Center for Community-Based Research.
“Mt. Sinai is fortunate to have someone with Ali’s skills, intellect and passion for improving the public’s health join its program staff,” said Foundation President Mitchell Balk. Working with Mt. Sinai Vice President, strategy, Daniel Cohn, Foti will support the Foundation’s strategic agenda related to primary prevention, population health, and health policy.
Position Statement – Assault Weapons Ban – December 2018
Mt. Sinai Approves $500,000 Grant, Launches Enhanced Security Initiative in the Jewish Community
December 3, 2018 (Cleveland, Ohio) – The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation today approved a grant of $500,000 to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to enhance security in the Cleveland Jewish community following the attack on Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh that killed 11 people.
“We applaud the Jewish Federation of Cleveland for being in the forefront of safety and security efforts both locally and nationally and for taking action to intensify its program as a result of the current anti-Semitism,” said Foundation President Mitchell Balk.
The Federation’s plan, developed with local and national security experts, will provide enhanced security for 37 synagogues and 9 day school sites, and 9 Jewish-sponsored preschools.
“In the face of the growing threat from anti-Semitism and in light of the attack in Pittsburgh, the need for increased security throughout Jewish Cleveland is no longer an option,” said Stephen H. Hoffman, President of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. “We are grateful for this significant investment and leadership by the Mt. Sinai Foundation, which will help our community members live as Jewishly as they wish in a safe and welcoming environment. We believe the Mt. Sinai commitment will encourage other generous donors to step forward in our effort to raise the $2 million per year that is required to implement the enhanced security program.”
Press Coverage: Mt. Sinai brings Nurse Family Partnership to Cleveland
December 7, 2015 (Cleveland, Ohio) – Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation today announced a $1.2 million grant that will bring to Cleveland for the first time a nurse home visiting program proven to curb infant mortality among low-income families.
Read the article at Cleveland.com
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