The Fund supports networks of state health policy decision makers to help identify, inspire, and inform policy leaders.
A bipartisan group of state health policymakers from both the executive and legislative branches who are focused on improving population health.
Supporting networks of state officials, advocates, and others aiming to invest in and transform primary care.
Advancing state-based efforts to make health care more affordable for residents, employers, and states.
The Milbank Memorial Fund supports two state leadership programs for legislative and executive branch state government officials committed to improving population health.
A leadership development program for early and mid-career state government officials who are committed to improving the health of all people in their communities.
A leadership program for senior state government officials who are committed to improving population health.
The Fund focuses on creating an affordable health care system built on strong primary care and partnerships that improve health outcomes for all.
Improving state leaders ability to enact and implement evidence-based health policies.
Advancing policies that create a more prevention- and primary care-oriented health system.
Improving population health through policies that contain health care cost growth.
Our state health policy resources provide relevant data analysis and best practices.
The Fund publishes reports, issues briefs, and case studies on state health policy issues.
Short takes on health policy issues from Milbank staff and guest authors.
Insights from Milbank President Debra Lubar on state health policymaking.
Reported articles and Q&As on timely health policy issues, as well as foundation updates.
Upcoming and past Milbank Memorial Fund and Milbank Quarterly webinars featuring state health policymakers and researchers.
Updates and expert contact information for reporters.
The Milbank Memorial Fund is a private foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
The Milbank Memorial Fund has published reports since early in the last century. Today, the Fund publishes reports, issue briefs, and case studies, as well as reported articles and short-form States of Health and On Balance: Policies for Health posts. If you would like to suggest a publication idea within our key areas of state health leadership, primary care transformation, or health care affordability, please email Communications Director Christine Haran at charan@milbank.org. The Milbank Memorial Fund also publishes The Milbank Quarterly, an independent peer-reviewed journal of population health and health policy. Article submission instructions for the journal are available on the For Authors page.
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Fact Sheet
July 2026 Hayley Piazza,
Introduction Housing instability and unaffordability are contributing to adverse outcomes across a wide range of health domains. In a Milbank… More
Policy Report
July 2026 Alida Austin, Katie M. Huber, Brianna Van Stekelenburg, Kody H. Kinsley, Rebecca G. Whitaker,
North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) program, which was paused in July 2025 due to state funding constraints, tested whether providing evidence-based services to address upstream drivers of health for eligible Medicaid members could improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and address disparities in three predominantly rural regions of the state. More
July 2026 K. John McConnell, Hyunjee Kim, STEPHAN R. LINDNER, Jane M. Zhu, David DiGiuseppe, Hayden Rooke-Ley,
As states brace for federal funding cuts and potentially large disenrollments in Medicaid, this report assesses the extent to which Medicaid managed care delivers value across its core functions: reducing financial risk for states; utilization management; network formation; care management; quality improvement; and paying for claims. More
July 2026 Lori Rodefeld, Raquel Davis, Erin Fraher, Heidi B. Miller, Shelby Rimmler-Cohen, Mary Alice Scott, Mukesh Adhikari, Emily M. Hawes,
Physician workforce shortages are limiting access to health care in nearly every state, with underserved and rural areas facing the greatest shortfalls. More
Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration projects, commonly referred to as waivers, are widely used by states to test innovative approaches to improving population health through Medicaid programs. More
Issue Brief
June 2026
This Spotlight Brief demonstrates the health and economic impacts of heat emergencies, using a summer heat wave as a case study. More
The criminal justice system’s influence on health includes not only direct physical harm, but also chronic stress, mental health crises, infectious disease transmission, and the erosion of community social capital. More
April 2026 Miriam Sheinbein, Chris Esguerra, Colleen Murphey, Luarnie Bermudo, Mat Thomas,
Health systems that invest in primary care have better and more equitable health outcomes. Yet primary care faces a crisis (characterized by chronic underinvestment and significant workforce shortages), and that crisis has led to pervasive clinician burnout and reduced access to vital care, especially for populations who have a low income, are elderly, and identify as minorities. More
April 2026 Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald,
The Milbank State Leadership Network hosted a virtual session for state legislators and executive branch leaders to discuss how states are planning to leverage the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve maternal and child health (MCH). Leaders from Mississippi, Indiana, and Oklahoma shared early implementation strategies, highlighting how states are aligning funding, infrastructure, and community partnerships to expand access to care and improve outcomes. More
April 2026 Lori Rodefeld, Emily M. Hawes, Raquel Davis, Shelby Rimmler-Cohen, Heidi B. Miller, Mary Alice Scott, Mukesh Adhikari, Erin Fraher,
This evidence-based framework organizes a GME growth strategy into five iterative stages: exploration, strategy development, strategy design, technical assistance, and optimization. More