Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Threatens Patient Safety—Policy Makers Must Act To Confront It

Dian L. Baker, Karen K. Giuliano, Chantal Worzala, Annie Cloke, Lu Zawistowich
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), which includes both nonventilator-associated pneumonia (NVHAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), is one of the most common health care-associated infections (HAIs), constituting approximately 25 percent of HAIs in acute care hospitals. Clinical guidelines and several major health systems’ initiatives indicate that this widespread and costly condition can largely be prevented.

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Making Alternative Payment Models Work For Patients

Purva Rawal, Annie Cloke, Lu Zawistowich
As the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) enters its second decade, a confluence of factors has opened a window of opportunity to move beyond simply testing new models to transforming our health system into one that is more resilient for patients and providers. In this moment, achieving measurable and sustainable savings without compromising quality will require policy makers to operationalize the long-discussed goal of patient-centeredness.

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Expanding Community-Based Immunization To Meet Today’s Vaccine Challenges

Purva Rawal, Jennifer Rak, Elizabeth Docteur, Lu Zawistowich
The COVID-19 era poses new challenges for vaccine access that must be met with creative policy solutions and partnerships that leverage community-based assets. To ensure timely and equitable access to vaccines essential to preventing and containing old and new infectious disease outbreaks, the health care delivery system must reconfigure resources and make additional investments.

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