Hysterectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the United States but rates are highly variable by hospital and region. Hysterectomy rates were one of the very first procedures to be mapped by where people live and receive care in 1973, showing that type of care is very different depending on location….

This post kicks off our series on LGBTQ+ populations and the health concerns and disparities that effect these communities, in alignment with our newest workgroup here at the Bree, LGBTQ Health Care. We invite interested members of the public to join upcoming meetings by phone or in-person. We’ve come a long way since HIV was…

“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” – Rainer Maria Rilke Many of us start the new year with high expectations – mainly of ourselves. We make resolutions to lose weight, do yoga every morning, to better meet deadlines. This is a time for self-reflection, for taking stock…

Like many of you, we are finding it hard to believe that 2017 is almost over. This has been a busy year for us – we convened five workgroups and brought our number of completed recommendations to twenty! Read our 2017 End-Of-Year Report. – Ongoing Work: Evidence-Based Prescribing of Opioids for Pain Our members adopted…

As we head into the holiday season, most of us are probably going to be spending a good amount of time with our families and friends. This is a great opportunity to enjoy time with those we love and think about what is important and meaningful to us. But staying healthy during the holidays can…

WHAT’S IN A NAME? On October 26th, the White House declared the opioid crisis a National Public Health Emergency. This act fulfilled a long-standing campaign promise of the president, with one seemingly small, but significant modification: the declaration of a National Public Health Emergency, not just a National Emergency. While this may sound like a…

I was recently lucky enough to spend some time in Europe. We saw ancient aqueducts and sewers (early public health initiatives), some of the oldest buildings in the world, and ate too much cheese. Luckily I didn’t need to interact with the health care system in any of these countries – but I can’t help…

September was a busy month for the Bree Collaborative. We finalized three of our reports for dissemination for public comment – Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, Opioid Use Disorder Treatment, and our re-review of the Total Knee and Total Hip Replacement Bundle. Now we want to hear from you! Information on submitting comments on all…

Despite the best efforts of health care providers and organizations, patients sometimes experience unanticipated and undesirable outcomes in their care. In these cases, open and honest communication with the patient and family is critical to maintaining trust and respect while not compounding patient suffering. In recent years, Communication and Resolution Programs (CRP) have emerged in response to…

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, 1966 I believe that everyone deserves their best chance at being healthy. Unfortunately, our country still has a long way to go. How healthy we are and whether we can get the type of health…