Academic Medicine Open Forum

Hello! I'm Jennifer and I work at the AAMC on health equity, population health, and health care quality improvement activities. 

Recently, we published an article in Population Health Management that describes screening for patient health-related social needs (HRSN) in academic health systems. HRSN screening has gained traction as an approach to addressing social determinants of health, but it faces challenges regarding standardization, resource allocation, and follow-up care. For more than a year we integrated data from conferences, surveys, and key informant interviews to examine the integration of social needs screening into health care services within academic health systems. We would love to hear from even more folks and keep the conversation going!

Which of the following AAMC actions/initiatives, if any, would provide the most value to you, your colleagues, and/ or organization? 

1. Offer topical webinars on social needs screening

2. Facilitate a virtual community to foster learning and sharing among teaching hospitals and academic health systems

3. Advocate at the national level (e.g., better reimbursement; more education)

4. Engage and/or partner with other national organizations

5. Other, please describe.

Thank you!
Jennifer

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Jennifer Bretsch, MS, CPHQ, LSSGB
Director of Programs, AAMC Center for Health Justice; Mgr. Health Care Quality and Public Health
Association of American Medical Colleges
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Jennifer,

As a pediatrician in an academic medical center, I would say engaging with other national organizations will be key. Pediatricians already screen for HRSN with every well child check. Many other clinicians deal with HRSN on a daily basis if they work with underserved and poor populations. The problem we face is with available resources. If a family tells me they are homeless, my hands are often tied on how to help address the problem. Can I refer them to HUD? If they need food, I can provide a list of food pantries, but if they don't have a car, what choices do I have to help when they are off the bus line or public transportation is not available? Are there car dealerships that will donate cars to facilities so we can hire people (jobs for someone in the community) to give people a ride if they need it? Can we partner with Door Dash or whoever, to deliver groceries to those in rural areas or food deserts? Can we provide mobile clinics to physicians to cover rural areas as part of loan repayment programs? These things have to be addressed at a national level if resources are going to be allocated equitably. It's time to increase accountability for those already receiving funding, and make room for innovation at every level.

Thank you for addressing this problem,

April

Hello! I'm Jennifer and I work at the AAMC on health equity, population health, and health care quality improvement activities. 

Recently, we published an article in Population Health Management that describes screening for patient health-related social needs (HRSN) in academic health systems. HRSN screening has gained traction as an approach to addressing social determinants of health, but it faces challenges regarding standardization, resource allocation, and follow-up care. For more than a year we integrated data from conferences, surveys, and key informant interviews to examine the integration of social needs screening into health care services within academic health systems. We would love to hear from even more folks and keep the conversation going!

Which of the following AAMC actions/initiatives, if any, would provide the most value to you, your colleagues, and/ or organization? 

1. Offer topical webinars on social needs screening

2. Facilitate a virtual community to foster learning and sharing among teaching hospitals and academic health systems

3. Advocate at the national level (e.g., better reimbursement; more education)

4. Engage and/or partner with other national organizations

5. Other, please describe.

Thank you!
Jennifer

------------------------------
Jennifer Bretsch, MS, CPHQ, LSSGB
Director of Programs, AAMC Center for Health Justice; Mgr. Health Care Quality and Public Health
Association of American Medical Colleges
------------------------------

@April Hartman - thank you so much for taking the time to describe some of the barriers after screening occurs. I suspect that your perspective and experiences are shared by others as well. Jennifer

Jennifer,

As a pediatrician in an academic medical center, I would say engaging with other national organizations will be key. Pediatricians already screen for HRSN with every well child check. Many other clinicians deal with HRSN on a daily basis if they work with underserved and poor populations. The problem we face is with available resources. If a family tells me they are homeless, my hands are often tied on how to help address the problem. Can I refer them to HUD? If they need food, I can provide a list of food pantries, but if they don't have a car, what choices do I have to help when they are off the bus line or public transportation is not available? Are there car dealerships that will donate cars to facilities so we can hire people (jobs for someone in the community) to give people a ride if they need it? Can we partner with Door Dash or whoever, to deliver groceries to those in rural areas or food deserts? Can we provide mobile clinics to physicians to cover rural areas as part of loan repayment programs? These things have to be addressed at a national level if resources are going to be allocated equitably. It's time to increase accountability for those already receiving funding, and make room for innovation at every level.

