How Value Chain Thinking Strengthens Programs to Address Social Determinants of Health

​What is value chain thinking and how can it strengthen programs to address social determinants of health (SDOH)?

Social barriers like unstable housing, inadequate nutrition, social isolation, and lack of transportation are known to be bad for people’s health. Programs to address health-related social needs at the individual level are proliferating.

“Value chain thinking” improves the impact of SDOH programs. This framework for design and evaluation helps implementers:

*create value for participants and partners
*build an operating model that connects social barriers and health outcomes
*engage participants and partners so the right people get the right services at the right time in the right place to meet their social needs.

If successful, investments in social services will lead to reductions in health care utilization and cost. To be sustainable, these programs must find a way to capture some of the health care savings and redeploy them to fund the provision of social services.

None of this is easy, and it’s challenging to achieve and demonstrate credible results. What can we learn from the programs that have done so? This study group will present some answers.

The FOODRx program in Minnesota and the Right Care, Right Place, Right Time (R3) program in Eastern Massachusetts offer valuable, replicable lessons for health care organizations (HCOs). Both programs set out to create sustainable, successful partnerships between community partners and health care organizations, including health plans, other payors, and providers.

Moderator:
Alexandra Schweitzer, Senior Fellow, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School

Speakers:
*Kim Brooks, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Living, Hebrew SeniorLife
*Alexandra DeKesel Lofthus, Senior Community Engagement Manager, Unite Us (Former Director of Healthcare Partnership, Second Harvest Heartland (FOODRx))