
Closed-loop referral systems confirm outcomes, not just referrals, avoiding false success and building durable, scalable social care infrastructure.

Halima Ahmadi-Montecalvo, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and social and behavioral scientist. She is the vice president of research and evaluation at Unite Us and an adjunct professor of public health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.

Closed-loop referral systems confirm outcomes, not just referrals, avoiding false success and building durable, scalable social care infrastructure.

Closed-loop social care networks move beyond referrals, proving statewide scale can cut ED use and Medicaid costs while tracking real outcomes.