In This Issue

Damon Davis directs the Health Data Initiative in the Chief Technology Office at HHS. Here, he talks about the important role his department plays in using data to reduce costs and improve our healthcare system, as well as the important role electronic medical records will play in the Affordable Care Act.

ONAP Director Grant Colfax, M.D., empowers us with more information about the HIV Care Continuum Initiative that President Obama rolled out earlier this month.

Many experts describe New York State as the "poster child" for how dramatically prices can decline when a state implements the individual mandate. Our friends at Kaiser Health News report.

A new study shows that lack of insurance, or housing, or being young are associated with low rates of viral suppression among those newly diagnosed with HIV in San Francisco.

And if you haven't seen the move Fruitvale Station -- the groundbreaking account of the last day of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old, unarmed, Black man who was shot in the back by an Oakland police officer – we recommend that you do. Not only for the beautiful way that the movie tells Grant's story, but also for how it humanizes the life of one young Black man – one whom some might negatively stereotype.

Yours in the struggle,

Raniyah M. Copeland