News Releases

The Center’s Top 10 Most Noteworthy Headlines of 2024

The Weekly Wrap Up this year covered a wide range of topics, from social determinants of health to the maternal and infant health crisis. As we reflect on 2024, here are the year’s top 10 most noteworthy stories:

1. The Center for Health Affairs, Greater Cleveland Career Consortium Team Up for High School Health Career Event

The Center and the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium (GCCC) joined forces to connect area high school students to career-based learning opportunities in healthcare. Through a health career event, GCCC and The Center aimed to inspire and educate students about the diverse employment opportunities available in the healthcare industry.

2. Amazon Web Services Releases Case Study Featuring The Center for Health Affairs’ SDoH Innovation Hub

A case study published by Amazon Web Services shines a light on the work of The Center for Health Affairs’ Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Innovation Hub, including recent findings on firearm-related suicides in Cleveland. The SDoH Innovation Hub, powered by AWS, was built to ingest data and strategize solutions.

3. The Center for Health Affairs & CHAMPS Named an Inclusive Workplace

The Center for Health Affairs is once again recognized as an Inclusive Workplace by Best Companies Group, a workplace culture and employee engagement expert, and COLOR Magazine, a leader in corporate inclusivity. Recipients of this recognition have shown significant commitment to ensuring all their employees feel included, heard, and valued while serving as beacons of inclusive culture within their respective industries.

4. The Center for Health Affairs Leads Chemical Emergency Surge Tabletop Exercise

The Center’s Emergency Preparedness team led a chemical emergency surge tabletop exercise to test area hospitals and other partner agencies in a mock chemical release that would lead to an influx of patients. Participants included area hospitals, non-government organizations, county emergency management agencies, county public health departments, fire, emergency medical services and representatives from the Ohio Department of Health.

5. Using Data to Inform the Maternal and Infant Health Crisis

In the U.S., the infant mortality rate is higher than in other high-income countries. Addressing social determinants of health, providing equitable, high-quality healthcare for pregnant people and babies, and implementing community-based interventions can all help to reduce the rate of infant deaths. Data available on healthyneo.org provides a starting point for understanding the current state of this crisis in the Northeast Ohio region.

6. Northeast Ohio Hospitals Provided $2.05 Billion in Community Benefit in 2022

Northeast Ohio hospital community benefit rose to $2.05 billion in 2022 according to the latest analysis by The Center for Health Affairs. This is a 4.3% increase from the $1.97 billion in community benefit delivered by hospitals in 2021. The largest share – the amount of financial assistance provided to the uninsured and the Medicaid population – rose to $1.252 billion. 

7. 200+ Community Leaders Gathered for The Center for Health Affairs 2024 Annual Meeting

The Center welcomed more than 200 people to ConnectNEO, its Annual Meeting in Cleveland, featuring a fireside chat with hospital leaders, panels discussions on social determinants of health, workforce and policies impacting healthcare, and presentations on access to equitable behavioral healthcare and sustainability of our region.

8. Black Maternal Health Week: Disparities in Healthcare and the Importance of Representation Among Providers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Health disparities, including the increased presence and severity of certain diseases and poorer health outcomes, continue to impact people in racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. The Center’s blog examines the challenges facing pregnant Black women and their infants, and discusses what can be done to address these disparities.

9. The Center Provides Emergency Preparedness Planning for the April 8 Eclipse’s Influx of Visitors

Behind the scenes, numerous organizations, including The Center for Health Affairs, spent months preparing for the possibility of an emergency situation which could impact local residents and visitors alike. The Center’s emergency preparedness program team was integral to the regional planning activities preceding the eclipse on April 8, which was expected to draw 500,000 visitors to the area.

10. Lawmakers Face Important Healthcare Issues Upon Return From Summer Recess

Congress has a lot to accomplish before the end of the year, including addressing significant issues that affect hospitals and the care they provide. This Wrap Up story accompanied a series on The Center’s social media that also covered hospital policy priorities: site-neutral payments, commercial insurance prior authorization, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding, telehealth extensions and preventing workplace violence.

And that’s a wrap! The team at The Center and the Weekly Wrap Up look forward to serving up important and insightful content to readers in 2025. See you then.