Christina is the associate editorial director of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and The American Journal of Accountable Care® (AJAC), and joined AJMC in 2016. She oversees the publication of the print journals, from manuscript submission to publication, and works with the editors in chief and editorial boards to promote the journals.
She has a BS in public health from Rutgers University. You can connect with Christina on LinkedIn.
Report Explores Characteristics of Single-Insurer Marketplace Regions
May 11th 2017A new report from the Urban Institute seeks to characterize the rating regions across the United States by the number of insurers offering plans in the healthcare marketplaces and found stark disparities in demographics, coverage, and price.
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Integrated Care Model Linked to Better IBD Management in Population-Based Study
May 10th 2017Recent research indicates that patients who are treated within an integrated model of care for their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have improved outcomes, as they tend to undergo IBD-related surgeries less often and are more likely to receive treatment other than steroids.
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Robotic Technology Could Allow Colonoscopy to Be Performed Through Autonomous Capsule
May 9th 2017At Digestive Disease Week 2017, held May 6-9 in Chicago, Illinois, researchers presented their work to develop a capsule scope that can harness the power of magnetics and robotics to autonomously explore the colon.
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Strategies for Recruiting Diverse Study Populations in GI Clinical Trials
May 9th 2017A lack of diversity in study groups is a common problem in clinical trials, including those researching gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Speakers at Digestive Disease Week 2017, held May 6-9 in Chicago, discussed the roots of this issue and what they have found to address it.
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Research Suggests Obesity Increases Risk of Negative Hospital Outcomes, Except Mortality
May 9th 2017Hospitalized patients who are obese are more likely to be readmitted and have longer and costlier inpatient stays, but tend to have lower mortality rates, according to new research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2017, held May 6-9 in Chicago, Illinois.
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Can a Mobile App Help Keep Patients Out of the Hospital After GI Surgery?
May 8th 2017As the number of mobile health applications continues to skyrocket, a group of researchers set out to determine whether a smartphone app could prevent readmissions for patients released from the hospital after gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. The findings from the pilot study of their mHEALS app were presented at Digestive Disease Week 2017, which took place May 6-9 in Chicago.
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Text Message Intervention Could Encourage Lifestyle Change in Patients With NAFLD
May 8th 2017At Digestive Disease Week 2017, held May 6-9 in Chicago, researchers presented their findings from a trial of a text messaging intervention to encourage weight loss and liver health in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
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Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty as a Nonsurgical Weight Loss Alternative
May 7th 2017According to the findings of a new study, endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty could present an effective alternative to more invasive surgical weight loss interventions. The research was presented at Digestive Disease Week 2017, held May 6-9 in Chicago.
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Measuring, Improving, and Reimbursing for Quality in IBD Management
May 7th 2017At a session during Digestive Disease Week 2017, held in Chicago from May 6-9, speakers discussed the ongoing efforts to define, measure, and improve the quality of care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
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Gastroenterologists as Advocates In a Changing Policy World
May 7th 2017Experts gathered to discuss policy changes and their impact on digestive research and patient care during the “Gastroenterology in the Age of Trump” session presented by the American Gastroenterological Association at Digestive Disease Week 2017, held May 6-9 in Chicago, Illinois.
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Sugary Drinks Becoming More Affordable Worldwide Since 1990
May 5th 2017A new study finds that sugar-sweetened beverages have become more affordable relative to income in 79 of 82 countries analyzed. The authors suggested that soda taxes may be an important tool in curtailing the rise of obesity and diabetes.
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Screening Rate Disparities for Some Cancers May Have Decreased After ACA, Study Finds
May 3rd 2017According to a new study, socioeconomic disparities in mammography rates among Medicare beneficiaries decreased after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but the same pattern was not observed for colonoscopies.
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Planning for Success in One Clinically Integrated Network's Move to Full Risk
May 3rd 2017At the 14th Annual World Health Care Congress, held April 30-May 3 in Washington, DC, Ann E. Oasan, MBA, president of UniNet Healthcare Network, discussed the network’s transition towards assuming full risk and how it built the infrastructure for success.
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Coordinating Care for Dual-Eligible Medicaid-Medicare Beneficiaries
May 2nd 2017At the 14th Annual World Health Care Congress, held April 30-May 3, 2017, in Washington, DC, an executive summit convened a panel to discuss ways to improve care for the dual-eligible population of patients eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare benefits.
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Bipartisan Spending Deal Calls for Increases to NIH Funding, Opioid Abuse Programs
May 1st 2017Lawmakers averted the looming threat of a government shutdown when they forged a bipartisan deal to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends October 2017. The agreement includes substantial funding boosts for key health initiatives.
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Infographic: A Look Back at Healthcare Steps in Trump's First 100 Days
April 29th 2017In the first 100 days of his administration, President Donald J. Trump has taken a number of actions that could impact healthcare, including filling a Supreme Court seat and taking steps to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Here's a look back at some of the most notable healthcare-related happenings in Trump's first 100 days in office.
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Being Overweight in Early Stages of Diabetes Linked to Brain Changes
April 28th 2017A new study has found that patients with early stage type 2 diabetes (T2D) are more likely to have structural abnormalities in the brain and cognitive difficulties, particularly if they are overweight or obese.
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Gottlieb FDA Nomination Approved by Committee, Heads to Senate
April 27th 2017The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions voted 14-9 to approve the nomination of Scott Gottlieb, MD, to lead the FDA. He will now need to be confirmed by the full Senate to become FDA commissioner.
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Wireless Healthcare Provider to Pay HHS $2.5 Million in Data Security Case
April 26th 2017In a case that serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences of lax health data security, HHS announced that wireless health services provider CardioNet has agreed to pay $2.5 million after its insufficient data protection led to personal health information being stolen.
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FDA Denounces "Cruel Deception" by 14 Companies Selling Fake Cancer Cures
April 26th 2017The FDA announced yesterday it had issued warning letters to 14 companies peddling a total of over 65 products falsely claiming to cure or treat cancer. The agency’s forceful stance seemed intended to raise awareness among vulnerable consumers as well as discourage other potential instances of fraud.
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Report Calls for Adding Shared Decision Making to CMS' Oncology Care Model
April 25th 2017A new report published by the Urban Institute suggests that CMS’ Oncology Care Model could be substantially improved by incorporating a formal framework for shared decision making between patients and oncologists.
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Study Finds Decline in Gallbladder Cancer Incidence Among Men, Not Women
April 24th 2017A study published in Cancer Medicine shows that rates of gallbladder cancer have been declining since the 1970s among men, but not for women. It also found that late-stage cases of the cancer have become increasingly common.
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Public Health Preparedness Report Shows Improvements, But State Disparities Remain
April 24th 2017The 2017 National Health Security Preparedness Index, released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, indicates that the United States is slowly becoming more prepared to handle public health catastrophes, but some states are still lagging behind.
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Physician Behavior Not Changed by EHR Price Transparency, Study Finds
April 23rd 2017A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that adding Medicare fee schedules to hospitals’ electronic health record systems did not significantly impact the number of laboratory tests ordered by physicians.
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Filipino Americans Over 50 at High Risk of Diabetes, Even If Not Obese
April 21st 2017A new study finds that the prevalence of diabetes is significantly higher among non-obese Filipino Americans aged 50 and older than in their white counterparts, even after controlling for lifestyle factors.
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Medicaid Use of Some Prescription Drugs Lower in Medical Marijuana States
April 20th 2017A new study investigating the link between state medical marijuana laws and Medicaid prescription drug spending has found that states with such laws had lower prescribing rates in 5 of 9 clinical areas examined.
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