With fewer eligible Americans participating in WIC, increased risk of food insecurity and decreased access to quality healthcare may place a greater burden on our healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbates the challenges of vulnerable populations in access to food resources and routine and acute care.

• Christina Badaracco

Though Americans have been encouraged to physically distance themselves to minimize transmission of COVID-19, individuals who are homeless or living in institutional settings may not be able to adhere to these guidelines, putting them at higher risk of contracting and transmitting the virus.

• Christina Badaracco

Over half of counties in the US (52%) do not have any mental healthcare providers.

• Joanna Young
• Shruthi Donthi
• Chris Sloan

As of 2018, almost 70% of hospitals in the United States are not-for-profit entities according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

• Alaya Martin
• John Feore

On March 25, the British Medical Journal Open Quality published an article, “Impact of an Interdisciplinary Malnutrition Quality Improvement Project at a Large Metropolitan Hospital,” co-authored by Kelsey Jones and Kristi Mitchell.

• Kelsey Jones
• Kristi Mitchell

The growing prevalence and disparities in chronic diseases necessitate that health plans address food insecurity to improve patient outcomes. The combination of increasing need for access to healthy food and changes in the health policy and insurance landscape create opportunities to address food insecurity through a variety of payers.

• Christina Badaracco
• Oladeji Faborode
• Kristi Mitchell
• Matt Kazan

Avalere Health partnered with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and other stakeholders for the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative (MQii) designed to advance evidence-based, high-quality, and patient-driven care for hospitalized older adults who are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition.

• Angel Valladares
• Karl Kilgore

Avalere’s findings were featured in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

• Angel Valladares
• Mark Adelsberg
• Gabriel Sullivan

Increasing pressure on providers to assume accountability for meeting the goals of the Triple Aim has inspired a new focus on the social determinants of health.

• Angel Valladares
• John Feore

On January 24, Avalere’s Christina Badaracco and Senior Advisor Wendy Everett published a piece in the Health Affairs blog highlighting the need to improve malnutrition care and provide possible pathways to a solution.

• Christina Badaracco

Various national and local health policies aim to address food insecurity through both healthcare and community-based programs.

• Christina Badaracco
• Oladeji Faborode
• Josh Seidman
• Kristi Mitchell

The National Academies issued a report identifying several key factors and recommendations for integrating social care into healthcare delivery.

• Jasmaine McClain

A wide variety of health plans, provider networks, and national corporations have recently developed and announced innovations and strategies to expand access to healthcare and to address needs that promote health across communities.

• Christina Badaracco
• Kristi Mitchell

Avalere’s efforts to advance the national Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative featured in newly published supplement of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

• Angel Valladares
• Kelsey Jones
• Kristi Mitchell

Avalere experts recently presented “Risk Adjusting Medicare Advantage Plan Performance Measures for Social Determinants of Health: Are Dual Eligibility and Disability Status Enough?” at the Academy Health 2019 Annual Research Meeting.

• Karl Kilgore
• Christie Teigland