Panel examines challenges in moving from coverage to care

Connecting the uninsured with coverage is only a first step to improving health; the newly insured also need to be connected quickly to culturally competent primary care, Ramanathan Raju, M.D., president and CEO of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, said today at a panel sponsored by the National Journal. Primary care also "has to be convenient because you can’t have a primary care system that only works 9-5 Monday to Friday,” otherwise patients will continue to seek treatment in the emergency department, said Raju, who is a member of the AHA Board of Trustees. The panel was part of National Journal’s series “The Next America,” which is examining how demographic changes are impacting the nation. Participants also included A. Seiji Hayashi, M.D., executive vice president for transformation and innovation at Unity Healthcare; McCrae Parker, managing director, ZeroDivide; and Michael Scott, chief equity officer and president, Equity Matters.