/ en Sat, 26 Apr 2025 10:35:49 -0500 Wed, 11 Jan 23 09:30:17 -0600 <div class="container"><div class="col-md-8"><p>As cornerstones of their communities, hospitals and health systems play a role in addressing societal factors that influence the health of the patients and communities they serve. Focusing on societal factors benefits patient care and serves as an avenue to meet hospitals’ strategic goals including improving quality and outcomes, reducing costs, and building community engagement and trust.</p><p>The AHA’s <a href="/system/files/media/file/2024/09/SocietalFactorsFramework_Fall2024.pdf">Societal Factors that Influence Health Framework</a> is designed to guide hospitals’ strategies to identify patients' social needs, the social drivers of health in their communities and the systemic causes that lead disparities in health outcomes so all stakeholders can take action around these critical issues.</p><h2>Societal Factors That Influence Health: A Framework for Hospitals</h2><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-09/societal-factors-framework-2024.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Societal Factors that Influence Health: A Framework for Hospitals. Three circles of different sizes with the small circle inside the medium circle, which are both inside the large circle. The large circle is labeled Systemic. Systemic Causes: The fundamental causes of the social inequities that lead to poor health. The medium circle is labeled Community. Social Determinants of Health: Underlying social and economic conditions that influence people's ability to be healthy. The small circle is labeled Person. Social Needs: Individuals' non-medical, social or economic circumstances that hinder their ability to stay healthy and/or recover from illness." width="1683" height="1683"></p><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2024/09/SocietalFactorsFramework_Fall2024.pdf" download="file" target="_blank">Explore the Framework</a></div></div><div class="col-md-6"><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/news/blog/2020-12-07-addressing-societal-factors-improve-health-equity" target="_blank">Read the Blog</a></div></div></div><hr><h2>AHA Resources</h2><p>Explore AHA’s growing repository of resources to support hospitals and their community stakeholders as they take action to address the societal factors that influence health.<br> </p><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/presentation-resource/2024-12-19-addressing-societal-factors-influence-health-framework-hospitals-and-health-systems"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-12/addressing-societal-factors-influence-health-presentation-cover.png" alt="Presentation: Addressing the Societal Factors that Influence Health: A Framework for Hospitals and Health Systems cover slide" width="706" height="397"></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/presentation-resource/2024-12-19-addressing-societal-factors-influence-health-framework-hospitals-and-health-systems">Addressing the Societal Factors that Influence Health: A Framework for Hospitals and Health Systems</a></h4><p><em>*Members Only*</em></p><p>The AHA’s Societal Factors that Influence Health Framework is designed to guide hospitals’ strategies to identify patients' social needs, the social drivers of health in their communities and the systemic causes that lead to health inequities so all stakeholders can take action around these critical issues. Use this slide deck to foster conversations with your team and community about how your organization can make an impact on the societal factors that influence health.</p><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/presentation-resource/2024-12-19-addressing-societal-factors-influence-health-framework-hospitals-and-health-systems" target="_blank">Download the Presentation</a></div></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/webinar-recordings/2021-06-25-investing-power-teams-address-social-needs"><img src="/sites/default/files/2021-07/hands-image-investing-in-the-power-of-teams-to-address-social-needs-video-6-29-21.JPG" alt="Joining Hands Image" width="383" height="212"></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/webinar-recordings/2021-06-25-investing-power-teams-address-social-needs">Investing in the Power of Teams to Address Social Needs</a></h4><p>Meeting patients’ social needs is a collaborative effort, which requires engagement of various professions from across the health care spectrum and community. Learn how Regional One Health and New-York Presbyterian Hospital improved health outcomes by leveraging specialized skills of care team members to identify and address the social needs of their patients.