The Root Cause Coalition

Wishing a safe, warm, and happy Thanksgiving to all of our tireless and dedicated members. Our team here at The Root Cause Coalition is incredibly thankful for your continued support of our mission, and ever proud to continue our work combating food insecurity as a health barrier. We are particularly grateful today for our food bank, food pantry, meal delivery, medically tailored meal, and nutrition security members who work tirelessly to ensure that individuals and families have access to the food they need to improve their health outcomes. Your dedication is truly inspiring, and your efforts make a profound difference in the fight against hunger. For those looking to make an impact this Thanksgiving, we encourage you to support your local food banks and food pantries. Let’s continue working toward a future where no one has to wonder where their next meal will come from. From all of us at The Root Cause Coalition, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving! #happythanksgiving #foodbanks #foodpantries #healthequity #impact #foodinsecurity

The Coalition champions the development and implementation of policies that address the social drivers of health, lower healthcare costs and improve health outcomes. Here are a few updates we are watching: ? CMS Announces New Health Equity Advisory Committee Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the establishment of a new federal advisory committee, the Health Equity Advisory Committee (HEAC), to advise and make recommendations to CMS on the identification and resolution of systemic barriers to accessing CMS programs that hinder the quality of care for beneficiaries and consumers. ? CMS Announces Coverage of Traditional Health Care Practices The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), recently approved section 1115 demonstration amendments that allow, for the first time ever, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of traditional health care practices provided by Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, Tribal facilities, and urban Indian organizations (UIO). ? Medicaid: The Health and Economic Benefit of Expanding Eligibility The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) recently released a report examining the impact of Medicaid throughout its six decades and highlighting the importance of Medicaid coverage for low-income children. ? USICH Releases Homelessness Prevention Framework The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) adopted and released Ending Homelessness Before It Starts: A Federal Homelessness Prevention Framework detailing steps for developing a community-wide, cross-system approach to homelessness prevention and sharing promising practices and resources for homelessness prevention programs. Sign up for our weekly enewsletter to receive more advocacy updates and learn more about TRCC: ?? https://lnkd.in/e_thtRyn

We hope you have enjoyed our Voices of Health Equity programming so far - and don’t worry there are many upcoming opportunities to join these ongoing presentations. Our next Voices of Health Equity sessions fall under the theme "Advocacy and Expanded Health (Digital Health, Leadership, and Communication)” You can view and join all of our upcoming events through our event calendar here ? https://lnkd.in/eYiDU3Ky Tuesday, January 14, 1:00-2:00pm ET: Reframing Problems for Social Change Thursday, January 16, 12:00-1:00pm ET: Mission-Driven Teams: Lessons in Interdisciplinary Communication on Social Drivers of Health in a Safety Net Healthcare System Tuesday, January 21, 1:00-2:00pm ET: Building Thriving Communities through an Equity-Focused, Data-Informed SDOH Strategy Thursday, January 30, 12:00-1:00pm ET: Building a Tech-Ready Workforce: Unlocking Health Tech and Digital Health Opportunities for Mental and Behavioral Health Practitioners #voicesofhealthequity #webinar #advocacy #digitalhealth #sdoh #healthequity

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for our latest public insight survey results webinar, where we explored the critical topic of housing equity— with a focus on safety, security, and the difficult tradeoffs many Americans face. During the session, Senior Advisor of Research at TRCC Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling, highlighted a sobering reality: while a surface-level look at the data may suggest most Americans have secure housing, a deeper dive reveals that 1 in 10 Americans experience housing insecurity—a clear indicator of a national crisis. In addition, we were also honored to hear from Boo Hagerty, Chief Development Officer of the Hamot Health Foundation, who shared the impactful work of his BUILD program, which prioritizes neighborhood reinvestment and has already achieved remarkable outcomes in advancing housing stability. ?? The research summary is available on our website at: https://lnkd.in/ecEKYFbS As always, TRCC members have access to the full data. Please reach out to Alex with any questions or requests: [email protected] #research #sdoh #healthequity #data #housing

Access to healthy food is a basic human right, yet many Black communities in rural Appalachia face systemic barriers that make it out of reach. In her latest op-ed, our president, Dr. Mya O. Price, highlights these challenges and shares actionable solutions to create equitable, local food systems. Read the full op-ed here: https://lnkd.in/eH6Ep74T

Join TRCC in partnership with Kaiser Permanente TODAY from 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm EST for our next Voices of Health Equity program “Approach Community Health from all Angles: Research, Investments, and Programs.” In this webinar, we will explore critical data insights from community health assessments and patient surveys and uncover strategies to tackle social needs head-on. Speakers Marisa Conner, Pam Schwartz, and Dawn Bush will share insights around: ? Understanding the most pressing health and social needs today. ? Exploring actionable strategies for addressing social factors at both individual and community levels. ? Learning how data analytics can shape priorities and interventions. Who Should Attend? This session is designed for payers, health care providers, social care providers, and beneficiaries committed to addressing health and social needs through effective program design and implementation. ? Register at the following link: https://lnkd.in/e3nHAGTx #voicesofhealthequity #communityhealth #sdoh #webinar

