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Amanda Abrams

31 Posts

Amanda Abrams is a freelance journalist living in Durham, North Carolina. She served as Shelterforce's health fellow in 2019.
A painting that reads "Walsh Community Grocery: Pulling Together We All Win."
Health

Entrepreneurship as a Path to Health?

New partnerships between health funders and small-business lenders highlight another possible way to influence health.

An exterior view of Kensington Gardens, a 41-unit apartment building in East Oakland.
Health

Putting Health Care Dollars to Work

Several organizations are working to coordinate health care investments in ways that will allow funding to truly boost community health.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar.
Health

Medicaid Dollars for Housing?

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary says his department is exploring ideas to pay for non-health services like housing and nutrition with Medicaid, but it’s unclear whether that would, or could, actually happen.

Seniors at a workshop on creating winter bird feeders
Health

Vermont’s SASH Program Keeps Seniors in their Homes

The statewide program connects elderly residents with community-based services and saves money in urban areas by reducing emergency room and specialist visits.

Kids dance at a neighborhood street festival
Community Development Field

What Happens When a CDC Pivots to a Health-First Focus?

Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation in Cleveland finds that being an early adopter of a community health focus has its advantages.

Alicia Spradlin and her daughter Faith live in apartments that have been set-aside for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan members.
Health

Setting Aside Housing for Frequent Health Care Users

Housing specifically for those who frequently use health care services makes sense on many levels, but it also raises questions about privacy and lining up who pays and who benefits.

An African-American man gets his blood pressure checked at the California Hotel, an EBALDC development that offers affordable apartments with community and commercial spaces.
Community Development Field

Approaching Partnerships Between Health Care Institutions and Community Development Organizations

There isn’t an exact science to forming partnerships. The slow and sometimes messy process requires patience, allies, and trust.