Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum – Dec. 4-6, 2023
Aligning for Health is pleased to partner with RISE for our second annual Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum, which will be held in Washington, D.C. on December 4-6, 2023.
The conference is adding new speakers and panels every day, and we are thrilled to garner insights from the White House, CDC, CMS, HUD, and FCC as well as other industry leaders. Registration is taking off, so secure your spot now via the registration link below!
Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum – Nov. 28-30, 2022
Aligning for Health was pleased to partner with RISE on the inaugural Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum, which took place November 28-30, 2022 in Washington, D.C.
The event brought together more than 250 policymakers, policy experts, and practitioners from across the health and social services sectors to engage with government leaders about policies that address the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes and funding opportunities to increase coordination and improve well-being and whole-person care.
The conference kicked off with volunteers helping to pack nearly 16,000 meals with U.S. Hunger on Monday, November 28, which were donated to the Capital Area Food Bank. The first full day of the conference featured keynote remarks from the White House, CDC, and CMS, as well as other industry leaders. Day two featured discussions on federal cross-sector partnerships with officials from HHS, HUD, CMS, FCC, and USDA and on partnerships with health and social service providers with speakers from ONC, ACL, and the Gravity Project. We rounded out the conference hearing about insights from the Congressional SDoH Caucus and the latest national legislation related to SDoH from congressional staffers. Read on below to view the final agenda with all the incredible speakers from throughout the conference, and to read key takeaways from this impactful event!
November 28, 2022
November 29, 2022
November 30, 2022
AFH Holds Briefing on Coordinating Funding & Data to Address SDOH
Addressing social determinants of health requires coordinating services, benefits, and care across both the health care and social services sectors. Often, the funding and administration of each of these programs is siloed, with minimal flexibility to leverage health care funding to pay for social needs, or to share data across programs on eligibility, enrollment, or utilization of services. Organizations across the country have long worked to close these gaps and find ways to coordinate across sectors, and recently there has been growing interest in aligning incentives and providing more flexibility and opportunities for programs to collaborate.
- Dr. Sandra Ford, Special Assistant to the President for Public Health and Science at the White House
- Erica Coletti, CEO, Healthy Alliance
- Sue Polis, Director, Health & Wellness, National League of Cities
- Amy Riegel, Executive Director, Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio (COHHIO)
- Krista Drobac, Co-Chair, Aligning for Health (moderator)
Congressional SDOH Caucus – Briefing on Addressing Food Insecurity & Nutrition as a SDOH
On July 13, 2022, the Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus held a briefing to highlight the drivers and health impacts of food insecurity, highlight best practices in helping to connect individuals with access to healthy food, and explore potential policy approaches to alleviate the impact of food insecurity.
The webinar featured remarks from Caucus Members Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Tom Cole (R-OK), G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Jim McGovern (D-MA). Rep. McGovern spoke about the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health which is set to take place this September. Additional details on the Conference and how to get involved can be found here. The webinar was moderated by Aligning for Health Co-Chair Krista Drobac, and featured remarks from panelists across the health and social services sectors on best practices and models around food as an SDOH, as well as their recommendations for what Congress and the Administration can do to address this issue to improve health outcomes.
Guest panelists included:
- Chris Bernard, Executive Director, Hunger Free Oklahoma
- Crystal Clark, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, UPMC Community HealthChoices, UPMC Health Plan
- Karlen Sandall, Digital Health Worker Manager, OSF OnCall, OSF Healthcare
- Will Sellers, Executive Director, Wholesome Wave Georgia
Panelist bios can be found here. The slides used in the briefing can be found here, and the recording of the briefing can be found here.
Congressional SDOH Caucus – Briefing on Expanding Access to Transportation to Advance Health
On October 21, 2021, the Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus held its first briefing event to highlight best practices and innovative models related to transportation as a social determinant of health.
The webinar featured remarks from Caucus Members Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Salud Carbajal (D-CA). Aligning for Health Co-Chair Krista Drobac moderated the event. The briefing also featured remarks from panelists from across sectors on best practices and models around transportation that are working to address social needs, what is needed to enhance or replicate those models, and what Congress can do to accelerate this work and address transportation barriers to improve health outcomes for all.
Guest Panelists included:
- Jeffrey Nelson, Chair, American Public Transportation Association, and CEO/Managing Director, Rock Island County Mass Transit District, Moline, IL
- Edward P. Ehlinger, MD, MSPH, Past President of ASTHO and former Minnesota State Health Commissioner
- Nebeyou Abebe, Senior Vice President of Social Determinants of Health, Highmark Health
- Kathy Chan, Director of Policy, Cook County Health
- Krista Drobac, Co-Chair, Aligning for Health (moderator)
A recording of the webinar can be found here.
Launch of the Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus – Webinar Recording
On July 21, Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Tom Cole (R-OK), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) held a public webinar to launch the bipartisan Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus.
Aligning for Health is proud to support the bipartisan Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus. The webinar featured remarks from the bipartisan caucus co-chairs, Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Tom Cole (R-OK), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), along with panel remarks from the following experts on the value this caucus will bring to addressing SDOH from the health and community-based organization perspective:
- Kevin Washington, President and CEO, YMCA of the USA
- Karin VanZant, Vice President, National Social Determinants of Health Strategy, CareSource
- Krista Drobac, Co-Chair, Aligning for Health (moderator)
The Congressional Social Determinants of Health Caucus will bring together Members of Congress from disparate jurisdictions to highlight opportunities for coordination across federal investments in health, public health, food, housing, transportation, and other important drivers of health.