Join Siftwell for an educational webinar, "Taking the BS out of AI: AI for Health Equity in Community-Based Payer Organizations" on Wednesday, November 20 from 2-3pm ET. There’s a lot of noise in healthcare around AI, and along with that, a lot of skepticism. It fosters a myriad of questions for plan leaders like: What type of AI makes sense for my organization? What goals can it help me accomplish? Is it clinically safe? How are other plans using it to scale their health equity initiatives? We’re bringing together peers from community-based plans for a roundtable discussion on harnessing the power of AI to transform community health outcomes and create a more equitable healthcare system. Alongside our plan executive guests, you will hear real-world starts and stops of leveraging predictive and causal AI technology and how plan leaders are mitigating bias and addressing health disparities to improve outcomes for underserved, complex populations. Learn more and register here ?? https://lnkd.in/eHTeabkf #sdoh #healthequity #webinar #ai #communityhealth Trey Sutten, Eben Esterhuizen, Kim W. Webb

Reminder! Join TRCC Members Lynne G. Bosma, LLMSW, C-HWC, Health Equity and Outreach Program Manager, and Hannah Jaffee, Research Manager at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), tomorrow, Wednesday November 13th at 1:00 pm, as they present on AAFA’s Health Equity Advancement Leadership (HEAL) program. In this webinar you will: ? Learn how the HEAL program addresses critical health disparities in asthma within Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native communities through tailored care, self-management education, and environmental assessments. ? Dive deep into the Michigan Chapter’s innovative approach, which combines asthma care with nutrition and physical activity support—like providing produce boxes, YMCA memberships, and access to a Community Health Worker (CHW) and nutritionist. ? Engage in a roundtable discussion on building community collaborations and brainstorming creative ways to improve program reach and impact. ?? Register today: https://lnkd.in/geYsz9Nk #HealthEquity #AsthmaCare #CommunityHealth #SDOH #AAFA #Webinar #VoicesofHealthEquity #TheRootCause

Our next finalist for the 2024 Health Justice Award is Allegheny Health Network's Center for Inclusion Health (CIH). Founded in 2014, the CIH serves populations that have traditionally been unable to access quality health care services due to socioeconomic status, geographical location, systemic inequalities, lack of health insurance and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sexual preference, etc. Our mission is to transform our health care system through the development of innovative clinical care models, advocacy, training, and research to better serve all people, including those experiencing social and health exclusion. We have realized this mission by forming cross-sector community partnerships, creating programs rooted in a harm reduction model – meeting people where they are physically and emotionally – and providing low barrier services. CIH has developed programs to address the unique needs of people experiencing exclusion, including Addiction Medicine; Healthy Food Centers; Humane Health Coalition in partnership with Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh; Immigrant & Refugee Health; Intimate Partner Violence; Positive Health Clinic (HIV services); RIvER post-incarceration clinic; Street Medicine; and Transgender & Gender Diverse Health.? CIH intentionally structures programs to remove barriers related to the social determinants of health. Services are provided where people are, including?on the street, in homeless encampments, in brick-and-mortar clinics, at mobile community sites, and in Allegheny County Jail.?Services are walk-in with no appointment needed, providing rapid access and eliminating?barriers such as no-show policies. CIH does not discharge patients from care for “non-adherence,” difficult behavioral issues, or active drug use.?Transportation support is provided via bus tickets and LYFT to service sites. Peer-based professionals, such as community health workers and certified recovery specialists, serve on multi-disciplinary care teams to help build trust between the health care system and individuals from marginalized communities. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/ev-yUk7f #healthjusticeaward #healthequity #sdoh #communityhealth

We are continuing to showcase our finalists for the 2024 Health Justice Award! Our next finalist is Great Plains Food Bank--North Dakota's only food bank, distributing 15 million pounds of food annually to 185 food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, and charitable feeding programs across 105 communities in North Dakota and Clay County, MN. Since 1983, Great Plains Food Bank has delivered more than 231 million meals to children, seniors, and families in need through its direct service programs and partner network. With a strong commitment to health, their team believes that everyone deserves access to food that fits their lifestyle. With the aim of ending hunger today, tomorrow, and for good, Great Plains Food Bank has implemented programs to alleviate hunger while addressing the broader health implications tied to food insecurity. Recognizing that food insecurity can lead to worsened health conditions and chronic diseases, Great Plains Food Bank has developed innovative programs in partnership with healthcare providers. These programs are designed to meet the diverse nutritional needs of patients, infusing patient care with access to healthy food choices. In 2023, over 70,000 pounds of food were distributed through 17 healthcare partnerships across 30 sites, furthering their mission to promote health and well-being in underserved communities. “At the Great Plains Food Bank, we believe that everyone deserves access to nutritious food that supports their health,” shares Melissa Sobolik, CEO of the Great Plains Food Bank. “Food insecurity can lead to chronic health issues and increased medical costs, which is why we work tirelessly to provide healthy food options to our neighbors that fit their medical, cultural and diverse nutritional needs. By working in new ways with non-traditional partners such as healthcare provides, we’re building opportunities for our neighbors to thrive.” Learn more at https://lnkd.in/ehgK3FbD #healthjusticeaward #healthequity #foodbank #foodinsecurity #northdakota