Social Needs

The White House has released a playbook centered on addressing social circumstances and related environmental hazards and exposures impacting health outcomes, often referred to as social determinants of health (SDOH). This guide acknowledges the intricate connection between these factors and their influence on individuals' well-being and lays out an initial set of structural actions federal agencies are undertaking to break down these silos and to support equitable health outcomes for individuals and communities. The Playbook sets the stage for agencies and organizations to re-imagine new policies and actions around SDOH, both inside and outside of government....

Patient and staff-reported measures are a key way to assess the quality and experience of care for people with complex needs. CHCS worked with health care organizations to test new measures for understanding patient and staff experiences related to well-being, equity, goals of care, and care integration. This brief explores insights from the Center for the Urban Child and Healthy Family at Boston Medical Center, Hill Country Community Clinic, and Denver Health, which used these measures to assess quality within their organizations.

This new communications resource, developed by CHCS and the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers’ National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, identifies clear and consistent language that can help strengthen the complex care community. The language represented in the guide reflects perspectives of stakeholders and people with lived experiences, and is intended to support providers, program leaders, consumer advocates and communications professionals in developing complex care approaches.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Academy for State Health Policy created a resource that explains the funding sources available to states for meeting the health-related social needs of low-income persons. The publication specifically brings attention to funding sources that states can use to help adult high-cost/high-need residents live.