The Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In 1989, when I was the deputy assistant for Domestic Policy and director of the White House Office of Policy Development, I spoke, along with others, at the department’s inaugural celebration. Joseph Califano, Jr., LLB, then Senior Partner [...]

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recently released a new infographic that demonstrates how the country’s medical schools and teaching hospitals work to improve patient care. The graphic can be downloaded and viewed here. The graphic demonstrates how vital medical schools and teaching hospitals are to our country’s health care system. For instance, the [...]

Bill Friday was a giant in American higher education and in North Carolina public life. And as we celebrate the 219th anniversary of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we remember his countless contributions to the state and the University. In his three decades of service to the University, he guided the rapid [...]

I was pleased to see the Raleigh News & Observer’s recent coverage of the UNC Family Medicine’s medical training program at Prospect Hill Community Health Center in Caswell County. In the story, Dr. Evan Ashkin points out that the average physician to patient ratio in North Carolina is low – nine physicians per 10,000 patients. [...]

I am pleased to announce that I recently joined the Medicare NewsGroup Advisory Board. Medicare NewsGroup is an independent resource for Medicare news, policy and legislation. Medicare NewsGroup provides journalists with information and materials to help them produce more accurate and comprehensive stories about Medicare. In my role on the Advisory Board, I will work [...]

Last evening I got to be in the auditorium at the first 2012 Presidential Debate, in Denver. For someone like me who has long been interested in public affairs, it was a great experience. Being in the hall is much different than watching on TV. I felt like I was an eye-witness to history.

I am pleased to announce that UNC Health Care recently entered into a strategic partnership with High Point Regional Health System. Once our contract is finalized, High Point Regional will be fully integrated into the UNC Health Care System. I believe that patients in Guilford County and surrounding areas will greatly benefit from this partnership. [...]

Jason Burke, managing director & chief strategist for the SAS Center for Health Analytics & Insights, recently toured Carolina Advanced Health (CAH), a collaborative venture between UNC Health Care and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. The practice brings together a comprehensive and coordinated team of primary care physicians and other health care [...]

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently released its 2011 State Snapshots, which provide state-level performance overviews on treating cancer, diabetes, maternal and child disorders, heart disease and other diagnoses. According to the data, North Carolina performs well in areas like preventative care and acute care. Quality of hospital care also remains on [...]

One critical tenet of UNC Health Care’s mission is ensuring that patients have access to excellent and affordable care. The Supreme Court’s action today will continue to help make that possible, as the almost one in five North Carolinians who do not have health care insurance will now have coverage. Evidence clearly shows that those [...]