CDC officials on Tuesday warned that outbreaks of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in the U.S. are likely, and that households, schools, healthcare providers and businesses should begin preparing. As part of this planning, it is important to recognize that protective resources and capabilities are not distributed evenly across the U.S. Public health protections are largely state and local responsibilities, provided through a constellation of public agencies and private organizations. In preparing for COVID-19, healthcare providers, first responders, and members of the public need to be aware o ..read more

What Are We Learning about Systems Alignment? A large and growing body of evidence demonstrates how social determinants shape health across the lifespan and inter-generationally, including factors such as poverty, discrimination, lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, poor educational opportunities, food insecurity, exposure to household and community violence, and involvement with the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the services and supports designed to intervene on these determinants – such as housing, transportation, educational reforms, and legal services and supports – are of ..read more

The year 2019 continues to be an exciting period for those of us interested in nudging public health systems toward more productive forms of interaction with medical and social systems. A growing number of health care providers, social service organizations, and government agencies throughout the U.S. are taking steps to address social determinants of health by building stronger connections across the medical, social, and public health sectors. Hospitals and health systems are forging new relationships with public health agencies, housing authorities, food banks, transportation councils, schoo ..read more