The Fund supports networks of state health policy decision makers to help identify, inspire, and inform policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund supports two state leadership programs for legislative and executive branch state government officials committed to improving population health.
The Fund identifies and shares policy ideas and analysis to advance state health leadership, strong primary care, and sustainable health care costs.
Keep up with news and updates from the Milbank Memorial Fund. And read the latest blogs from our thought leaders, including Fund President Christopher F. Koller.
The Fund publishes The Milbank Quarterly, as well as reports, issues briefs, and case studies on topics important to health policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund is is a foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
Publication Topic
Blog Post
April 2025 Bryant Rucker,
We need a more racially and ethnically diverse PA workforce to reflect the US patient population, But despite the significant increase in the number of PA graduates, there has been a steady decrease in Black graduates. Black representation began its decline as many PA programs transitioned to masters-level programs. According to the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), 38 physician assistant schools had zero Black graduates and 16 schools had zero Hispanic graduates from 2019 to 2021. More
Publication
November 2024 Annie Cloke, Margarita Hart, Janée Tyus, Dawn Alley, Shreya Kangovi,
Community health workers, promotores, and community health representatives have historically relied on a patchwork of grants for funding, but more than half of state Medicaid programs have now implemented some form of CHW/P/CHR coverage and payment policy. This toolkit provides model language for state Medicaid leaders and CHW/P/CHR advocates to use as they develop State Plan Amendments and accompanying guidance documents to establish coverage and payment for CHW/P/CHR services. More
October 2024 Maya Hazarika Watts , Elizabeth Tobin-Tyler, Jessica Breslin, Katie Michel,
Public health laws affect health not only through their substance and design but also through implementation and enforcement. Equitable policymaking requires implementation that respects and works for everyone, with careful attention to the steps of the policy process that follow policy enactment, including enforcement, evaluation, and revision — all of which are necessary to ensure that public health laws have their intended effect. State and local officials working in a range of agencies — from public health to fair employment, housing, consumer protection, government law offices, and more — play a significant role in the implementation and enforcement of public health laws. More
October 2024 Sofia Espinosa, Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald,
In this briefing, authors of the Commonwealth Fund’s Women’s Health Scorecard provided key findings and state policymakers from Arkansas, Mississippi and New Jersey offered discussed state strategies to increase reproductive health care access and improve maternal health outcomes. More
October 2024 Nikhil Patel, Suman Mohanty,
Many high schools in Wake County, North Carolina, are situated in economically vulnerable areas, so there is also a correlation between the density of outlets and Wake County’s most vulnerable areas. These areas are often populated by low-income families and communities of color. The saturation of vape shops in low-income areas not only perpetuates a cycle of poor health outcomes but also highlights the systemic inequities present in the availability and marketing of harmful substances. Addressing these disparities is essential to ensuring all communities benefit from progress in reducing teen vaping rates. More
News Article
September 2024 Mary Louise Gilburg,
The Milbank Quarterly was pleased to present its Early Career Award in Population Health to Patricia (Trish) Homan, PhD, an associate professor of sociology and director of research and strategic initiatives for the Public Health Program at Florida State University, at the 2024 Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS) Conference in September. More
September 2024 Christine Haran,
On September 20, 2024, the National Institute of Health (NIH) held a ceremony to unveil a plaque honoring the 625 Black men in the US Public Health… More
August 2024 Claire O'Brien, Laura Barrie Smith, Timothy A. Waidmann, Genevieve M. Kenney,
Hospitalizations are stressful and costly health events, but they can often be prevented if patients have access to timely, high-quality outpatient… More
July 2024 Sofia Espinosa, Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald,
An overview of an MLSN briefing on the Commonwealth Fund’s 2024 state health disparities report. More
June 2024 Lois Uttley,
A year after New York’s new health equity impact assessment law went into effect on June 22, 2023, the initial outcomes of this first-in-the-nation… More
