Assignment Overview

Health care organizations can be catalysts for change within their communities and can have significant impact on the overall well-being of the people and communities that they serve. This assignment will examine how organizational health care policy contributes to this.

Case Assignment

After reviewing the background materials in this module as well as in previous modules, discuss how organizational health policies, based in federal health care financing policies such as Medicaid, Medicare, and the ACA, can impact the social determinants of health and address health disparities. Be sure to reference specific aspects of these federal policies.

(Hint: the determinants of health were covered in the background readings in Module 1)

Assignment Expectations

1. Conduct additional research to gather sufficient information to justify/support your analysis.
2. Limit your response to a maximum of 4 pages (title and reference page is not included in page number count).
3. Support your paper with peer-reviewed articles, with at least 3 references. Use the following link for additional information on how to recognize peer-reviewed journals:
   Angelo State University Library. (n.d.). Library guides: How to recognize peer-reviewed (refereed) journals. Retrieved from https://www.angelo.edu/services/library/handouts/peerrev.php
4. You may use the following source to assist in formatting your assignment:
   Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). General APA guidelines. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
5. For additional information on reliability of sources, review the following source:
   Georgetown University Library. (n.d.). Evaluating internet resources. Retrieved from https://www.library.georgetown.edu/tutorials/research-guides/evaluating-internet-content
6. This assignment will be graded based on the content in the rubric. 

Required Reading

American College of Healthcare Executives. (2016) Access to affordable healthcare. Retrieved from https://www.ache.org/about-ache/our-story/our-commitments/policy-statements/access-to-affordable-healthcare

Chaiyachati, K. H., Qi, M., & Werner, R. M. (2018) Non-profit hospital community benefit spending based on local sociodemographics. Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved, 29, 1259-1268. Available in the Trident Online Library.

Clary, A. (2018, May 8) States work to hold hospitals accountable for community benefits spending. National Academy for State Health Policy. Retrieved from https://nashp.org/states-work-to-hold-hospitals-accountable-for-community-benefits-spending/

Cox, K. & Westbrook, D.H. (2017) Hospital leadership recognizes need to create partnerships to treat consequences of poverty. Current Problems in Adolescent Health Care, 47, 229-232. Available in the Trident Online Library.

Cronin, C. (2017) The prevalence of community benefit participation in the hospital region and its relationship to community health outcomes. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 40(1), 98-124. Available in the Trident Online Library.

Folkemer, D. C., Spicer, L. A., Mueller, C. H., Somerville, M. H., Brow, A.L.R., Milligan, C.J., & Boddie-Willis, C.L. (2011) Hospital community benefits after the ACA: The emerging federal framework. The Hilltop Institute. Retrieved from https://hilltopinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/HospitalCommunityBenefitsAfteTheACA-TheEmergingFederalFramework-Summary.pdf

James, J. (2016, February 25). Health policy brief: Nonprofit hospitals’ Community Benefit requirements. Under the Affordable Care Act, many nonprofit hospitals must meet new requirements to retain their tax-exempt status. Health Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20160225.954803/full/healthpolicybrief_153.pdf

Matthew, D. B. (2018) Next steps in health reform: Hospitals, Medicaid expansion, and racial equity. Journal of Law, Medicine, & Ethics, 46, 906-912. Available in the Trident Online Library.

Olive, M. (2015, October 12) Surrounded by poverty, urban hospitals reach out. Pew Charitable Trust. Retrieved from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2015/10/12/surrounded-by-poverty-urban-hospitals-reach-out

RTI (n.d.) Community benefit insight, Retrieved from http://www.communitybenefitinsight.org/

Singh, S., Young, G., Lee, S. D., Song, P. H. & Alexander, J. A. (2018) Analysis of hospital community benefit expenditures’ alignment with community health needs: Evidence from a national investigation of tax-exempt hospitals. American Journal of Public Health, 105(5) 914-921. Available in the Trident Online Library.