There is a growing understanding in Texas and across the country that social determinants of health (SDOH) such as housing, transportation, education, and economic opportunity play a critical role in shaping health for individuals and communities. In
response, healthcare organizations—in partnership with community-based organizations and other stakeholders—are developing a range of strategies to identify and respond to patient/member social needs.
Many of the strategies center around developing data-driven, integrated models to: facilitate timely, accessible, and responsive services; improve patient and provider experience; and achieve improved outcomes. Research and narratives from the field make it clear that developing such models requires careful systems and relationship building.
In partnership with the United Healthcare, the Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) and Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI), we are launching a 12-month learning collaborative with over 100 provider sites from across Houston and Austin to strengthen the ability of healthcare organizations to collaboratively assess and address patient social needs.
The goals of the learning collaborative are to:
• Share best practices and problem-solve barriers to improve existing efforts to address patient social needs.
• Learn from case examples in Texas and across the country.
• Inform changes in state regulatory policy that would support effective response to social needs.
• Network with individuals and teams who are also working on improving the health of their patients and communities.
We strive to build lasting relationships to produce better health outcomes for all.
