Hello again and welcome back to Community Health Roundup, your source for the latest and greatest in health news! This week I have some very interesting articles that (unintentionally) all revolve around social determinants of health in one way or another. From a clinic in North Carolina, to six in California, and everything in between, we are going on a road trip across America to learn about the impact of social determinants of health and how clinics are addressing them. So please, fasten your seatbelt and read on!
Community health centers are vital sources of care to many individuals. But what happens when that source of care is no longer there? Read (or listen) about the impact of a health center closing from North Carolina Public Radio.
One of my favorite types of articles is where a clinic is doing a new and innovative method to address social determinants of health. So imagine my surprise when I came across an article that discusses not one clinic, but six in the LA area that are going above and beyond to help their patient population. Read about these six clinics and the work they are doing.
A pilot project occurring in 10 states and Puerto Rico is finding when outreach and social services are provided to patients, the patients health improves and the states save on Medicaid spending. Read more about the project here.
Addressing social needs cannot occur by only one organization, it requires the collaboration of multiple organizations with specific focuses working in tandem to improve the health and well being of patients. In this spirit of collaboration “the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nonprofit Finance Fund, the Center for Health Care Strategies, and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities worked together through the Partnership for Healthy Outcomes to capture insights on partnerships between health care organizations and CBOs, particularly those that serve low-income and/or vulnerable populations.” Read about four of these partnerships here.
About the Author
William Jacob Amadeus Pinnock is a Research Coordinator at OCHIN where he assists with the creation, execution, and dissemination of research projects. He graduated with an MS in Communication from Portland State University where he focused on health communication, rural mass media, and qualitative research methods. He has experience working in commercial health insurance, healthcare research, and radio broadcasting. In his spare time, he is an Adjunct Instructor at Portland State University helping students master the art of public speaking.
