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“Building on the momentum of previous roundtable workshops on business engagement in building health communities and applying a health lens to business practices, policies, and investments, this collaborative will promote business engagement in strategies for improving population health with an attention to the health and economic well-being of companies, workers, and communities, whether small, medium, or large.”

“ASTHO envisions a health system of the 21st century that integrates public health, clinical care, social services, behavioral health, and other stakeholders to comprehensively address the root causes of poor health, ranging from lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of access to care, and other factors. Most determinants of our health affect us outside of doctors’ offices, which means the health sector in the future must work together closely to improve health and reduce costs. The white paper outlines ASTHO’s vision for an integrated health system in the future, and steps that can be taken today to achieve it.”

“Every day, decision-makers in the housing sector have the chance to consider health in their policies, programs, and projects to help mitigate pressing public health problems that take a massive toll on Americans’ quality of life and substantially increase health care costs for taxpayers. Understanding how to integrate public health considerations into housing decisions can positively impact the health of residents and ensure strong financial stewardship of public funds. This report begins by describing the connections between housing and health and then provides a systematic review of housing decisions that have been the subject of past HIAs. Next it provides guidance for conducting future housing HIAs. Finally, it provides a tutorial on the major housing programs as a means of helping public health professionals understand the links between housing programs and public health.”

“Health care organizations and public health agencies have operated in parallel for many decades, brushing up against each other at times of crisis or, occasionally, building on mutual interests. Overlapping objectives of these two health sectors should be obvious, and the collaborative potential evident.” This article discusses the natural barriers health care delivery and public health face to partnering to improve individual and population health.

Columbia University professors Howard W. Buffett and William B. Eimicke discuss how, today, “profit and purpose are converging.” They cite how millennials “no longer believe the primary purpose of business should be to make a profit, but rather to create social value. Customers overwhelmingly prefer products tied to a social cause. [They believe that] for businesses to survive and succeed in today’s globalized, hyper-connected world, business leaders must be willing to embrace collaboration as a guiding principle, more so than competition.”

“Access to safe, quality, affordable housing - and the supports necessary to maintain that housing - constitute one of the most basic and powerful social determinants of health. In particular, for individuals and families trapped in a cycle of crisis and housing instability due to extreme poverty, trauma, violence, mental illness, addiction or other chronic health conditions, housing can entirely dictate their health and health trajectory. For these populations, housing is a necessary precursor of health. Supportive Housing is increasingly recognized as a cost-effective health intervention for homeless and other extremely vulnerable populations.”

“Housing First programs address chronic homelessness by providing rapid access to permanent housing, without a pre-condition of treatment, along with ongoing support services such as crisis intervention, needs assessment, and case management. A form of permanent supportive housing, the program usually serves individuals who are chronically homeless and have persistent mental illness or problems with substance abuse and addiction. This webpage lists the beneficial outcomes of Housing First, as well as information on evidence of effectiveness and resources on implementation.”

“The report first explores the way in which housing can affect the lives and success of individuals, and how the effect varies for different segments of the population. The report then investigates the obstacles to housing functioning as a hub, from the difficulties of developing good data on the impact of housing-based strategies to shortcomings in the business models available for these strategies. Finally, we lay out a set of recommendations designed to strengthen the role of housing as a social determinant for health and success.”

Lauren Taylor, author of the American Health Care Paradox, writes about how “the impact of housing on health is now being widely considered by policy makers. Housing is one of the best-researched social determinants of health, and selected housing interventions for low-income people have been found to improve health outcomes and decrease health care costs. As a result, many health care systems, payers, and government entities are seeking to better understand the totality of the health and housing literature to determine where they might intervene effectively.”

*Note: This article can only be accessed with purchase from the publisher.

Melinda Chen, a primary care physician and health services researcher, and coauthors, discuss that “some hospitals are taking a broad population health stance. [But], at present, these hospitals are exceptions to the norm.” In this blog, the authors explore if “more hospitals [could] have the incentives and capabilities to develop sustainable programs that address non-medical determinants of population health in their communities.”