</p><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/webinar-recordings/2021-06-25-investing-power-teams-address-social-needs" target="_blank">Watch the Video</a></div></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/housingandhealth"><img src="/sites/default/files/2021-03/housing-and-health-roadmap-cover-383x49xpx.png" alt="Housing and Health: A Roadmap for the Future" width="383" height="496"></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/housingandhealth">Housing and Health</a></h4><p>A Roadmap for the Future examines the impact of housing instability on individuals’ health and outlines opportunities and avenues for hospitals to reduce housing instability in their communities. This tool shares strategic considerations for how to tailor a housing strategy to meet community needs and case examples of how hospitals are addressing housing instability during COVID-19.</p></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/toolkitsmethodology/2019-06-05-screening-social-needs-guiding-care-teams-engage-patients"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-06/screening-for-social-needs-cover-296.jpg" width="297" height="385" alt="Screening for Social Needs: Guiding Care Teams to Engage Patients cover."></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/toolkitsmethodology/2019-06-05-screening-social-needs-guiding-care-teams-engage-patients">Screening for Social Needs: Guiding Care Teams to Engage Patients</a></h4><p>Screening for Social Needs: Guiding Care Teams to Engage Patients is a tool to help hospitals and health systems facilitate sensitive conversations with patients about their nonmedical needs that may be a barrier to good health. It is the latest effort by The Value Initiative to promote the field’s work to drive value by lowering cost and improving outcomes.</p><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="https://soundcloud.com/ahahospitals/achi-tvi-podcast" target="_blank">Listen to the Podcast<em><i class="fa fa-external-link fa-fw"><span class="sr-only"><sup>this is an external link</sup></span></i></em></a></div></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/2018-04/value-initiative-icd-10-code-social-determinants-of-health.pdf"><img src="/sites/default/files/2022-01/cover-ICD-10-coding-social-determinants-health.jpg" width="385" height="498" alt="ICD-10-CM Coding for Social Determinants of Health page 1."></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/system/files/2018-04/value-initiative-icd-10-code-social-determinants-of-health.pdf">ICD-10-CM Coding for Social Determinants of Health</a></h4><p>Numerous studies have demonstrated a link between the social determinants of health and key health outcomes. AHA has worked to promote widespread use of ICD-10-CM codes that enable provider to collect data on the social determinants of health.</p><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/advancing-health-podcast/2019-10-02-using-z-codes-address-patient-needs" target="_blank">Listen to the Podcast<em><i class="fa fa-external-link fa-fw"><span class="sr-only"><sup>this is an external link</sup></span></i></em></a></div></div><div class="col-md-6"><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="https://sponsors.aha.org/HFC-Gen-2020-Coding-Webinar-Promotion_.html" target="_blank">Watch the Webinar<em><i class="fa fa-external-link fa-fw"><span class="sr-only"><sup>this is an external link</sup></span></i></em></a></div></div></div></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/case-studies/2022-10-04-using-z-codes-improve-health-equity-rural-indiana"><img src="/sites/default/files/2022-10/cover-using-z-codes-to-improve-health-equity-in-rural-indiana-case-study-297.png" width="288" height="372" alt="Using Z Codes to Improve Health Equity in Rural Indiana page 1."></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/case-studies/2022-10-04-using-z-codes-improve-health-equity-rural-indiana">Using Z Codes to Improve Health Equity in Rural Indiana</a></h4><p>Cameron Memorial Community Hospital, an independent critical access hospital in northeastern Indiana, shares how it embraced the use of ICD-10-CM Z codes to detect and address patients’ social needs as part of the hospital’s health equity strategy.</p></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/interview/2023-01-12-value-based-payment-support-health-equity"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023-01/cover-value-based-payment-to-support-health-equity.png" width="291" height="376" alt="Value-based Payment to Support Health Equity page 1."></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/interview/2023-01-12-value-based-payment-support-health-equity">Value-based Payment to Support Health Equity</a></h4><p>AHA’s The Value Initiative summarizes a conversation among two experts, Amol Navathe, M.D., assistant professor, medical ethics and health policy, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Mai Pham, M.D., president and CEO, Institute for Exceptional Care, about opportunities and challenges in implementing value-based payment models to improve health equity.</p></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/social-determinants-health"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/cover-determinants-health-food-insecurity-role-of-hospitals.jpg" data-entity-uuid="3de56c96-7b72-403a-9957-c4effab88869" data-entity-type="file" alt="Food Insecurity and the Role of Hospitals guide cover" width="671" height="868"></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/social-determinants-health">Social Determinants of Health Guides</a></h4><p>AHA is producing a series of guides on how hospitals can address various social determinants of health. Below are the topics covered to date:</p><ul><li><em>Food Insecurity and the Role of Hospitals</em></li><li><em>Housing and the Role of Hospitals</em></li><li><em>Transportation and the Role of Hospitals</em></li></ul><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/social-determinants-health" target="_blank">Explore the Social Determinants of Health Guides<em><i class="fa fa-external-link fa-fw"><span class="sr-only"><sup>this is an external link</sup></span></i></em></a></div></div></div><hr><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/physicians/SDOH-Main"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-alliance-issue-brief-care-well-SDoH_0.jpg" data-entity-uuid="273072ce-efe4-436f-a720-9d0c0a8fd769" data-entity-type="file" alt="Care Well: Addressing Social Determinants of Health from Bedside to Boardroom page 1" width="561" height="726"></a></div><div class="col-md-8"><h4><a href="/physicians/SDOH-Main">Social Determinants of Health Curriculum for Clinicians</a></h4><p>To help clinicians address social determinants, the AHA’s Physician Alliance created a web-based virtual expedition to train and equip staff with how-to actions and companion resources. Modules include an overview of social determinants, introduction to upstream quality improvement, and a focus on addressing food and housing insecurity as well as transportation.</p><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2019/03/alliance-issue-brief-care%20well%20SDoH_0.pdf" target="_blank">Download the Issue Brief<em><i class="fa fa-external-link fa-fw"><span class="sr-only"><sup>this is an external link</sup></span></i></em></a></div></div></div></div><div class="col-md-4">.TTaddon1 { border:solid 1px #555; padding:0 10px; } <div class="TTaddon1"><h4>Strategies For Reimagining Health Care</h4><h5><a href="/aha-transformation-talks/">AHA Transformation Talks</a></h5><div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"></div><p>Learn more about <a href="/aha-transformation-talks/ep1-sdoh">Social Determinants: Leveraging the Community and Innovation to Improve Health</a> and download the abstract or framework.</p></div></div></div> Wed, 11 Jan 2023 09:30:17 -0600 Hospital/Health System /advancing-health-podcast/2022-06-17-equity-through-precision-heart-care-cleerly-inc-and-lee-health <p>Dr. Leon D. Caldwell, Senior Director, Health Equity Strategies and Innovation, in the Institute of Diversity and Health Equity at the AHA, sits down with Dr. James Min, CEO and Co-founder of AHA Associate, Cleerly, as well as Dr. Richard Chazal, Senior Cardiologist and Medical Director of the Heart & Vascular Institute at Lee Health System. Dr. Min and Dr. Chazal are at the forefront of a new population-based, precision heart care approach that is transforming the historical approach to cardiovascular care by treating the actual disease instead of symptoms. Together, they discuss how this new standard of care ultimately impacts health equity.</p> <hr /> <p></p> <div><a href="https://soundcloud.com/advancinghealth" target="_blank" title="Advancing Health">Advancing Health</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/advancinghealth/review3-cleerlypodcast-associates-advancinghealth" target="_blank" title="Equity Through Precision Heart Care with Cleerly, Inc. and Lee Health System">Equity Through Precision Heart Care with Cleerly, Inc. and Lee Health System</a></div> Fri, 17 Jun 2022 09:16:54 -0500 Hospital/Health System /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2022-06-07-aws-latest-accelerator-aims-give-boost-health <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p><img alt="AWS’ Latest Accelerator Aims to Give a Boost to Health-Equity Startups. A seated black mother in a winter coat and hat holds her baby who is wrapped in a blanket." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8e51e4c4-4570-4e65-9bf0-0d415c3ef48b" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/AWS-Latest-Accelerator-Aims-to-Give-a-Boost-to-Health-Equity-Startups.jpg" width="620" height="381"></p> <p>Finding solutions to help the more than 3.6 million Americans who miss or delay their health care appointments each year because they lack transportation is no simple process. In 2016, a Philadelphia-based startup <a href="https://roundtriphealth.com/" target="_blank" title="Rountrip homepage">Roundtrip</a> teamed with a group of local health care providers, including nurses, physicians, social workers and transportation providers to examine the process for arranging trips for those in need.</p> <p>A year later, Roundtrip’s three founders used design-thinking methodology to create their on-demand transportation company. The firm provides nonemergency medical transportation to providers and patients. Roundtrip’s <a href="https://roundtriphealth.com/health-systems/" target="_blank" title="Roundtrip: Inside our digital transportation solution">customized online marketplace and digital tools</a> connect patients with the type of rides they need — from ride shares and medical sedans to wheelchair vans and stretcher vehicles.