Recognizing communication barriers between family caregivers and health care providers, Levine works with both sides to ensure that caregivers understand health-related options for their loved ones.As the director of the United Hospital Fund’s Families and Health Care Project, Levine works to alleviate the challenges facing family caregivers – relatives, partners, friends, and neighbors. “Family caregivers are the glue that is holding the health care system together, albeit tenuously,” says Levine, who has written extensively on family caregiving. Since 2006, she has focused much of her work on the Families and Health Care Project’s Next Step in Care initiative, which aims to create smoother transitions for patients moving between health care settings by increasing communication between family caregivers and health care providers. Next Step in Care has created 18 Web-based caregiver guides and checklists available in English, Spanish and Chinese and three guides for providers. In 2010 Levine will be working with About 50 health care organizations in New York City to test ways to incorporate Next Step materials into their practices. The materials, which have garnered positive reviews, include guides for caregivers on hospital-to-home discharge and medication management and, for providers, a guide on assessing caregivers’ needs.