In a MedPage Today op-ed, Joy Melnikow imagines a hypothetical future scenario facing a primary care physician. Drawing on her experience as a primary care physician and public health leader, including as a former director of the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, Melnikow considers the possible consequences of a changed preventive services task force and immunization advisory committee in the U.S.
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Research spotlight
Can telehealth help patients stick with Buprenorphine for opioid addiction?
A clinical trial led by our researchers aims to improve the long-term use of buprenorphine, a critical medication for treating patients with opioid use disorder. The new study focuses on patients prescribed buprenorphine in emergency departments, where there is a need for effective follow-up care.
The $6.4 million study is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). It will explore the efficacy of telehealth compared to in-person follow-up appointments. The project is designed to address barriers that many patients face, including low income, lack of transportation and social instability.
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August 11, 2025Prescribing blind: Clinical prevention in an evidence-free zone
Read the op-ed in MedPage Today -
August 8, 2025Dean’s Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievements
Read about the awardJoshua Fenton was recognized with the 2024 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring by the UC Davis School of Medicine. Fenton is a professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and an affiliate of the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.
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June 23, 2025New report aims to revitalize declining primary care in the U.S.
Read the storyThe UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research hosted a national conference last October to discuss the crisis in primary care in the U.S. Now, an expert panel has released its recommendations.
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May 2, 2025CHPR's new home: UC Davis’ Aggie Square formally inaugurated
Read the storyThe UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research moved into its new home at Aggie Square. The innovation district brings together UC Davis' cutting-edge research with private-sector companies and start-ups.
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April 10, 2025UC Davis Health uses AI models to leave no patient behind
Read the storyThe Center for Healthcare Policy and Research brought together a team of experts from the population health, information technology, and equity teams at UC Davis. They created a population health AI predictive model. Its algorithm is programmed to identify patients who may benefit from care management services to deal with health problems before they lead to emergency department visits or hospitalization.
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March 17, 2025Community clinic achieved marked improvement in system-based tobacco cessation
Read the storyWellSpace Health, a community clinic in the Sacramento area, launched a quality improvement project to advance “system-based” tobacco cessation in partnership with the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.
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February 14, 2025CHPR to develop better electronic clinical quality measures for Medicare program
Read the storyOver the next five years, the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research will develop and validate new electronic clinical quality measures using electronic health records data from UC Davis Health and the UC Health Data Warehouse.