Caucus members are requesting comments from stakeholders through September 21 on challenges and opportunities related to social determinants of health.
Introduction of the LINC to Address Social Needs Act – Webinar Recording
Recorded on February 25, 2021
Introduction of the LINC to Address Social Needs Act Slides
Aligning for Health is proud to support the Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities (LINC) to Address Social Needs Act of 2021, soon to be introduced in Congress by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Chris Murphy (D-CT). Aligning for Health held a webinar to celebrate the launch of this important legislation. The webinar featured remarks from bill sponsors Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), along with panel remarks from the following experts in health equity and social determinants of health:
- Sue Brogan, Chief Operating Officer & Alaska 2-1-1, United Way of Anchorage
- Virginia Barnes, Director, Blue Health Initiatives, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas
- Anne Diamond, President, Bridgeport Hospital and Executive Vice President, Yale New Haven Health System
The LINC to Address Social Needs Act will provide seed funding to States to establish statewide or regional public-private partnerships to better coordinate health care and social services, leveraging local expertise and technology to overcome longstanding challenges in linking people to health, food, housing, child development, job training, and transportation supports and services.
Resources on the LINC to Address Social Needs Act
- Bill text
- Section-by-section
- One-pager
- FAQ
- Press release from Sen. Sullivan (R-AK)
- Press release from Sen. Murphy (D-CT)
- Press release from Aligning for Health
- LINC website
For more information on the LINC to Address Social Needs Act, contact Aligning for Health at info@aligningforhealth.org.
Social Determinants of Health Congressional Briefing
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Aligning for Health co-hosted a virtual congressional briefing on December 15, 2020. The virtual briefing featured current Congressional staffers who highlighted opportunities in the 117th Congress to support effective and innovative approaches to Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs).
SDOHs are the social and economic conditions – such as those in transportation, housing, employment, food security, and education – that influence individual and community health. SDOHs are receiving increased attention from insurance companies, hospitals, healthcare systems, and governmental agencies interested in health outcomes and controlling costs. Now more than ever, centering cross-sector, public health strategies and funding can build strong foundations for effective, long-term solutions to improve health and potentially drive down health care costs. Some recent legislation that addresses some of these issues include the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2019 (H.R. 4004/ S. 2986) and the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020 (H.R. 6561/S. 4440)
- Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020 Fact Sheet
- Improving Social Determinants of Health Act Bill Text: H.R. 6561, S. 4440
- Social Determinants Accelerator Act Summaries: H.R 4004, S. 2986
- Social Determinants Accelerator Act Bill Text: H.R. 4004, S. 2986
- Daphne Delgado, Senior Government Relations Manager, Trust for America’s Health
- Melissa Quick, Co-Chair, Aligning for Health
- Kristin Flukey, Legislative Assistant, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05)
- Shane Hand, Legislative Assistant, Rep. Tom Cole, (R-OK-04)
- Joshua Izaak, Legislative Director, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44)
- Kripa Sreepada, Health Policy Advisor, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN)
- Liam Steadman, Senior Policy Advisor, Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17)
For more information on the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act, contact Daphne Delgado, ddelgado@tfah.org. For more information on the Social Determinants Accelerator Act, contact Melissa Quick MQuick@AligningForHealth.org.
Co-Chair Melissa Quick Speaks at Brookings Institution Town Hall on the Implications of the Election for Progress on Addressing Social Determinants of Health
As part of the Building Healthy Neighborhoods project at Brookings, this webinar assesses how the results of the 2020 election might impact efforts to advance SDOH. Our panelists provide their views and expertise to respond to questions. Co-Chair of Aligning for Health Melissa Quick was a panelist at the town hall, discussing how Congress has approached addressing social determinants and how the new Congress and Administration may address social determinants and health disparities in 2021.
Aligning for Social and Health Needs in the Community
Aligning for Health and the American Hospital Association are pleased to host a webinar exploring how three leading health systems have worked to improve community health and to address health and social needs. In this webinar, you will learn about innovations and best practices, the impact of COVID-19, and the outlook moving forward. The slides from the webinar are posted here, and a full video of the webinar is featured below.
Additional responses to participant questions that were not answered live can be found here.
Addressing Health and Social Needs through Value-Based Care Webinar
| Aligning for Health is pleased to host a webinar on the intersection of health and social needs through value-based care. During this webinar, you will hear from leading health care organizations about how they are designing and leveraging value-based care arrangements to better address health and social needs among beneficiaries.
Our speakers will discuss the incentives that value-based care provides to address social needs as well as the challenges of implementing and scaling these arrangements. Speakers:
The slides from the webinar can be found here. |
Connecting Health and Social Needs in New York During the Pandemic Webinar Recording
Yesterday, Aligning for Health held a webinar on connecting health and social needs in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring speakers from Unite Us, Fidelis Care and Alliance for Better Health. Watch the full webinar below and click here for the slides: