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New patient wait times in women’s health 44% longer with Medicaid vs. commercial insurance

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By Erin T. Welsh, MA

Women with Medicaid experienced significantly longer new patient wait times for obstetrics and gynecology appointments compared with those with commercial insurance, according to a national mystery caller study.

“Health care providers should be aware of potential disparities in access to care for patients with Medicaid insurance and work to reduce wait times and improve access to obstetrics and gynecology subspecialty care,” Michaele Francesco Corbisiero, MSc, MPH, MD candidate at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, told Healio. Read more in Healio.

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Understanding and Fixing Inequities in Palliative Care and Organ Transplant

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By Angela Spivey
The Dean’s Distinguished Research Series concluded on April 20 with lectures from Kimberly Johnson, MD, professor of medicine and a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, and Lisa McElroy, MD, MS, assistant professor of surgery and population health sciences, and the Inaugural Onyekwere E. Akwari Endowed Professor in Surgery. 

The two researchers discussed their work to understand health disparities and develop health system innovations to reduce them. Johnson studies these issues in end-of-life care, and McElroy in organ transplant. Read more from Duke University School of Medicine.

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How This New Yorker Found His Lifesaving Kidney Through a Times Square Billboard

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It was a desperate plea for help, a call for a lifesaving kidney donor. For five years, cancer survivor Marc Weiner endured grueling dialysis treatments three times a week, waiting for a donor to step forward. Then in 2018, Marc and his family took a bold step, covering a Times Square billboard with a plea for a kidney donor. Little did they know, their plea would lead to a life-changing transplant that would finally end Marc’s long wait.
Read the full story in Next News Network.

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Study Suggests Fixes for Persistent Geographic Inequity in Liver Transplants

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Researchers Call for Shift From ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Allocation Policy

By Maryland Staff Today

The recent overhaul of the federal policy on allocating deceased donor livers has not significantly improved geographical inequities yet has led to a greater loss in viable organs, according to a new study co-authored by University of Maryland researchers.

They recommend improving the broader sharing approach outlined in the 2020 policy, known as Acuity Circles, to mitigate inequities across regions of the country; these include variations in transplant rates, patient survival rates, waiting times and organ offers. The study by S. Raghu Raghavan, Dean’s Professor of Management Science and Operations Management, and Associate Professor of Marketing Liye Ma, both in UMD’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, and Shubham Akshat, assistant professor of operations management at Carnegie Mellon University, is forthcoming in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. Read more in Maryland Today.

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Best practices for telehealth center on comfort, aim to empower patients

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By Emma Bascom
SAN DIEGO — A presenter at the 2023 ACP Internal Medicine Meeting shared some best practices to maximize the benefits of telehealth.

“If we ourselves aren’t comfortable on camera taking care of our patients and we ourselves are uncomfortable with technology, patients aren’t going to feel comfortable and they’re not going to have the faith in us to listen to us and what we have to say,” Neel Naik, MD, an assistant professor and director of emergency medicine simulation education at Weill Cornell Medical College, said in his presentation. Read the full story in Healio.

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Since her heart transplant, she treats every day like a birthday

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By Stefani Kopenec, American Heart Association News

Jen Lentini was a 13-year-old competitive baton twirler and lacrosse player in the Long Island town of Hicksville, New York, when the problems began.

The pain started in her stomach. It was so severe that she’d often sit through a couple of classes then call her parents from the nurse’s office, asking to go home. Her grades started to slip. She didn’t hang out as much with friends. Read the full story in American Heart Association News.

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Improving Transplant Equity by Bioengineering Organs for Transplants

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Could bioengineering organs for human organ transplants improve transplant equity and address the ongoing organ shortage?

May 01, 2023 – In a recent press release, CareDx Inc., based in Brisbane, CA, and Miromatrix Medical Inc., based in Eden Prairie, MN, announced a collaboration focused on researching bioengineered organs for human organ transplants. Tissue and organ bioengineering has been conceptualized for years, with many implications in improving transplant equity and addressing the shortage of organ donors. As researchers take steps closer to whole organ transplantation in humans, it is critical to understand the science behind bioengineering and how to minimize patient risk. Read more in Life Sciences Intelligence.

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Skin Cancer After an Organ Transplant: Risks, Prevention and Treatment

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As a transplant recipient, you seek to protect your health in many ways, including taking immunosuppressant medications. By preventing your immune system from rejecting your new organ, these therapies play a critical role in your care. But they also come with side effects, including an increased risk for skin cancer.

Fortunately, you can work with your doctors to prevent skin cancer or detect it early, when it’s most treatable. Read the full article on CareDx.com.

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