Advancing the university mission through partnerships with state Medicaid programs

Is It Necessary to Launch a School-Based Financial Literacy Curriculum? Evidence From China

As starting university is a critical independence milestone for many young people, it would also be the best time to provide them with some financial education (FE). Although there have been many initiatives aimed at enhancing individual financial literacy (FL) and/or financial decision-making, meta-analyses have shown that the effectiveness of FE has been mixed. This study examined the driving forces behind the decision by college students to enroll in a targeted financial literacy curriculum (FLC) and the impact of this attendance on their FL. An endogenous switching model (ESM) was employed to account for the heterogeneity in the decision to attend or not attend the FLC and to counteract any unobservable characteristics. It was found that students with higher self-perceived FL did not prefer to attend the FLC; however, for others, FLC attendance was found to significantly boost their FL in areas such as financial knowledge (FK), financial attitude (FA), and financial behavior (FB), especially for the non-attendees under the counterfactual framework. These "non-attendees" were observed to have some characteristics (e.g., prior knowledge) that made them more financially literate regardless of attendance; however, if they had attended the FLC, they would have gained a greater FL than the attendees. As the FL of the attendees would have been much lower if they had not attended, the FLC appeared to be particularly important for the attendees, which strengthened the case for making the FLC a compulsory part of a general college education.

Behind bars: the compelling case for academic health centers partnering with correctional facilities

Academic health centers (AHCs), particularly those that are publicly funded institutions, have as their mission the treatment of disadvantaged populations, the training of the next generation of clinicians, and the development and dissemination of new knowledge to reduce the burden of disease and improve the health of individuals and populations. Incarcerated populations have the most prevalent and acute disease burden and health disparities in the United States, even in comparison with inner-city populations. Yet, only a small proportion of AHCs have reached out to incarcerated populations to fulfill their mission. Those AHCs that have partnered with correctional facilities have overcome concerns about the value and popularity of "training behind bars"; the cost, liability, and pragmatics of caring for a medically complicated population; and the viability of correctional health research and extramural research funding. They have done so to great benefit to patients, students, and faculty. Partnering with correctional facilities to provide health care offers opportunities for AHCs to fulfill their core missions of clinical service, education, and research, while also enhancing their financial stability, to the benefit of all. In this Commentary, the authors discuss, based on their experiences, these concerns, how existing partnerships have overcome them, and the benefits of such relationships to both AHCs and correctional facilities.

Medical Education for Equitable Services for All Ugandans (MESAU) consortium: development and achievements

PURPOSE

In 2011, five medical schools in Uganda formed the Medical Education for Equitable Services for All Ugandans consortium to address the medical education challenges in meeting the nation's health needs. In this paper, the authors document the development and achievements of this unique collaboration to transform medical education in Uganda.

METHOD

A longitudinal qualitative study employed anthropological techniques to examine the proposed idea and development of the consortium, the experiences of consortium members, and the successes and challenges encountered during its first three years (2011-2013).

RESULTS

The consortium approach to medical education has made important contributions to member institutions despite initial reservations and uncertainties. Acceptance of the consortium emerged because of the added benefits accruing to individual institutions and the network. The consortium has flourished partly because of its organizational structure, the support of its leadership, the ownership and active participation by member institutions, and a strong commitment to its broader goals. However, some challenges in implementation remain, including inadequate capacity, limited grants management experience, and varying degrees of research expertise among the participating institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite these challenges, the consortium approach has had a positive impact on medical education by reducing interinstitutional rivalries, promoting strong collaboration, and providing mutual support and the sharing of resources for medical education and research in Uganda.