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 Fund identifies and shares policy ideas and analysis to advance state health leadership, strong primary care, and sustainable health care costs.
Keep up with news and updates from the Milbank Memorial Fund. And read the latest blogs from our thought leaders, including Fund President Christopher F. Koller.
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 is a foundation that works to improve population health and health equity.
Publication Topic
Publication
October 2025 Sofia Espinosa, Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald,
The Milbank State Leadership Network (MSLN) hosted two virtual sessions for state-to-state discussion on opportunities and strategies related to the federal Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, recently launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). More
October 2025 Emily Levi, Mary Jo Condon, Janice Bourgault,
This policy brief provides an overview of opportunities to improve state health care workforce data collection and analysis. More
Blog Post
October 2025 Anushree Vichare, Qian (Eric) Luo, Mandar Bodas, Clese Erikson, Yoon Hong Park, Patricia (Polly) Pittman,
The newly launched Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) invests $50 billion dollars towards strengthening health care across rural America, including by creating sustainable access to rural health care providers and improving workforce development. As states prepare proposals for the RHTP, they need a clear understanding of the workforce available to serve these populations, especially the primary care workforce available to rural Medicaid beneficiaries. More
September 2025 Michael Meit, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Andrew Koricich,
As state policymakers apply for the OBBBA’s Rural Health Transformation funding, they have a significant opportunity to partner with their RPCUs to address the research, and especially, the workforce training needs of their rural communities. More
September 2024 Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald, Erin E. Sullivan,
The closures of rural hospitals and obstetric services has created an urgent need for innovative approaches to maintaining high-quality obstetrics… More
News Article
July 2023 Mary Louise Gilburg,
In June, the Tennessee Rural Health Care Task Force formed by Governor Bill Lee and co-chaired by Milbank Memorial Fund National Director of Population Health, Morgan McDonald, MD, and Lifepoint CEO David Dill released a report with 13 evidence-based policy recommendations to improve access to care, recruit and sustain the health care workforce, and address social drivers of health for the state’s rural residents. More
January 2023 Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker,
This case study of Columbia County, Arkansas, is the third in a series of case studies designed to assess the effectiveness of various policy initiatives to expand access to primary care in a region, particularly for underserved populations. More
March 2020 Christopher F. Koller,
As the country’s health care sector mobilizes to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher Koller says the health insurance industry must not sit on the sidelines. More
September 2019 Christopher F. Koller,
Any effort to treat opioid or other substance use disorders must consider the impact on the families of people with these addictions, says Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher Koller in his latest “View From Here” blog post. More
May 2019 Emily Whelan Parento,
Many health care challenges are exacerbated in rural areas, such as limited access to services, provider shortages, and the prevalence of avoidable… More
