Behavioral Health Policy Watch: October update
The September Policy Watch emphasized implementation readiness: Medicaid community engagement requirements, eligibility redeterminations every six months, federal behavioral health funding, Ohio Medicaid program-integrity changes, and uneven state preparation across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The October update shows those threads moving from planning into execution.
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The Future of Association Leadership Begins with Culture
The association sector is entering one of the most consequential periods in its history. Organizations are being asked to do more than ever before. Members expect greater value. Technology is transforming how we work. The workforce has fundamentally changed its expectations of leadership, flexibility, and purpose.
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National Assisted Living Week: How WellLink GPO Supports the People Behind Care
Across the United States, approximately one million Americans call assisted living communities their home. National Assisted Living Week, Sept. 13-19, is an opportunity to recognize the incredible people who make assisted living communities special.
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Policy Watch: September Update
The biggest shift in recent weeks has been from broad federal policy development to state-level implementation and provider readiness.
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Hunger Action Month: Recognizing a Crisis Impacting Millions
For millions of Americans, putting dinner on the table can mean making difficult choices, like choosing between buying groceries and filling a prescription, or paying a utility bill. These decisions are part of everyday life for nearly 48 million people living in food insecure households, including 14.
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International Overdose Awareness Day: Understanding the Changing Crisis
The overdose crisis continues to change over time, shaped by shifts in the drug supply, access to care and the resources available to communities.
Over the past two decades, communities across the United States have experienced a significant increase in drug overdose deaths.
Policy Watch: Key Medicaid and Behavioral Health Developments Ahead
Since my last update, several healthcare policy issues have moved from debate into implementation, while others remain unsettled as Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and state policymakers work through the remainder of 2026.
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No Days Off: The Emotional Toll of Caregiving at Work and at Home, What Grandparents Go Through Every Shift
By K. David Swagler, MHA, BS, BSN, RN, CCRN, TNCC
I often think about the nurse whose shift never truly ends. She finishes 12 hours in the emergency department emotionally and physically spent from caring for patients and supporting families through some of their most difficult moments.
July Behavioral Health Policy Watch: Key Updates from Washington
Over the past several weeks, through conversations with federal partners, state association leaders, policymakers, and healthcare stakeholders across the country, several themes have consistently emerged that I believe warrant attention from our behavioral health and recovery community.
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