Thank you for addressing this problem,

April

Hello! I'm Jennifer and I work at the AAMC on health equity, population health, and health care quality improvement activities. 

Recently, we published an article in Population Health Management that describes screening for patient health-related social needs (HRSN) in academic health systems. HRSN screening has gained traction as an approach to addressing social determinants of health, but it faces challenges regarding standardization, resource allocation, and follow-up care. For more than a year we integrated data from conferences, surveys, and key informant interviews to examine the integration of social needs screening into health care services within academic health systems. We would love to hear from even more folks and keep the conversation going!

Which of the following AAMC actions/initiatives, if any, would provide the most value to you, your colleagues, and/ or organization? 

1. Offer topical webinars on social needs screening

2. Facilitate a virtual community to foster learning and sharing among teaching hospitals and academic health systems

3. Advocate at the national level (e.g., better reimbursement; more education)

4. Engage and/or partner with other national organizations

5. Other, please describe.

Thank you!
Jennifer

------------------------------
Jennifer Bretsch, MS, CPHQ, LSSGB
Director of Programs, AAMC Center for Health Justice; Mgr. Health Care Quality and Public Health
Association of American Medical Colleges
------------------------------

Hello! I'm Jennifer and I work at the AAMC on health equity, population health, and health care quality improvement activities. 

Recently, we published an article in Population Health Management that describes screening for patient health-related social needs (HRSN) in academic health systems. HRSN screening has gained traction as an approach to addressing social determinants of health, but it faces challenges regarding standardization, resource allocation, and follow-up care. For more than a year we integrated data from conferences, surveys, and key informant interviews to examine the integration of social needs screening into health care services within academic health systems. We would love to hear from even more folks and keep the conversation going!

Which of the following AAMC actions/initiatives, if any, would provide the most value to you, your colleagues, and/ or organization? 

1. Offer topical webinars on social needs screening

2. Facilitate a virtual community to foster learning and sharing among teaching hospitals and academic health systems

3. Advocate at the national level (e.g., better reimbursement; more education)

4. Engage and/or partner with other national organizations

5. Other, please describe.

Thank you!
Jennifer

------------------------------
Jennifer Bretsch, MS, CPHQ, LSSGB
Director of Programs, AAMC Center for Health Justice; Mgr. Health Care Quality and Public Health
Association of American Medical Colleges
------------------------------

Jenifer - thanks for sharing that article - though it was hard to track down (finally got a copy with the help of a Duke librarian). I think solutions are going to be local/state more than national, and that the AAMC could help by supporting a "learning lab' of what AHCs are trying - and what is working. 

Would add that I think AHCs have an important role in screening, and an important role in supporting community-led/co-led systems to address needs. But we need to not 'own' the solution - the problems are far larger than health care, and require leadership and expertise from folks in the communities, and from sectors like housing, food banks, transportation... Some states are taking the lead in organizing such systems: NC has a state wide network of almost 9000 programs provided by 3500 CBOs, which has served over 190,000 people. It is supported via NC Medicaid, but open to all - and the platform (UniteUs) is provided at no cost to CBOs and to providers. There is a learning curve to using the system, and we are still working  how to do this, but I think the idea that AHCs need to be part of these larger systems is correct. (Disclosure: I served as chair of the board of the NC foundation that manages the program) More at https://nccare360.org/about/

Hello! I'm Jennifer and I work at the AAMC on health equity, population health, and health care quality improvement activities. 

Recently, we published an article in Population Health Management that describes screening for patient health-related social needs (HRSN) in academic health systems. HRSN screening has gained traction as an approach to addressing social determinants of health, but it faces challenges regarding standardization, resource allocation, and follow-up care. For more than a year we integrated data from conferences, surveys, and key informant interviews to examine the integration of social needs screening into health care services within academic health systems. We would love to hear from even more folks and keep the conversation going!

Which of the following AAMC actions/initiatives, if any, would provide the most value to you, your colleagues, and/ or organization? 

1. Offer topical webinars on social needs screening

2. Facilitate a virtual community to foster learning and sharing among teaching hospitals and academic health systems

3. Advocate at the national level (e.g., better reimbursement; more education)

4. Engage and/or partner with other national organizations

5. Other, please describe.

Thank you!
Jennifer

------------------------------
Jennifer Bretsch, MS, CPHQ, LSSGB
Director of Programs, AAMC Center for Health Justice; Mgr. Health Care Quality and Public Health
Association of American Medical Colleges
------------------------------