Franklin resident Diane Grich admits she was surprised when she was asked if she would like to try acupuncture instead of a more invasive medical procedure to address the chronic lower back pain that had troubled her off and on for 17 years; she chose acupuncture.

While there has been much effort to control spending for individuals eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare in the United States, for the first time a team of Vanderbilt health policy researchers have analyzed spending trends for this population over a multiyear period in order to gain a much clearer understanding of exactly how much is being spent and by whom.

Although cystic fibrosis (CF) has long been known as a pediatric disease, physicians and scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are providing specialized care for an ever-growing population of adults with CF, as well as conducting targeted research expected to improve treatment for these patients.

Griffin Rodgers, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), was a special guest during the 10th annual NIDDK Medical Student Research Symposium held earlier this month on the Vanderbilt University campus.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been named to the ‘Honor Roll’ of the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News and World Report in their 2018-2019 ranking of ‘America’s Best Hospitals.’ VUMC is one of only 20 hospitals nationwide to earn this distinction.

As both drug prices and out-of-pocket expense for prescription medications continue to climb, a team of Health Policy experts at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) have received a grant to determine if these factors are causing older Americans enrolled in Medicare Part D for medication coverage to delay or never fill their prescriptions.