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.
States, Families Brace for Impact If CHIP Not Reauthorized
September 27th 2017Time is running out for Congress to reauthorize funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) before it expires on September 30, leaving states and families to prepare for possible coverage reductions and higher premiums.
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Infographic: Update—A Brief History of ACA Repeal and Replace Efforts
September 27th 2017When Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016, repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) suddenly became an attainable goal for Republicans in Congress, though it ultimately did not come to fruition as they had hoped. Here, we look back at the legislative twists and turns of ACA repeal efforts in 2017.
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Title X Health Centers Reducing Cervical Cancer Screening in Accordance With Guidelines
September 26th 2017Among women treated at health centers receiving federal funding under Title X, the proportion receiving cervical cancer screening tests declined significantly from 2005 to 2015, according to new research.
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Chronic Respiratory Disease Death Toll Rising in Recent Decades
September 26th 2017A new analysis finds that the mortality rate from chronic respiratory diseases has risen by almost 30% between 1980 and 2014 in the United States, and that data reflect significant differences in death rates across counties and regions.
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JAMA Commentary Urges Realistic View of New CAR T-Cell Cancer Therapy
September 25th 2017While the FDA’s approval of the immunotherapy tisagenlecleucel represents a landmark in the oncology field, the treatment is far from being a cure and should be viewed in context of its $475,000 price tag, a group of oncologists wrote in a commentary published in JAMA.
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Low-Income Adults Using SNAP Have Reduced Health Expenditures
September 25th 2017A new study finds that participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is associated with significantly lower healthcare expenditures, pointing to the role of social determinants like food insecurity as contributors to health spending.
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Immune Adverse Events From Nivolumab Predict Better Survival With NSCLC
September 23rd 2017When immune-related adverse events arise from nivolumab, it may indicate that the therapy is having greater efficacy against non—small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as a new study demonstrates a link between these events and improved survival outcomes.
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Federally Qualified Health Centers Prepare for Challenging Path Ahead
September 20th 2017Federally qualified health centers face significant financial and competitive pressures, but executives reported in a recent survey that they have identified areas for improvement and are planning a path to success.
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Many Popular "Hypoallergenic" Moisturizers Contain Skin Irritants, Fragrances
September 19th 2017Consumers spend $2 billion worldwide on body moisturizers each year, but a new study found that many skin-quenching products marketed as hypoallergenic or fragrance free actually contain some of the allergens known to pose a risk of contact dermatitis.
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Rates of Preventive Mastectomy for Breast Cancer Influenced by Surgeon Attitudes
September 18th 2017In light of rising rates of preventive mastectomies among women with breast cancer, a new study looks at whether patient and surgeon factors, including attitudes toward breast conservation, affect the odds of receiving this surgery.
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Representatives Probe CMS for Further Detail on New CAR-T Therapy Payment Agreement
September 14th 2017After CMS and Novartis devised an outcomes-based payment approach for the new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T treatment tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), a group of representatives are requesting more information on the specifics of the agreement.
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FDA Announces Progress, Next Steps in Streamlining Orphan Drug Review Process
September 13th 2017FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, announced the agency’s progress in streamlining the orphan drug review process and outlined plans to close a loophole currently hindering pediatric drug research.
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Bringing Drugs to Market Costs Less Than Previously Thought, Study Finds
September 12th 2017How much does it cost for a drug maker to develop a new drug? Prior estimates have put this figure as high as $2.7 billion, but a new study indicates that the median cost of development for 10 cancer drugs was actually $648 million-a substantial discrepancy.
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ASCO Releases Guidelines on Patient—Clinician Communication
September 12th 2017The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has published a set of guidelines and best practices that can help clinicians improve how they communicate with patients receiving cancer therapy and their families.
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Researchers Develop Pen Tool for Quickly Identifying Cancer Tissue During Surgery
September 8th 2017“Is the pen mightier than the scalpel?” A new study aims to answer that question by presenting research on a handheld pen-sized device that can rapidly determine cancer tissue borders during surgery.
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Tiotropium Shown to Preserve Lung Function When Used in Early COPD
September 7th 2017Trial results published in a recent article indicate that patients using tiotropium in the early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had better lung function and a slower decline in function.
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