Aligning for Health is a membership association which, with the support of our members and Advisory Board, brings a team of federal and state administration experts to address the issues that challenge the common purpose of our members – the need for efficient, integrated and coordinated programs to better improve health outcomes for Americans.
Aligning for Health is made up of stakeholders who recognize that health is more than just access to medical services, and that government programs promoting well-being, especially among low-income Americans, may be able
to more effectively address overall health with integration.

Non-clinical factors – such as housing, food, income, employment, education and transportation – have the potential to contribute to health outcomes more than clinical care. Research suggests that only 20% of variation in health outcomes are a result of clinical care, whereas non-medical drivers of health like poverty, employment, and education can influence up to 50% of health outcomes (ASPE, 2022).

Through a combination of research, policy development, advocacy, and thought leadership, Aligning for Health energizes stakeholders and policymakers around the need for strategies and sustainable financing models that achieve better health outcomes for beneficiaries, improve program effectiveness, and lower health care costs.

Krista Drobac, MPP | Chair

Krista Drobac is the Chair of Aligning for Health, an advocacy coalition is a collective voice to advance innovative strategies that address the social determinants of health through legislation, regulation, and public awareness. AFH brings together a team of federal and state experts to address the issues that challenge the common purpose of our members – the need for integrated and coordinated cross-sector programs to improve health outcomes for Americans. Krista previously directed the Health Division at the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices. Prior to NGA, she was a Senior Advisor at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) working in Medicaid and private insurance regulation. She also served as Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and spent five years on Capitol Hill where she was a health advisor to the Minority Whip Senator Dick Durbin, and Senator Debbie Stabenow, a member of the Senate Finance Committee. Krista holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MPP from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

Ashila Jiwani, MS, MBA

​Ashila has experience in the non-profit space, leading advocacy strategies focused on legislation to reduce maternal mortality and increase access to health care for immigrant families. She previously was the Clinical Director for MobileVAX, consulting Community Organized Relief (CORE) Response on best standards, processes, and practices for the vaccination efforts in the state of Georgia. She also piloted the Georgia mobile vaccination clinics for the South-Central Georgia public health districts. Additionally, she has vast experience in grassroots organizing with federal elections. ​

Ashila earned her Master of Science from Georgetown University, her Master in Business Administration from Mercer University, and her Bachelor of Arts from Mercer University. She is trained in political communications strategy by Arena Academy and is also trained as a registered nurse. 

Aligning for Health

Aligning for Health is a membership association which, with the support of our members and Advisory Board, advocates for solutions that address the common challenge of our members – the need for more integrated and coordinated programs to better improve health outcomes for Americans.

The AFH team:

  1. Assesses current opportunities for coordination of relevant health and human service programs across the federal government, such as housing, food assistance, workforce training, transportation and Medicaid.
  2. Identifies successful state- and locally-developed cross-sector models addressing non-medical drivers of health, and reviewed the role of the private sector and charitable initiatives in such models.
  3. Meets with county and state officials to understand the challenges and barriers they face in addressing the whole-person needs of high-cost patients.
  4. Build and execute on an advocacy campaign to support solutions to address social determinants.
  5. Cultivates supportive Governors and state and local officials.
  6. Lobbies the Trump Administration and Congress.
  7. Educates interested stakeholders.
  8. Works with agencies at the state and federal level to assist in developing Social Determinants Accelerator Plans.
 
Aligning for Health has developed an Advisory Board of leading experts on social determinants and groups representing states and counties, consumers, and housing, nutrition, public health and mental health programs. The Advisory Board will provide advice and recommendations to Aligning for Health as it continues to advance its policy proposals.

Advisory Board Members:

AFH One-Pager