Understanding Cell and Gene Therapy and Its Impact

This month, we feature an excellent Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Action Brief courtesy of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. (See below for more information about edHEALTH joining the National Alliance and the member-owner benefits that come with it.)

Not sure what diseases are treated by CGT? The following chart from the National Alliance's report indicates common conditions that can benefit from CGT. Download it to read more about CGT and its impact on the workforce.

Planning for Mental Health Awareness Month in May

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in five Americans is living with a mental health issue. With the added stress of modern life, ranging from work stress to social pressures, the need for mental health support has never been more important. That is, in part, why there is a mental health provider shortage. Fortunately, with the increasing popularity of telehealth and digital apps, there are resources now available that may not be widely known or initially considered as viable options.

Educating employees about mental health and well-being, as well as spreading the word about available resources, are valuable ways to help your faculty and staff have access to as many tools as possible. Here we share four free downloads that you may wish to use at your institution or pull content from for your own communications.

National Alliance on Mental Health Survey Stats Infographic

Burnout: Do You Need a Break? Flyer from Mental Health America (MHA)

MHA 2025 Resource List

edHEALTH Graphic (shown above)

Health and Well-being Resources Flyer Available to Download

edHEALTH wants to help member-owners make their faculty and staff aware of the many resources available to support them in getting the care they or their families need. We put together a high-level overview of what's available through their institution, health plan, and digital apps. Everyone is invited to download this flyer and use it as they wish.

Member-owners, if you want to customize it with your institution's specific offerings, please contact Lisa Barnstein. You will also find this communication, as well as the more detailed Behavioral Health flyer template, in the edHEALTH Portal.

In the News

This month, we offer some industry reads on hot topics that include promoting preventive care, GL-1 spending, value-based care, and stressed HR teams.

How employers can promote preventive healthcare (techtarget.com)

Spending growth on GLP-1s outpacing specialty pharmacy (fiercehealthcare.com)

From challenge to change: best practices for value-based-care (medicaleconomics.com)

Stressed HR teams say they can't take action on employee feedback (hrdrive.com)

New Resource for edHEALTH and Member-Owners

edHEALTH is now a member of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. This nonprofit is a purchaser-aligned coalition that, through its national and regional reach, aligns to amplify the collective voice of the employer/purchaser and accelerate improvements in health, equity, and value across the country.

You may be familiar with the National Alliance’s Pulse of the Purchaser Survey, which offers key insights from employers across the country. The edHEALTH team has considered the information gathered in the Pulse of the Purchaser Survey in prior years when creating edHEALTH strategic plans. As expected, the findings of their 2024 survey align with some edHEALTH-specific trends. Note: Member-owners can access the survey results in the edHEALTH portal.

As noted above, this edHEALTH newsletter highlights another example of National Alliance resources: Understanding Cell and Gene Therapy and Its Impact on the Workforce Action Brief. It provides an excellent overview of these rising cost drivers.

The Pulse of the Purchaser Survey and this Action Brief are just two examples of the many resources available to edHEALTH and our member-owner institutions.

What else does being a National Alliance member mean for edHEALTH member-owner schools? From time to time, we will share relevant information from the National Alliance and invite you to attend educational sessions that are open to edHEALTH member-owners. We may do so at Plan Design and Finance Committee meetings or through our member-only listserv.

More to come on the National Alliance. After all, the more groups that come together for improved healthcare experiences, the better!

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

—Marcel Proust