Wiley Lindsay F, Matthews Gene W
Lindsay F. Wiley, J.D., M.P.H., is a Professor of Law at American University, Washington College of Law. Gene W. Matthews, J.D., is the Director of the Southeastern Regional Center of the Network for Public Health Law at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health.
J Law Med Ethics. 2017 Mar;45(1_suppl):94-97. doi: 10.1177/1073110517703335.
Restructured health care reimbursement systems and new requirements for nonprofit hospitals are transforming the U.S. health system, creating opportunities for enhanced integration of public health and health care goals. This article explores the role of public health practitioners and lawyers in this moment of transformation. We argue that the population perspective and structural strategies that characterize public health can add value to the health care system but could get lost in translation as changes to tax requirements and payment systems are rapidly implemented. We urge public health leaders to take a more active role in hospital assessments of community health needs and evaluation of the patient outcomes for which providers are accountable.
