December 17, 2020
HHS Report: Strengthening the Entry-Level Health Care Workforce. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) commissioned an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities for this segment of the health care workforce that includes community health workers, behavioral health peer support, and home health aides. Forecasting a shortage across professions, the report identifies entry-level positions as one option for expanding community-level capacity while also increasing employment opportunities.
CMS: Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Care in Medicare. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses two sources of information in this summary of the quality of care received by Medicare beneficiaries. The first source is the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) and its survey on health care experiences (e.g., ease of getting needed care, how well providers communicate, etc.). The second is the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) with information collected from medical records and administrative data on the technical quality of care for a variety of medical issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease.