What happens after a patient leaves the doctor's office is just as important, if not more so, as what takes place during the visit itself. But bridging that gap between the clinic and community is a major challenge for healthcare and community providers alike.

In an effort to close the divide, the CMS Innovation Center said Thursday it will give up to $120 million to 32 organizations selected to participate in its Accountable Health Communities model. Over five years, the groups will serve as test hubs helping Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with health-related social needs including housing instability, food insecurity, domestic violence and transportation.

The three-track model aims to reduce unnecessary healthcare utilization in order to drive down spending, while also improving outcomes and quality of care for patients. Model participants will work to improve community-clinical collaboration by screening beneficiaries for unmet social needs, referring them to the right services or helping them navigate and access those services. They also work to ensure that community services are available and responsive to beneficiaries.

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The city has a new web platform to find out what residents want from their government. 

On Wednesday, Mayor Catherine Pugh announced that Open City Hall is live on the city’s website.

The platform from Peak Democracy offers surveys that allow residents to weigh in on their views and priorities. All city departments will be able to use the platform to poll residents, but it’s starting in three areas.

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The Baltimore City Health Department is seeking views on equity issues, and the role that health plays in issues such as violence, addiction and housing.

“We know that there are neighborhoods in our city that are just a few miles apart where the life expectancy can differ by 20 years, and yet we also have the medical institutions in the world that are right here in our backyard,” said Health Commissioner Leana Wen. “So we know that health is not just about the healthcare that you get.”

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President Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to increase federal efforts to confront opioid addiction as his administration created a commission to study ways to expand treatment programs across the nation.

In a meeting with recovering addicts and advocates at the White House, the president said opioid and heroin addiction had become "a crippling problem" and he repeatedly said he was frustrated the issue hadn't received more attention.

"Drug cartels have spread their deadly industry across our nation, and the availability of cheap narcotics, some of it comes in cheaper than candy, has devastated our communities," said Trump, who also raised the issue during his campaign last year. "Nobody really wants to talk about it."

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"Any attention to the public health emergency of opioid addiction is important; hearing the president talk about addressing the opioid crisis is important," said Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore's health commissioner.

"But we need to move beyond rhetoric," she said. "We know what works when it comes to treating the disease of addiction. We now need the resources to be able to combat this epidemic."

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