A Policy Perspective: Coordinating Systems to Address Social Determinants of Health

As countries, states, municipalities, health plans and providers increasingly design programs to address social determinants of health and measure their programs’ impact, the need for reliable, standardized and secure data grows. Particularly in light of COVID-19, stakeholders are especially interested in how to address unmet social needs, support individuals’ safely complying with social distancing guidance, and address racial health disparities. Government officials will share key considerations in leveraging social determinants data and will highlight innovative best practices in these areas, in addition to exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their efforts to date.

Learning Points:

Describe what is driving government state and local initiatives to address social determinants of health
Discover how healthcare and human service organizations are exchanging information to support the provision of whole person care
Identify how stakeholders are aggregating and leveraging medical and non-medical data to inform program planning
Assess how COVID-19 has thus far impacted social determinants efforts

Charis Baz, MPH

Acting Director, Whole Person Care
Marin County (California) Health and Human Services

Bio info: Systems change agent dedicated to human-centered service design for safety net populations. Supports Marin...

Systems change agent dedicated to human-centered service design for safety net populations. Supports Marin County’s (California) Whole Person Care program, a Medicaid 1115 Innovation waiver. Marin is using Whole Person Care to coordinate care and share data across housing, public benefits, medical, and behavioral health care for people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable adults. Our success relies on both technology and on nurturing a care ecosystem of staff across agencies/roles who know and trust each other, working towards a common goal. Certificate in Health Informatics, University of California Davis extension; Master of Public Health, University of California Berkeley.

Elizabeth Osius

Director
Manatt Health

Bio info: Liz Osius is a director with Manatt Health, a policy and business advisory division of Manatt. Liz provides policy...

Liz Osius is a director with Manatt Health, a policy and business advisory division of Manatt. Liz provides policy analysis, strategic advice and implementation support to federal and state agencies and a range of public and private healthcare organizations. Liz has extensive experience with Medicaid and CHIP coverage and delivery system transformation, with a deep focus on social determinants of health. Previously, Liz was with U.S. DHHS Office of Inspector General and National Academy for State Health Policy.

M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA

State Health Commissioner
Virginia Department of Health

Bio info: Prior to this appointment, Dr. Oliver served as the Deputy Commissioner for Population Health for the Virginia...

Prior to this appointment, Dr. Oliver served as the Deputy Commissioner for Population Health for the Virginia Department of Health. Before accepting the Deputy Commissioner position, Dr. Oliver was the Walter M. Seward Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. As Chair, Dr. Oliver helped lead the transformation of the Department’s clinic sites into patient-centered practices focused on population health. In his role as the Deputy Commissioner for Population Health, Dr. Oliver worked with others in the health department, other state agencies, and healthcare systems across the state to improve the health and well-being of all citizens of the Commonwealth. He remains committed to a cross-agency and multi-sector approach to implementing population health initiatives.

Priit Tohver, MD

Advisor for E-Services Innovation
Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs

Bio info: Dr Priit Tohver, MD, is the Advisor for E-Services Innovation at the Ministry of Social Affairs in Estonia,...

Dr Priit Tohver, MD, is the Advisor for E-Services Innovation at the Ministry of Social Affairs in Estonia, overseeing the digital transformation and innovation of health and welfare systems in Estonia. He is part of the core group leading the effort to reform the secondary use of health and social data within Estonia. Priit is also the official representative of Estonia in the eHealth Network and the Global Digital Health Partnership, and thus works closely on cross-border interoperability issues both for the primary and secondary use of health data. Priit is a doctor by training and has previously served as an advisor to the Estonian Mission in Geneva on diplomatic matters related to health, development and trade, covering organizations such as WHO, UNCTAD and WTO. He also has six years of experience as a civil society and global health activist, having also served as the Regional Director for Europe at the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA). He is a member of the World Health Organization Roster of Experts on Digital Health and director of the board at the Digital Health Society.