Population Health Management

How Do Healthcare Workers Face Social Determinants of Health?

by Sara Heath

Many healthcare workers experience social determinants of health, with new data published in Health Affairs particularly outlining disparities in food insecurity between healthcare support staff and...

Social Determinants of Health Affect Mobility, Disability Status

by Sara Heath

Older adults living in low-income or otherwise disadvantaged neighborhoods become disabled about two years before those living in more affluent areas, underscoring how neighborhood—and its link...

How Convenient Care Access, Scheduling Closes Gaps in Care

by Sara Heath

Like nearly every other healthcare organization, the Indiana- and Michigan-based Beacon Health System is eyeing the gaps in care opened during the pandemic carefully. But in addition to the targeted...

What Is the Social Vulnerability Index, How Does it Measure SDOH?

by Sara Heath

By now, most of healthcare is on the same page about the social determinants of health. These factors related to where patients work, live, and play can have a profound impact on their ability to...

HHS Boosts Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for Vulnerable Populations

by Samantha McGrail

HHS recently announced that it will help to expand critical access to COVID-19 vaccines among older adults and people with disabilities. HHS, along with the CDC and the Administration for Community...

Strategies to Address Housing as a Social Determinant of Health

by Sara Heath

Healthcare organizations looking to address housing insecurity and housing quality as key social determinants of health can look at their mission as a three-tiered roadmap, according to Kelly Kelleher,...

Top Social Determinants of Health Barring Patient Care Access

by Sara Heath

Convenient and comprehensive patient care access is the hallmark of good patient engagement and healthcare. But far too often, key roadblocks get in the way of that seamless access, including a number...

What Is the Healthcare Cost of Racial Health Disparities, Inequity?

by Sara Heath

There is a considerable human and healthcare cost that could have been avoided at the onset of COVID-19 had more been done to ameliorate eventual racial health disparities, amounting to thousands of...

3 Key Best Practices for Public Health Communication, Education

by Sara Heath

When an emergency strikes, like a global pandemic or a devastating natural disaster, mass education and direction becomes crucial. Federal, state, and local leadership lean on public health...

How Healthcare Is Starting to Heal Damaged Black Patient Trust

by Sara Heath

2020 has been defined by more than just COVID-19. For many, it’s been a year of uncomfortable truths, of acknowledgment and unlearning of implicit biases. In healthcare, 2020 has pushed providers to ask themselves tough questions,...

Racial Health Disparities Worsened Over 20-Year Period

by Sara Heath

Racial health disparities have only gotten worse in the past twenty years, new data shows, despite Congressional and research efforts to better understand and mitigate disparities. The study,...

Do Sanctuary Hospitals Boost Undocumented Patient Access to Care?

by Sara Heath

Healthcare organizations with cultures of inclusivity and that focus on delivering care to traditionally marginalized populations may be well-positioned to circumvent care access or utilization issues...

What Is Implicit Bias, How Does It Affect Healthcare?

by Sara Heath

The recent focus on racial health disparities and health equity has brought to the forefront another key concept in healthcare delivery and patient care: implicit bias. Implicit bias, a phrase that is...

How Do Social Determinants of Health Affect Patient Wellness?

by Sara Heath

The social determinants of health garnered a lot of attention once it became evident they can impact value-based care success. As healthcare providers worked to promote overall health and wellness and...

Why Teamwork Is Key to Addressing Social Determinants of Health

by Sara Heath

“It takes a village” takes on a whole new meaning when you apply it to healthcare. For Desha Dickson, associate vice president of Community Wellness at Reading Hospital, it takes a literal...

What is the Difference Between Health Disparities, Equity?

by Sara Heath

Health disparities and health equity are two phrases that have often been used interchangeably to refer to the fact that some populations are able to achieve health and wellness more easily than...

The Difference Between Community Health, Community-Based Health

by Sara Heath

As value-based care and outcomes-based reimbursement increasingly become a reality in healthcare, medical professionals have leaned on key strategies to prevent acute healthcare episodes and boost the...

How Rurality, Social Determinants of Health Affect Care Access

by Sara Heath

Having an address in a rural area could mean a patient needs more than just better access to care. According to new research out of the Mayo Clinic, it could also mean that patient experiences the...

Does Hospital Religious Affiliation Impact Patient Access to Care?

by Sara Heath

Although religious affiliation is not a consideration during patient access to care, most patients agree their preferences should take precedence over a healthcare organization’s religious or...

Who Are the Key Players in Social Determinants of Health Strategy?

by Sara Heath

The healthcare industry has come to a consensus that the social determinants of health and population health are essential considerations for delivering on value-based care. But it takes a village, as...