</p> <p>This year, with support from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Roundtrip will scale in California by launching a pilot with <a href="https://cchealth.org/" target="_blank" title="Contra Costa Health Services homepage">Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS)</a> to increase call center efficiency. Together, AWS, CCHS and Roundtrip will design and implement automated <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/connect/" target="_blank" title="Amazon Connect landing page">Amazon Connect</a> cloud-based contact center infrastructure and incorporate machine learning services such as <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/lex/" target="_blank" title="Amazon Lex: Build chatbots with conversational AI landing page.">Amazon Lex</a> and <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/polly/" target="_blank" title="Amazon Polly: Turn text into lifelike speech using deep learning landing page.">Amazon Polly</a> to make it easier to book rides for vulnerable people who need care.</p> <p>Roundtrip’s continuing development can be traced in part to AWS’ <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/government-education/nonprofits/global-social-impact/health-equity/" target="_blank" title="AWS: New Global Program to Help Customers Develop Cloud Solutions to Advance Health Equity">Health Equity Initiative</a>, a three-year $40 million commitment to help its health care customers develop cloud-based solutions to reduce health disparities.</p> <p>Now AWS has launched its <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/aws/new-aws-healthcare-accelerator-focuses-on-health-equity" target="_blank" title="Amazon: New AWS Healthcare Accelerator focuses on health equity">second health care accelerator</a> to support 10 startups with U.S.-based operations through a four-week technical, business and mentorship program. Applications are due July 1, and the program begins in late August.</p> <p>The new health care accelerator will consider startups focused on increasing access to health services, reducing disparities by addressing social factors influencing health and using data to promote equitable and inclusive systems of health. Participating startups will be eligible for:</p> <ul> <li>Up to $25,000 in AWS promotional credits.</li> <li>Connections to venture capital firms through AWS’ innovation network.</li> <li>Collaboration opportunities with other AWS health care customers and AWS partners.</li> <li>Specialized AWS training and mentoring from domain and technical subject matter experts.</li> <li>Guidance on business development and fundraising from AWS and accelerator collaborators.</li> <li>Go-to-market planners.</li> </ul> <p>Applications are available on the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/government-education/nonprofits/global-social-impact/health-equity/" target="_blank" title="AWS: New Global Program to Help Customers Develop Cloud Solutions to Advance Health Equity">AWS Healthcare Accelerator</a> webpage.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" data-entity- data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" type="file" class="align-center"></a></p> <a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img alt data-entity-type data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png"></a></div> </div> </div> .field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } Tue, 07 Jun 2022 08:27:29 -0500 Hospital/Health System /news/healthcareinnovation-thursday-blog/2022-03-31-accelerating-health-equity-moving-conversation <p><img alt="#healthcareinnovation Thursday" src="/sites/default/files/2019-11/innovation-blog-banner-900.jpg" /></p> <p>The past 24 months have shown the best of what we can achieve as health care organizations working in partnership with communities. This time also has illuminated how far we have to go to achieve a just society of healthy communities, where all individuals reach their highest potential for health.</p> <p>Now is the time to evaluate how far we have come in closing gaps in health disparities, assess where health care is on the equity journey and take what we’ve learned to strengthen our organizations and communities through collaborative and innovative work — by investing in our neighborhoods and one another. We must continue developing better and more equitable solutions to dismantle structural barriers that prevent access to high-quality care and improved health outcomes.</p> <blockquote> <h4>The issues are long-standing and well documented. The vision is clear. The time for action is now.</h4> </blockquote> <p>It takes collective effort to uncover the gaps in health outcomes and health access, engage in critical conversations and problem-solve to eliminate health inequities.</p> <p>And it starts by asking: What is my role? How can I help evolve my organization’s approach to health to more intentionally infuse an equity lens? And what tools, tactics and resources do I need to mobilize my organization’s leadership and workforce toward achieving more equitable outcomes for all?