workforce
PCMHs in CT – not the “shiny new toy” anymore but moving forward improving care, controlling costs
Ten years ago, patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) were exotic in Connecticut. PCMHs are one of the best documented innovations to improve health. PCMHs are primary care practices that help keep people well by assessing needs, coordinating care, and giving people the skills and resources to maintain their own health. As a nurse managers told me,…
Read MoreState budget deal restores coverage for 4,000 HUSKY parents, a move toward quality-based payments, and insurance protections
Policymakers have reached a $43 billion state budget deal to cover the next two fiscal years, on-time before the end of the session. For health policy folks, there is a lot to like in the deal but a few notes of caution. The best part is a partial restoration of HUSKY parents’ eligibility cuts from…
Read More31 ways to save on healthcare in Connecticut’s budget
Connecticut’s state budget is facing future deficits and health spending is a large share of the budget. The state now spends $3.8 billion between Medicaid and the state employee health plan to cover about a million state residents. Health care spending outside the state budget is also growing. Connecticut has the sixth highest per capita…
Read MoreCT trains lots of doctors but we don’t keep them
A new report on physician workforce finds that CT is a hub for training physicians, both medical school and residency training but we are falling behind in retaining those graduates. The report from the Association of American Medical Colleges finds that physician capacity in CT now is is good ranking 6thhighest among states in the…
Read MoreCT health provider capacity varies significantly
A new mapping and data tool from CMS allows web visitors to visualize the density of a range of health care providers relative to the number of consumers. The updated Market Saturation and Utilization Tool uses Medicare claims data and can be sorted by state or county. Policymakers can use the Tool for health services…
Read MoreHealth care has highest job opening rate in US
At 5.2% in March, the health care and social assistance sector had the highest rate of job openings in the US labor market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However the rate of hiring in health care and social assistance was only average. At 19.3 million the health care and social assistance sector had…
Read MoreNortheastern physicians lowest paid in US
According to Medscape’s 2016 Physician Compensation Survey, at $266,000 physicians from Northeastern states have the lowest incomes in the US. Medscape reports that uneven distribution between physicians and patients drives compensation levels. Just over half (52%) of US physicians believe that their compensation is fair. Specialists tend to make more than primary care doctors; highest…
Read MoreHealth care not immune from gender wage gap, but the size depends on your job
American women workers make 82.5 cents for every dollar men do, according to 2014 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. However that ratio varies considerably by industry from 91.3 in construction to 56.7 cents in legal positions. In health care support positions, women so better than average American women but still 87.9% of…
Read MoreBriefing focuses on CT nurses’ role in improving population health
The CT Nursing Collaborative-Action Coalition held a briefing today on Building a Culture of Health in Hartford with the CT League for Nursing and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Sue Hassmiller from RWJ briefed the audience on the critical role of prevention and population-based services in improving health and the central role of nurses in…
Read MoreAugust web quiz on family caregiving in Connecticut
Test your knowledge of family caregiving in Connecticut. Take the August CT Health Policy Webquiz.
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