Karen Feinstein Joins International Study Tour for Knowledge Exchange in Health Care and Policy

Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, president and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation participated in an 11-day international study tour with the Commonwealth Fund and AcademyHealth.

Dr. Feinstein was one of eight U.S. healthcare leaders invited to explore healthcare delivery and policy landscapes in New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore to learn about innovative work being done in these countries to advance healthcare delivery, policy, and equity. The tour's mission is to provide a space for leaders to identify potential opportunities to foster cross-national relationships and translate lessons from their experiences to inform domestic policy and practice.

The itinerary encompassed focus areas including innovation in primary care delivery, access to care for rural and indigenous populations, mental health, maternal and child health, aging services, healthcare financing, advanced technology, and cost management for pharmaceuticals and healthcare services. It also provided opportunities for immersion in the cultures of the countries, including the Māori population in New Zealand and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in rural Australia.

Dr. Feinstein traveled with Aaron Carroll, Indiana University School of Medicine; Adimika Meadows Arthur, HealthTech for Medicaid; Andrew Carlo, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute; Dave A. Chokshi, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Narda Ipakchi, The SCAN Foundation; Keisuke Nakagawa, UC Davis Health; Prof Bola Owolabi, NHS England; Danielle DeCosta, AcademyHealth; Molly Fitzgerald, Commonwealth Fund; Michael Gluck, AcademyHealth; and Reggie Williams, Commonwealth Fund.

Read reflections from Michael Gluck on the visit to New Zealand here.