What: A preconference symposium hosted by the Better Care Playbook, Camden Coalition, and UPMC Health Plan
When/Where: October 16, 2024, 9 am – 12 pm ET, Pittsburgh, PA
Health-related social needs (HRSN) — such as housing and food insecurity, lack of employment and transportation, and social isolation — drive so much of a person’s health. Recognizing this, health care providers, payers, and policymakers are prioritizing investments to address individuals’ social needs. But what does the evidence say about what works and what doesn’t?
Join us for this Putting Care at the Center 2024 preconference symposium, Social Needs in Healthcare: Turning Evidence into Practice, where complex care experts from across the country will share insights and research on effective strategies for addressing social needs in health care and translating evidence into practice to improve care delivery. Co-hosted by the Better Care Playbook, Camden Coalition, and UPMC Health Plan, this implementation-focused session will help attendees understand successful strategies for adopting evidence-based approaches to address health-related social needs.
This preconference symposium is part of the ninth-annual conference of the Camden Coalition's National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, held this year in Pittsburgh from October 16–18. It is geared toward anyone seeking to enhance complex care services — including providers, health plan leaders, policymakers, researchers, community-based organizations, and patient advocates, among others. Participants can register for the preconference and/or the full three-day conference; CEUs are available for attendees.
Agenda
Understanding Patient Impact: What Does Current Research Reveal about Supporting Social Care Interventions through Healthcare Settings?
9:15 – 10:00 am
Moderator: Karla Silverman, MS, RN, CNM, Associate Director, Complex Care Delivery, Center for Health Care Strategies
- Caroline Fichtenberg, PhD, Co-Director, Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network (SIREN)
- Pamela Corcoran, Advisory Council Member, Center to Advance Consumer Partnership; 23–24 National Consumer Scholar, Camden Coalition
- Seth Berkowitz, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine
Session Description:
Over the past decade, there has been growing recognition that social factors influence health. Providers, policymakers, and payers now routinely support screening patients for health-related social needs and connecting those who screen positive to resources like housing, food, and transportation. Yet, while the importance of addressing unmet social needs is clear, the best way to intervene is not. What does the emerging evidence say about these programs’ impact on patients? This session, featuring national experts on social care programs, will highlight the impact of these programs on patients and explore what the evidence shows works and what doesn’t.
Putting the Evidence into Practice: Using Research to Impact How We Deliver Care on the Ground
10:15 – 11:00 am
Moderator: Dawn Wiest, PhD, Director for Research and Evaluation, Camden Coalition
- Lucy Savitz, PhD, MBA, Professor, University of Pittsburgh School Public Health and Senior Advisor to UPMC Health Plan, Center for High-Value Health Care
- Damon Francis, MD, Medical Director, Homeless Health Center at Alameda Health System
- Chethan Bachireddy, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer at Harris Health
Session Description:
In this plenary session, expert panelists will discuss how to balance evidence-based interventions with real-world constraints when designing and implementing programs to address health-related social needs. The session will explore gaps in current research, highlighting areas where more investigation is needed to support effective interventions. Participants will share examples of adapting evidence-based approaches to fit their unique healthcare environments, providing valuable insights for others looking to do the same. Additionally, the discussion will cover innovative program designs with potential to improve health outcomes beyond merely connecting patients to social services. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to enhance their own practice using research-driven insights.
How Can Research on Social Care Integration Inform Policy Decision-Making?
11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Moderator: James Schuster, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, UPMC Health Plan
- David Kelley, MD, MPA, Chief Medical Officer, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
- Allison Rizer, MHS, MBA, Executive Vice President, Payer Solutions, ATI Advisory
- Erin Dalton, MS, Director, Allegheny Department of Human Services
Session Description:
In recent years, federal and state health officials are using a variety of policy levers — including new funding, payment models, and accountability measures — to encourage healthcare organizations to: (1) identify and address HRSN, and (2) to work more closely with community-based organizations. In this session, you will hear from government officials and others about how they are using a growing evidence base to design and implement new HRSN policies and benefits, as well as what new data, evaluation, and research policymakers need as they continue to evolve and scale these efforts.