Foundations take active role on health policy

Frustrated that years of financing studies and demonstration projects have not translated into widespread improvement in medicine, California philanthropic foundations and think tanks are crusading for healthcare reform in the state Capitol and in Congress. Several of the biggest foundations have established offices in Sacramento and staffed them with experienced former advisors to lawmakers, with the aim of educating legislators to embrace their ideas. The approach is a change in the foundation world, which in the past has maintained an academic distance from the political arena.