The Fund supports networks of state health policy decision makers to help identify, inspire, and inform policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund supports two state leadership programs for legislative and executive branch state government officials committed to improving population health.
The focuses on creating an affordable health care system built on strong primary care and partnerships that improve health outcomes for all.
Keep up with news and updates from the Milbank Memorial Fund. And read the latest posts from our staff and guest authors.
The Fund publishes The Milbank Quarterly, as well as reports, issues briefs, and case studies on topics important to health policy leaders.
The Milbank Memorial Fund is a foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
State Network
Blog Post
August 2026 Pantelis Paliouras,
Using estimates from RAND Health, our new Data Dashboard shows at a high level how state Medicaid funds will be affected by changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill. More
July 2026 Franz Fuchs, Morgan McDonald,
Emergency medical services (EMS) are basic lifesaving infrastructure for any community. More
Publication
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
June 2026
This Spotlight Brief demonstrates the health and economic impacts of heat emergencies, using a summer heat wave as a case study. More
News Article
June 2026 Morgan McDonald,
In this interview about managing executive branch transitions in state government, Debra Farrington, Deputy Secretary for Health in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, emphasized identifying priorities, engaging with legislators, and documenting relationships with community partners, so that important initiatives are understood as shared commitments. More
June 2026 Michelle Morse, Robert Rock,
When studying heat maps produced by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Department, and digging into the endless tables of data… More
May 2026
In this edited Q&A and video with Milbank’s Morgan McDonald, MD, Jeff Lunardi—then interim Medicaid director at Virginia’s Department of Medical Assistance Services (Cardinal Care)—shares practical lessons on prioritization, nonpartisan leadership, and agency stability during a gubernatorial handoff. More
May 2026 Sofia Espinosa,
Amidst rapid changes to the federal, state, and local health policy landscape, the Milbank Memorial Fund is committed… 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 Morgan McDonald,
Last month, Milbank National Director for Population Health Morgan McDonald, MD, and Morissa Henn, DrPH, Deputy Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, met to discuss how Henn has applied the principles of adaptive leadership to her work. More
