MARCH 2023
School-based Health Clinics
School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide healthcare where students already spend most of their time: in school. Schools and community health organizations partner to offer care that includes, but is not limited to, primary care, mental health, oral health, and vision services. A recent philanthropic gift to the National School Based Health Center Alliance provides 23 million dollars to expand SBHCs in low-income schools.

Speaking in a Capital & Main article last year, IHPS faculty member Samira Soleimanpour, PhD shared some of the reasons why SBHCs help reduce disparities. “By bringing medical and behavioral health services to youth under one roof and in a setting where they spend most of their time, we can overcome many of the inequities to receiving care,” explained Soleimanpour. “Families do not have to miss work to get their children to appointments. Youth feel more comfortable accessing care because they know the SBHC [school-based health centers] staff and see them regularly on campus. Medical providers can make immediate referrals to behavioral health providers and vice versa while youth are at the clinic or can easily return, which increases the opportunities for youth to receive needed initial and follow-up care and minimizes missed school time.”

Soleimanpour's research focuses on the impacts of school health services on child and adolescent health and education outcomes. She currently leads a longstanding evaluation of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in Alameda County, California and has led research on SBHCs at the state and national levels. She also partners with the California Department of Education, as well as county offices of education and school districts throughout the state, to evaluate their educational services for youth experiencing homelessness and school-based mental health initiatives.
IHPS Faculty Spotlight
Melanie Molina, MD, MAS is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Affiliated Faculty at the UCSF Institute for Health Policy Studies. She works clinically as an emergency physician at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and UCSF Medical Center, and as a health services researcher within the UCSF School of Medicine. Her research interests are unified by three goals: 1) to mitigate disparities in health care access, 2) to improve comprehensive emergency care for vulnerable populations, and 3) to create a safe and equitable environment in the field of emergency medicine, such that its workforce begins to reflect the diverse population for which it cares.
Current Issues: Drug Pricing
A recent Washington Post article discusses how pharmaceutical giants are mounting a vigorous legal battle against President Biden’s plan to lower seniors’ prescription drug costs, urging federal judges here and around the country to invalidate a new program that aims to reduce the price of medications for high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

IHPS researchers examine drug pricing in a variety of aspects. Sanket Dhruva, MD, MHS recently looked at drug pricing in hospitals. In a New England Journal of Medicine article, Dhruva and his colleagues shared findings from their study that showed that hospitals imposed large price markups and retained a substantial share of total insurer spending on physician-administered drugs for patients with private insurance. The effects were especially large for hospitals eligible for discounts under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program on acquisition costs paid to manufacturers.

Tracy Lin, PhD, Leslie Wilson, PhD and colleagues looked at compounded medications being overprescribed, leading to questions about safety and necessity for high use and cost. In a Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy article Lin, Wilson and their colleagues published their findings that the average cost of California Workers' Compensation System (CAWCS)-the largest U.S. workers' compensation system - pharmacy- and physician-dispensed compounded medications consistently increased. Various factors may have influenced this increase, but California legislation to require compounded medicines be billed at individual ingredient cost (AB 378) did not achieve its full regulatory intent to standardize billing and reimbursement and control cost.
Upcoming Events
Beyond Community: Exclusionary School Discipline and Childhood Adversity


IHPS Health Policy Grand Rounds
Thalia Gonzalez, JD
UC School of the Law
Apr 2, 2024, 12 - 1 pm PT
In-person - Mission Hall, 2103; Zoom here
Research Highlights




Media Mentions
Philip R. Lee Fellowship Fund Endowed
Since its founding 50 years ago, IHPS has been dedicated to training the next generation of leaders in interdisciplinary research to solve our most important health policy issues. In celebration of our 50th anniversary and to honor our founders, Phil Lee and Lew Butler, we established an endowment fund for the Philip R. Lee Fellowship. We are pleased to announce the fund has been endowed! We hope to continue to keep this fund and our fellowship program robust. Please consider donating at our dedicated webpage!