GNYHA launched a multi-part learning series on social determinants of health with the March 6 briefing Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Health Care Systems. New York State Department of Health (DOH) Deputy Medicaid Director Elizabeth Misa detailed DOH’s newly formed Bureau of Social Determinants of Health, which DOH formed in December 2017 after recognizing the trend of tackling stressors such as lack of housing, domestic violence, and food insecurity impacting health care service delivery. The Bureau plans to participate in ongoing initiatives to address social determinants of health within the context of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, value-based payment implementation, and the Medicaid Redesign Team supportive housing program.
Montefiore Health System’s Vice President of Community and Population Health, Amanda Parsons, MD, discussed the use of social needs screening tools in the outpatient setting. Dr. Parsons detailed Montefiore Health System’s pathway to developing and implementing the tools, and how the health system began aggregating screening results to better understand social needs at the neighborhood level. She also discussed the technology being implemented to facilitate referrals to local community-based organizations to address needs identified via the screening process.
The learning series is part of GNYHA’s project Improving Collaboration between Primary Care Residency Programs and Community-Based Organizations (funded by the New York State Health Foundation) and other efforts to support members’ social determinants of health-related activities. The series continues through 2018 with programs on topics such as interventions for vulnerable populations, addressing the needs of pediatric populations and their families, and developing Medical-Legal Partnerships.