Although healthcare organizations across the United States have begun to focus on how social determinants of health impact outcomes, the ability to address many of these elements often rests outside of the services that managed care providers offer. That's where community partnerships come in.
Elliot Clark is the senior community executive at Cardinal Innovations Healthcare.
Personalized care extends well beyond an individual’s clinical needs. In reality, numerous factors contribute to the overall health and well-being of the individuals we serve, including housing, transportation, and other social determinants of health (SDOH). Although healthcare organizations across the United States have begun to focus on how SDOH impact outcomes, the ability to address many of these elements often rests outside of the services that managed care providers offer.
For example, it’s one thing to ensure a patient receives medical treatment for anxiety. However, helping that individual successfully treat their condition requires a better understanding of their unique nonclinical needs. It’s then important to connect them with resources that can address the outside factors that may be contributing to their health concerns. Having resources at the ready can make all the difference.
That’s where strong community partnerships come in. To impact SDOH—and to provide truly personalized service to members—managed care organizations must create both a network of resources and a way to easily access the services that can help members deal with the whole picture. One way to do that is to tap into the wide variety of expertise that already exists within the community—from public health groups to school systems, housing authorities, civic organizations, social services departments, judicial systems, county governments, and many other organizations.
There are several steps managed care organizations that are seeking to increase their engagement in community initiatives can take:
It Takes a True Partner
Ultimately, the important thing is to start having these conversations. Strong partnerships make strong communities.
Improving care quality requires all of us to be willing to be a little vulnerable. We have to share our experiences and show where care gaps exist before we can move forward together to fill them. Managed care organizations seeking to heighten their impact on the community and pave the way for better health outcomes can start by looking outside of their own walls and partnering with organizations that stand ready to drive positive change.
Tackling Health Inequality: The Power of Education and Experience
April 30th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our final episode of this limited series and our conversation with Janine Jelks-Seale, MSPPM, director of health equity at UPMC Health Plan.
Listen
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen