As the new year begins we look back on some of the most heavily read LDI news stories published in 2023. They reflected many of health care policy’s most pressing matters, including inadequate nurse staffing, the negative impact of hospital consolidation, health care flaws in prisons and jails, structural racism, drug pricing, the opioid epidemic, and innovative interventions to address the national maternal health crisis.

How Inadequate Hospital Staffing Continues to Burn Out Nurses and Threaten Patients 

LDI Fellows discussed the impact of nursing burnout, emphasizing critical issues in staffing policies and the urgent need for improvements in hospital nurse staffing and clinical work environments.

What Patient-To-Nurse Ratios Mean for Hospital Patient Health and Outcomes 

LDI Senior Fellow Linda Aiken testified before the Pennsylvania House Health Committee on the proposed Patient Safety Act and its implications for preventing unnecessary death.

Hospital Consolidation Continues to Boost Costs, Narrow Access, and Impact Care Quality

LDI’s Virtual Seminar, “Unpacking Consolidation in Health Care” discussed the state of hospital consolidation and what it means for delivering care.

The Effect of Private Equity Investment in Health Care 

LDI’s Virtual Seminar, “Examining Private Equity in Health Care” discussed private equity’s role in acquiring health care and its implications for quality, cost, and access.

Reviewing The Flaws of U.S. Prisons and Jails’ Health Care System 

In the 2023 LDI Samuel P. Martin III, MD, Lecture, Emily Wang MD, MAS, director of Yale’s SEICHE Center for Health and Justice, discussed the disparities in coverage for incarcerated populations.

Racism-Conscious Policymaking as an Alternative to Race-Based Policymaking 

LDI’s Virtual Seminar, in collaboration with Health Affairs, “Health Equity and the Role of Conscious Policymaking” discussed race-neutral and race-conscious policymaking strategies have failed to effectively address structural racism in health care.

What Does the Inflation Reduction Act Really Mean for Drug Pricing? 

The photo series from LDI’s Drug Pricing Conference, “A Prescription for the Future of Drug Pricing,” showcased the expertise of LDI Fellows and other top experts.

Will States and Counties Spend Their National Opioid Settlements Effectively? 

LDI’s Virtual Seminar, “How to Optimize the Opioid Settlement” discussed the National Opioid Settlement and considerations for how states can effectively disperse the $85 billion in funding.

Eight Penn LDI Students Named Wharton Dean SUMR Scholars 

Eight of the LDI 2023 Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research (SUMR) Scholars were selected to be sponsored as Wharton School Dean Scholars.

New Penn Research Eyes Closer Integration of Doulas and Hospital Maternity Care 

Senior Fellows Elizabeth Howell and Sindhu Srinivas launched the Research Center for Advancing Maternal Health Equity, aimed at determining how doulas can be more closely integrated into maternal care teams.


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