Dear John,

Health Affairs is offering paid internships this summer for students interested in health policy and scholarly publishing.

Applications are due March 31.

Each internship opportunity offers practical experience in key areas of publishing. These internships are intended for graduate or advanced undergraduate students.

In the March issue of Health Affairs, John Bowblis of Miami University and his team of coauthors examine trends in the use of staffing agencies among freestanding nursing homes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers find that between 2018–19, on average, 22.5 percent of nursing homes used any direct care agency nursing staff, but during 2022, this number rose to 49.1 percent. 

Bowblis and coauthors also determine that in 2022 there was “significant variation in the use of agency staff across states.”

Vermont, New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania had more than 70 percent of nursing homes using any direct care agency nursing staff, while Oklahoma, Alabama, Washington, DC, and Arkansas had fewer than 30 percent of nursing homes using agency staff.

The share of hours worked by agency staff also increased from 3.2 percent in 2018 and 2019 to 11 percent in 2022.

To learn more about the paper's findings, listen to a recent episode of A Health Podyssey featuring a conversation between Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil and author John Bowblis.

Building On 15 Years Of Medicaid And CHIP Quality Measurement

Jeffrey S. Schiff et al.

This Women's History Month, we're elevating women who work to advance health equity and policy.

In a March 2023 Forefront article, Angela Taylor and coauthors recommend establishing federally qualified health centers and community-based doulas as leaders in reducing the impact of climate change on maternal health.

Throughout March, join us for the following events:

• March 14: Journal Club: “Georgia’s Reinsurance Waiver Associated With Decreased Premium Affordability And Enrollment” (Insider exclusive event)
• March 19: Policy Spotlight: One-on-One with Douglas Jacobs, the Chief Transformation Officer of the Center for Medicare at CMS (open to all)