• Steven H. Goldberg, Paula M. Lantz, and Samantha Iovan from the University of Michigan P4A Research Hub examine the use of federal Medicaid dollars as a payout source for non-medical services aimed at addressing social determinants of health under the 2016 Medicaid Managed Care Final Rule.

    October 31, 2018

  • The recent P4A conference at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service highlighted the power of partnerships with policymakers and practitioners to make research relevant and actionable.

    July 18, 2018

  • Turning research into action
    Where Research and Politics Meet

    Sherry Glied writes on the importance of researchers to anticipate the needs of policymakers when designing their research studies to account for the "unpredictable and sometimes messy world of politics."

    July 17, 2018

  • Budget cuts have forced many school districts to prioritize school programs, and extracurricular activities such as sports are often viewed as less essential than academics. Yet rather than reducing or eliminating sports programs altogether, some districts are electing to transfer some of the costs of sports participation to student athletes and their families. This opens the door to wide variation of fees and processes, and may contribute to inequities in sports participation for low-income students already at higher-risk for poorer health outcomes.

    June 7, 2018

  • The University of Michigan Research Hub conducted 65 semi-structured interviews with state and local officials in five states where "Health in All Policies" initiatives were underway, with a goal of examining whether and how policymakers and advocates use the framework to elevate health equity as a policy concern across sectors and jurisdictions.

    March 5, 2018

  • To advance a Culture of Health in our country, we must engage all sectors to work collaboratively. At the core of this effort should be a commitment to rigorous, engaged research that reflects people’s true conditions and realities, generates quick feedback on what is working and what is not, and feeds into policy and practice to drive continuous real-time improvements. 

    December 18, 2017

  • Housing organizations and health providers have realized they are natural allies. They serve the same people living in the same places, and are learning that their missions are aligned: improving housing quality and stability can lead to better population health outcomes. A growing emphasis on prevention within the health care sector has housing organizations eager to help. But partnering across sectors can be bumpy.

    September 20, 2017

  • One of six case studies featured in our new report Emerging Strategies for Integrating Health and Housing, Foundation Communities’ success highlights how housing leaders can partner with health care allies to better the lives of low-income residents. Its early successes show that we must break down cross-sector silos and engage new partners to make progress on social determinants of health.

    August 29, 2017

  • Over the last several decades, a robust body of evidence has emerged linking early childhood investments—in high-quality childcare, early learning, home visiting, and more—to better health and well-being, sometimes years later in adulthood. Especially for low-income children, these supports can help mitigate the negative effects of challenging or stressful environments, and set them on a life-long trajectory of positive health development.

    August 10, 2017

  • Twitter has emerged as a key tool for scientists — and for the journals in which they publish their findings — to share new research with the world. A new study shows a way for that research to reach even more people, spreading new ideas and findings further.

    July 7, 2017

  • By law, private foundations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) are prohibited from lobbying or financially supporting any lobbying efforts of its staff, grantees, or other partners. But as researchers working on high-profile policy issues, it is not always clear if our activities could be considered lobbying.

    June 19, 2017

  • A lack of a shared language is one barrier to turning research into action, but it’s not the only one. A few weeks ago, we sat down with a group of local decision-makers to find out how we, as researchers, can more effectively ensure that our research contributes to real-world improvements in population health, well-being, and equity.

    May 16, 2017