This weekly bulletin is provided by The Root Cause Coalition to provide news and information on the social determinants of health, as well as a snapshot of the Coalition’s activities.
The Root Cause Coalition provides this weekly update to draw attention to our members’ social determinants of health (SDoH) activities, SDoH in the news and the ever-growing challenges faced by our most vulnerable communities. We encourage you to share SDoH-focused research, events and other resources with us so that we can promote it through our TRCC network. Our aim is to foster an exchange of information that is helpful to others so that those most in need - on whose behalf we work each day - can continue to receive information, access and services to improve health and quality of life. If you have information to share, please email us: contact@rootcausecoalition.org.
TRCC News and Upcoming Events
It's Not Too Late to Register for the National Summit! Don’t miss out! Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on September 30th! Click here to register for TRCC’s 6th National Summit on the Social Determinants of Health, held virtually October 4-6, 2021. With a focus on how the events of the last year-and-a-half have underscored the urgency to address social determinants to achieve health equity, the agenda for this year’s National Summit will bring together leaders in healthcare, community and faith-based organizations, researchers, government leaders, educators and businesses to share best practices, offer community connections and resources and engage in the crucial discussion of how to best address the social determinants of health, including a focus on systemic racism. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsors, AARP Foundation and ProMedica. And thank you to Robert Wood Johnson for sponsoring TRCC’s “Voices from the Field” initiative, a forthcoming series of video footage focused on individual voices of those affected by social determinants of health. If you are interested in learning about sponsorship opportunities at this year’s National Summit, please contact Madison Flores at mflores@rootcausecoalition.org. National Summit Student Scholarship Application Closes Today, September 27th! Applications for the ‘Vision for Health Equity Scholarship,’ covering the full registration costs of the Virtual National Summit, close at 11:59PST tonight! Medical residents, graduate or undergraduate students pursuing a degree, coursework or career in a field related to health equity or the social determinants of health are encouraged to apply and join us for this year's event. To learn more and complete your application, please click here. Last Week’s TRCC Webinar Now Available Online Last week TRCC hosted a webinar entitled “Towards the North Star of Health Equity: Lessons Learned from Healthcare-CBO Partnerships.” A special thank you to Deidre Flynn from the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Alaya Martin and Dana Jean-Baptiste from Mathematica and Anthony Haro from the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless for sharing their expertise and experiences with all of us. If you missed the live event, click here to watch a recording of the full presentation.
Social Determinants in the News
Prescribing tomatoes and carrots could help some Americans eat better This article highlights the work of the Local Food Hub, a produce prescription program in Charlottesville, Virginia and explores the history of the ‘farmacy’ movement which directly connects food to health. These programs have been shown to help change consumption and behavior which can in turn improve health outcomes and help lower healthcare costs. Providence Launches national foundation for ‘future of health’ innovation, equity and more Providence, a large nonprofit health system, announced the creation of a national foundation to address complex and systemic healthcare challenges across the United States. The foundation’s funding priorities include programs and policies that encourage whole person care and innovation, improve health outcomes in vulnerable communities and advance health equity. New Al Model Predicts Social Determinants of Health Risk A new artificial intelligence model can help predict a patient’s SDoH risk factors. Healthcare providers can utilize a patient’s SDoH Index Score to create and develop personalized strategies that address social health barriers while also improving efficiency and costs. AAMC Launches center to tackle health inequities The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has launched the AAMC Center for Health Justice. The center will conduct research, draft policy recommendations, and create on-the-ground programs to connect local communities working to advance health equity. Year one priorities include maternal health disparities, collecting data that will help to eradicate inequities and facilitating collaboration among cross-sector experts.
SDOH Advocacy Update
Reconciliation Process Continues House Leadership is still assembling the final Build Back Better Act, a human infrastructure package being developed and considered through the reconciliation process. Twelve House authorizing committees completed their markups in mid-September and the package includes a wide range of significant investments related to SDoH, especially in the Ways & Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor Committees. From the start, this package has been linked with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in August. The plan has been that these two pieces of legislation would move together along a dual track; however, this plan is now in question as the reconciliation package is not yet complete and September 27th is the scheduled date for a vote on the IIJA. At the time of publication, no changes to this schedule have been made but the reconciliation process is likely to extend into the month of October as negotiations continue.
H.R. 5307 - Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 Introduced by Representative Cori Bush [D-MO], this bill would grant the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) permanent authority to implement a residential eviction moratorium. This residential eviction moratorium would be automatic and is in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The moratorium would remain in effect for at least 60 days following the conclusion of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
H.R.4587 - Value in Health Care Act of 2021 This bill, introduced by Representative Peter Welch [D-VT], would make changes to the program parameters of Medicare’s Alternative Payment Models (APMs). These changes would increase participation in value-based health programs that are designed to improve the quality of care and health outcomes for seniors while also lowering costs. The bill would increase shared savings rates that Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) receive, remove barriers to ACO participation and incentivize APM participation by providing enhanced bonuses. The legislation would also direct the Government Accountability Office to study the impact of value-based care models on racial health disparities. The bill was referred to the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees.
S.2630 - Environmental Justice Act of 2021 This bill was introduced by Senator Cory Booker [D-NJ] to address and eliminate the disproportionate environmental and human health impacts on communities of color and indigenous and low-income communities. Among a wide range of measures, the bill would establish a Working Group on Environmental Justice that provides guidance to federal agencies when identifying disproportionately high adverse health and environmental effects based on race, color, national origin, or income. The bill would also require federal agencies to implement and regularly update a strategy that addresses negative environmental and health impacts on communities of color and indigenous and low-income communities. It was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The Root Cause Coalition Member Spotlight
Curbside Groceries expands to Prince George’s County, MD DC-based Capital Area Food bank has expanded its mobile grocery truck into Prince George’s County, Maryland. The grocery truck provides affordable and nutritious food to communities with limited retail grocery options. The truck contains a full market including high quality produce, fish, meat, dairy, and personal care items. Curbside Groceries first began its operations in DC’s Ward 8 in January 2020 and has since served more than 1,250 customers.
Comments