The COVID-19 Teleconference Series is an effort by the Commonwealth Fund and Alliance for Health Policy to inform journalists and policymakers about the trajectory of the pandemic and its impact on various parts of the health care system.
Below you can find the full list of topics and links to the audio recordings of the conversations.
Coronavirus and the U.S. Health System: The Impact of COVID-19 on Primary Care and Outpatient Services
May 20, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating for many primary care and outpatient clinics, as the number of patient visits has plummeted. Although telehealth visits have increased, they've only made up for a small portion of the decline.
Listen to a recording of the teleconference.
Speakers
- Farzad Mostashari, M.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Aledade
- Ateev Mehrotra, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Health Care Policy and Medicine, Harvard Medical School & Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Melinda Abrams, M.S., Senior Vice President, Delivery System Reform and International Innovations, The Commonwealth Fund
Moderator
- Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H., Vice President, Federal and State Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund
Coronavirus and the U.S. Health System: System Inequities and the Disproportionate Impact on Communities of Color
April 23, 2020
Due to longstanding system inequities in the health care system, people of color and people in low-income communities are seeing disproportionately high rates of infection and deaths from COVID-19. The Commonwealth Fund will host an educational briefing and Q&A for journalists and policymakers on the systemic inequities that the pandemic has exposed and the disproportionate impact it is having on communities of color.
Listen to a recording of the teleconference.
Speakers
- Laurie Zephyrin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., Vice President, Delivery System Reform, The Commonwealth Fund
- Nancy Krieger, Ph.D., Professor of Social Epidemiology, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Bruce Siegel, M.D., M.P.H., President & CEO, America's Essential Hospitals
Moderator
- Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H., Vice President, Federal and State Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund
Coronavirus Science, Technology, and Policy: Vaccine Development
Friday, April 17
With mandated lockdowns and social distancing guidelines in effect throughout the country, policymakers and public health professionals aim to identify other effective approaches to contain the spread of COVID-19. During this teleconference, experts will discuss scientific and policy considerations in developing a COVID-19 vaccine.
Listen to a recording of the teleconference.
Speakers
- Litjen (L.J) Tan, M.S., Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer, Immunization Action Coalition
- Esther Krofah, M.P.P., Executive Director, FasterCures
- Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Moderator
- Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H., Vice President, Federal and State Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund
Coronavirus and Health System Capacity: Prescription Drugs and Vaccines
April 6, 2020
Listen to a recording of the teleconference.
With mandated lockdowns and social distancing guidelines in effect throughout the country, policymakers and public health professionals aim to identify other effective approaches to contain the spread of COVID-19. During this teleconference, experts will discuss the prescription drug supply chain, the progression of a COVID-19 vaccine, and the related infrastructure needs.
Moderator:
- Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H., Vice President, Federal and State Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund
Speakers:
- Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., Former Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Director, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, and Robert J. Margolis Professor of Business, Medicine, and Policy, Duke University
- Margaret Hamburg, M.D., Former Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Medicine
Coronavirus and Health System Capacity: State Projections
April 3, 2020
Listen to a recording of the teleconference.
As the coronavirus spreads, health systems across the country are gearing up for an influx of patients. States play a central role in the organization of health care and public health infrastructure, but a range of resources and legislative decisions, as well as different demographics, can lead to divergent outcomes across states.
Moderator:
- Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H., Vice President, Federal and State Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund
Speakers:
- David C. Radley, Ph.D., M.P.H., Senior Scientist, Tracking Health System Performance, The Commonwealth Fund
- Nirav Shah, M.D., M.P.H., Co-Founder, CoVidActNow; Senior Scholar, Stanford University Clinical Excellence Research Center
- Andy Slavitt, M.B.A., Former Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Board Chair, United States of Care
Coronavirus and Health System Capacity: Protecting Frontline Health Workers
March 24, 2020
Listen to a recording of the teleconference.
As the coronavirus spreads, health care systems across the country are gearing up for an influx of patients. But how do we ensure that we’re protecting the health of the health care workers on the front lines of the outbreak?
Moderator:
- Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H., Vice President, Federal and State Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund
Speakers:
- Ashish K. Jha, M.D., MPH, Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Steve Parodi, M.D., Executive Vice President, The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente
Stopping the Spread of Coronavirus: What Federal and State Governments Can Do to Increase Access to Treatment and Prevention
March 17, 2020
Listen to a recording of the teleconference.
Moderator:
- Rachel Nuzum, M.P.H., Vice President, Federal and State Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund
Speakers:
- Kevin Lucia, J.D., M.H.P., Research Professor, Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reform
- Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy, George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health
- Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., Vice President, Health Care Coverage and Access, The Commonwealth Fund
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JoAnn Volk, M.A., Research Professor, Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reform
