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.
Networks of state officials, advocates, and others aiming to invest in and transform primary care.
A program dedicated to 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 offer 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.
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.
Quarterly Department
Quarterly Article
September 2026 Curisa M. Tucker, Jennifer Baumstark,
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) provide evidence-based maternity care associated with improved birth outcomes, yet half of US states do not grant them independent practice authority. State scope-of-practice regulations may function as structural determinants of maternal health by constraining both the midwifery workforce and the conditions under which care is delivered. More
September 2026 Steven H. Woolf,
US life expectancy is shorter than in other high-income countries, and the gap has widened over time. More
September 2026 Dorothy Y. Hung, Lillian C. Levy, Karen E. Schifferdecker, Dasha E. Zerboni, Stephen M. Shortell,
Health-related social needs—including stable housing, food security, and interpersonal safety—and patient race, ethnicity, and language (REAL) are key contributors to health equality. More
September 2026 Charles P. Webel,
The Czech Republic’s COVID-19 excess mortality represents a preparedness paradox. More
September 2026 Lisa Carter-Bawa,
Context: Despite substantial evidence that stigma produces measurable health inequities across conditions and populations, stigma remains absent from… More
September 2026 Shannon N. Ogden, Stephanie Loo, Megan B. Cole, Kathryn D. Thompson, Kenneth N. Lim, Sarah H. Gordon, Collette N. Ncube, Elizabeth W. Patton, Karen E. Lasser, Lois McCloskey,
In the wake of a US maternal health crisis, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may be a key opportunity to improve maternal health care. More
August 2026 Lucinda B. Leung, Valerie P. Nguyen, Christine M. Thompson, Jasmeen J. Santos, Catherine E. Brayton, Susan L. Ettner, José J. Escarce, Alexander D. McCourt,
Telehealth can improve access to medical and mental health care for rural and under-resourced communities. More
August 2026 Jordan Herring, Carlos E. Rodriguez-Diaz,
In 2018, proposed changes to the public charge rule—amid intensified anti-immigrant rhetoric and heterogeneous local immigration enforcement—were widely publicized. More
July 2026 Christina Laternser,
Geographic gaps in hospital-based obstetric services are often framed as “maternity care deserts,” emphasizing community vulnerability and motivating targeted investments. More
July 2026 Harold A. Pollack, Richard Frank, Sherry Glied,
Since the early 1960s, US policymakers have sought to assist persons living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) and persons living with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) to live on a human scale with their clinical and service needs met in their communities. More