</p> <p>With the theme “Forward on the Journey,” the <a href="/accelerating-health-equity" target="_blank" title="Accelerating Health Equity Conference homepage">2022 AHA Accelerating Health Equity Conference</a>, May 10-12 in Cleveland, will convene front-line leaders charged with improving community and population health, health equity, diversity and inclusion and foster conversations on who, what, why, how and when we — as a community — can ultimately achieve our collective vision of ensuring all people have an opportunity to lead healthy lives.</p> <p>To achieve that vision, we’ll need tools and resources to:</p> <ul> <li>expand knowledge through innovative strategies, successful actions and proven practices;</li> <li>build stronger community connections; and</li> <li>develop more integrated approaches to health equity.</li> </ul> <p>In anticipation of this conference, the AHA has just released the <a href="https://equity.aha.org/" target="_blank" title="The Health Equity Roadmap homepage">Health Equity Roadmap</a>, an innovative framework to support hospitals and health systems in their efforts to become more equitable organizations and dismantle structural barriers to health and overall well-being.</p> <p>At the conference, participants will:</p> <ul> <li>hear from <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/efb71c93-6768-4141-b8fa-9b54477449b9/websitePage:ffe911ee-caea-44a9-9cdd-6dcffc4f1102" target="_blank" title="Accelerating Health Equity Conference Plenary Sessions">key thought leaders</a> — including Heather McGhee, Bechara Choucair, M.D. and Hilton Kelley;</li> <li>learn from peers across the U.S. about replicable tactics that are advancing health equity in hospitals, health systems and communities today; and</li> <li>have opportunities to engage on-site in community immersion experiences that highlight community investment for health in action.</li> </ul> <p>The issues are long-standing and well documented. The vision is clear. The time for action is now. Join us in Cleveland to share your successes and challenges and learn from others. Then be prepared to engage your organization and community in new and critical ways to accelerate health equity.</p> <p><em>Early bird registration for the AHA Accelerating Health Equity Conference ends March 31. <a href="/accelerating-health-equity" target="_blank" title="Accelerating Health Equity Conference homepage">Check out conference details and register.</a></em></p> <p><em>Joy A. Lewis is senior vice president, health equity strategies, and executive director of the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity at the ���������� Association. Nancy Myers is vice president, leadership and system innovation, at the ���������� Association.</em></p> Thu, 31 Mar 2022 07:47:04 -0500 Hospital/Health System /node/681884 <p>In 2018, the Alliance formed a Racial Equity Network (REN) of local and state systems and program leaders and advocates to inspire more engagement about best practices, data collection, and action steps at the systems level. The intent is to create a space in which leaders in the field can exchange ideas and advise the Alliance on practical approaches to addressing racial disparities.</p> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:57:45 -0600 Hospital/Health System /node/681881 <p>This report aims to strengthen community-driven efforts to achieve health equity by improving the online data tools that make health equity data readily available to them.</p> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:48:04 -0600 Hospital/Health System /node/681880 <p>The purpose of this tool is to ensure equity* by creating a lens through which each Healthy King County Coalition Workgroup better understands who is impacted by our policies and practices.</p> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:43:09 -0600 Hospital/Health System /node/681879 <h2>Lessons from Health Care Systems and Local Public Health Departments Working Together to Advance Community Health</h2> <p>Action report on local consortia in two regions delineating pragmatic steps to ensure effective, sustainable cross-sector partnerships.</p> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:38:16 -0600 Hospital/Health System /node/681878 <p>This video explores the story of collaboration between MultiCare and their community partners to reduce breast cancer disparities in Tacoma, WA.</p> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:33:07 -0600 Hospital/Health System /node/681877 <p>The Complex Care Startup Toolkit is a practical collection of guides, templates and other tools for new and developing complex care programs, regardless of setting, population or geography. With examples from programs and organizations across the U.S., the toolkit covers program design, program operations, data and process improvement, team and leadership development, community mapping and collaboration, and communication.</p> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:16:13 -0600 Hospital/Health System