Christina is the managing editor 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.
How Public Payers Are Adopting VBID Principles Despite Constraints
March 18th 2018During a session on expanding the role of value-based insurance design (VBID) in public insurance at the University of Michigan V-BID Center’s annual V-BID Summit on March 14, panelists representing 3 different payers shared how they have seen value-based principles take hold in their plans and their predictions for the future.
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Path to a Smarter High-Deductible Plan Includes Flexibility, Disruptive Innovation
March 15th 2018Panelists brought diverse viewpoints to a discussion on creating a smarter high-deductible health plan at a session during the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID)’s annual V-BID Summit on March 14, 2018, at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Researchers Find Low Referral Rates to Pulmonary Rehab for Eligible Patients With COPD
December 25th 2017Less than 10% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation received a referral from their physician, according to a new study. However, there was no association found between referral status and COPD exacerbations.
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Eosinophil Count in Sputum, Not Blood, Is Better Predictor of COPD Severity in Smokers
November 21st 2017Data from a study of smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) indicate that the concentration of eosinophils in the sputum, rather than the blood, is a better predictor of COPD exacerbations and lung function.
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Visualizing the Role of Social Determinants in Clinical Care
October 28th 2017A simple model can help health systems incorporate the social determinants of health into their clinical programs, according to presenters at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Fall Managed Care Forum 2017.
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Innovative Strategies for Boosting Medication Adherence in the Real World
October 28th 2017At a session during the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Fall Managed Care Forum 2017, speakers discussed how new approaches to encouraging medication adherence can help improve outcomes in patients with chronic diseases.
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Measuring ACO Performance From the Health Plan and Provider Perspectives
October 28th 2017David V. Axene, FSA, FCA, CERA, MAAA, outlined how more accurately measuring and evaluating the performance of accountable care organizations (ACOs) can help both health plans and providers succeed in their risk sharing contracts during a session at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Fall Managed Care Forum 2017.
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Expanding Options for Individualized Treatment of Advanced NSCLC
October 27th 2017James R. Jett, MD, gave an overview of the advances in diagnosis and treatment of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) during a session at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Fall Managed Care Forum 2017.
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Consumer-Driven Trends Present Opportunities Across The Healthcare Journey
October 26th 2017Industries including healthcare continue to adapt to the increasingly powerful voice of the consumer, according to Venkat Inumella, MBA, associate partner at McKinsey, who discussed this trend toward consumerism during the first keynote session of the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Fall Managed Care Forum 2017.
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Laying Strong Foundations for a Population Health Focus
October 26th 2017At the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Fall Managed Care Forum 2017, James J. Bleicher, MD, MHCM, regional president of SSM Health, discussed the foundational steps necessary for healthcare organizations looking to transform their business to focus on population health.
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Turning Patients Into Research Partners With Patient-Generated Data
October 20th 2017Inviting patients to share their own health data can result in a better understanding of diseases and treatments beyond what can be learned from clinical data, according to a health data specialist who presented a session during the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2017 Nexus meeting.
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Outlooks and Lessons Learned From Outcomes-Based Agreements
October 19th 2017Outcomes-based risk sharing contracts will continue to become more common as health plans, providers, and drug manufacturers realize the benefits of these arrangements, according to speakers at a session of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2017 Nexus meeting.
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Clearing Up Misperceptions Around the ACA's Current Status
October 19th 2017At a session during the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2017 Nexus meeting, a public policy expert argued that despite all of the news surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the US healthcare system may not see fundamental changes anytime soon.
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Navigating New FDA Guidance on Preapproval Payer–Manufacturer Communications
October 18th 2017In light of recent guidance from the FDA on appropriate communications between payers and drug manufacturers prior to a drug's approval, a panel of stakeholders at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2017 Nexus meeting, discussed how these new guidelines can raise as many questions as they answer.
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Looking Ahead at the Specialty Drug Pipeline After an Active Year of Approvals
October 17th 2017Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, of Express Scripts kicked off the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2017 Nexus, held October 16-19 in Dallas, Texas, with a presentation on the pipeline of specialty pharmaceuticals in development.
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Risk of Endocrine Adverse Events Higher With Combination Immunotherapy Regimens
October 4th 2017Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become an important tool for treating cancer, but a new review finds their use is associated with a higher risk of endocrine dysfunctions like thyroid imbalances.
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Latest FDA Efforts to Expand Access Involve Complex Generic Drugs, Investigational Treatments
October 3rd 2017On consecutive days, the FDA announced 2 more strategies to help novel drugs reach more patients. One plan will encourage competition by providing more guidance to developers of complex generics, while the other will make it easier for physicians to treat patients with investigational products through the expanded access program.
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As Nursing Home Complaints Rise, Some States Fall Short in Timely Investigations
October 2nd 2017In recent years, the number of nursing home residents has decreased, but the number of complaints about nursing homes has increased by 33%, a new report finds. While most are promptly investigated, some states are falling behind on completing follow-up investigations within required timeframes.
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Report Finds Hospitals Costlier for Cancer Care Than Community Practices
September 29th 2017Not only do patients with cancer incur higher costs when treated in the hospital outpatient setting compared with community oncology practices, they also have higher rates of emergency department visits, according to a recent study.
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Researchers Categorize Incurable Childhood Brain Tumors as Separate Cancer Types
September 28th 2017After examining over 1000 cases of high-grade gliomas in children and young adults, researchers have split these rare brain tumors into at least 10 different subtypes, which could help clinicians choose and deliver more effective treatments.
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Research Finds Cancer Survivorship Care Lacking in Advanced Primary Care Practices
September 27th 2017A new case study of 12 advanced primary care practices found that none provided comprehensive cancer survivorship care, which the authors attributed to insufficient information systems and difficulties identifying survivors.
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