The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report, "Economic and Social Impacts and Benefits of Health Systems," which provides evidence and practical methods to show that the health sector is essential to a stable and functioning economy. This report seeks to assist European policy-makers by providing guidance and tools to engage in stronger dialogue and prevent disinvestment in health. ​

On February 28, 2019, the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) convened its members in Washington, D.C. for "Housing for Health" Policy Day, an inaugural event on Capitol Hill which saw Congressional and Administration staff, national healthcare associations, housing advocacy groups, and philanthropy organizations attend a federal policy briefing about the impact of economic determinants on health and the universal need for stable, affordable, and healthy housing. 17 HAN member health systems attended the event, and 21 health systems signed onto a Principles for Healthy and Affordable Housing document that was shared with Congressional members. Together, these health systems represent more than 500 hospitals in 37 states. 

HAN members spoke powerfully about the connection between housing and health outcomes. Dr. Samuel Ross, Chief Community Health Officer with Bon Secours Mercy Health; Dr. Thea James, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Mission, and Director of the Violence Intervention Advocacy Program with Boston Medical Center; and Dr. Bechara Choucair, SVP and Chief Community Health Officer with Kaiser Permanente presented on the work their health systems are leading to invest in housing in the communities they serve and the need for further funding of affordable housing programs. 

Two Congressional members spoke about the need for affordable housing: Rep. Jim McGovern, Chair, Rules Committee and Co-Chair, House Hunger Caucus, and Rep. Katie Hill, Co-Chair, New Democrat Coalition’s Housing Task Force.

Here are some highlights about Policy Day from Twitter. 

Read the Healthcare Anchor Network's "Principles for Healthy and Affordable Housing" document.
​
Read about how HAN members are investing in affordable housing.

Geisinger, a member of the Healthcare Anchor Network, will provide a $300,000 forgivable, interest-free loan to fund fully the start of a new groundbreaking high-speed broadband internet access project which is expected to serve about 90 percent of Montour County, Pennsylvania's population. The funding will build the infrastructure for internet service in the area:

"This week, Geisinger and Driving Real Innovation for a Vibrant Economy — DRIVE, the economic development entity for Montour and Columbia counties — announced a partnership to put broadband into 90 percent of homes in the county and neighboring areas.

“This has never been done before around here,” DRIVE executive director Jennifer Wakeman said. “I am over the moon about this. It’s very exciting. This is as important as water and sewer and good electrical services when companies look to come here.”

“Geisinger has actively supported the communities we serve since our founding with both health care services and broader programs,” said Timothy Fitzgerald, vice president of treasury and financial systems for Geisinger. “We know that healthy economies support healthier communities and this project does just that. Among other benefits, it will allow providers and patients to better connect remotely to health services and address many social determinants of health.”

Read the article now. 

The Opportunity Atlas, a new data tool, allows us to answer the question: Which neighborhoods in America offer children the best chance to rise out of poverty? The big news is that the data found no association between job growth and economic mobility for poor residents. What ended up happening when there were hiring booms is that disadvantaged local residents were bypassed.  

Baltimore's “Old Town” neighborhood near Johns Hopkins Hospital is an example of the myth of job growth curing poverty: "Connecting its residents with employers has proved problematic, as it has in poor communities across the country. The disparity between residents and workers in the neighborhood suggests that the jobs have gone to people who either live in other, more prosperous neighborhoods or who commute from the surrounding suburbs."

Healthcare Anchor Network members are utilizing targeted inclusion strategies for local hiring and purchasing, and place-based investing, to support local economic ecosystems and help generate community wealth. 

Read the article now.

In a new article published in The Wharton Healthcare Quarterly, David Zuckerman and Bich Ha Pham of The Democracy Collaborative discuss the smart, bold leadership that Healthcare Anchor Network members are engaged in with their anchor mission work. The Democracy Collaborative urges other health systems from across the country to join the effort to do forward-thinking work in order to address the systemic nature of economic inequities and their impact on health and well-being. 

Read TDC's article in The Wharton Healthcare Quarterly now

The Wall Street Journal's "Health Care Looks Beyond Medicine to Social Factors" article covered the good work of four Healthcare Anchor Network members in addressing the social determinants of health: Geisinger Health System, Rush University Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente and Boston Medical Center. The article discusses Geisinger's cost-effective program providing free nutritious foods and other health services to adults with Type 2 diabetes; Rush University Medical Center's use of technology to learn about community social needs; Kaiser Permanente's investment of up to $200 million in affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization projects; and Boston Medical Center's $6.5 million investment in affordable housing through community partnerships.
 
Read the article now

An in-depth article in Modern Healthcare provides a helpful overview and history of health systems' focus on the role of social determinants. The article details the important work of Healthcare Anchor Network member Kaiser Permanente to engage government agencies, and to leverage its investment funds to address homelessness and promote affordable housing, healthy eating, active living, and early childhood education. HAN member ProMedica's role in co-founding the Root Cause Coalition and addressing food insecurity was also highlighted.

Also detailed is HAN Member Cleveland Clinic's groundbreaking partnership with the Evergreen Cooperatives to create 100 local jobs and build community wealth by allowing employees to share business ownership in the hospital's supply chain. “We see this as an important step we can take to support the health and well-being of our neighbors,” said Ralph Turner, the Clinic's Executive Director of Patient Support Services.   ​

Read the Modern Healthcare article: "Complete care: Hospitals tackling social determinants are setting the course for the industry"

Wellspring Cooperative Greenhouse in Springfield, Massachussetts planted its first crop in 2018, in a 15,000-square foot facility designed to create employee-owned jobs for nearby low-income community residents—the third cooperative in a growing network. The project's launch was made possible by purchasing commitments from Healthcare Anchor Network members Baystate Health and Trinity Health. (The latter system also helped Wellspring raise the capital it needed to launch by a place-based investment with a local CDFI.)

Read more in WAMC: "Greenhouse Crops Will Come From A Former Brownfields Site"

Evergreen Cooperative Laundry (ECL) announced a major expansion today in collaboration with Ohio’s second largest employer, taking over management of the Cleveland Clinic’s laundry facility in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood. The expansion brings more than 100 new employees into the company, joining the 50 workers employed at the original laundry. (The Cleveland Clinic is a member of the Healthcare Anchor Network.)

ECL is part of the Evergreen Cooperatives, a nationally celebrated network of companies in Cleveland, Ohio, that creates jobs and builds community wealth through cooperative business ownership. These businesses are located in historically disinvested neighborhoods. For Brett Jones, Executive Vice President at the Evergreen Cooperatives, “this expansion validates the core idea at the heart of the Evergreen model—that businesses owned by workers can succeed and thrive in the market, helping close the wealth gap.”  

By shifting the contract for the operations of this facility to ECL, Cleveland Clinicis using its economic resources—in this case, where it services more than 19 million lbs of its laundry each year—to build a stronger local economy.

Ralph Turner, executive director of patient support services at Cleveland Clinic, said “We are proud of this new collaboration with Evergreen Cooperatives because of the impact it will have on the local community. We see this as an important step we can take to support the health and wellbeing of our neighbors, including the ECL employees.”

Read more about the expansion in Next City: "Turning Health Care into Community Wealth in Cleveland"

Read the press release.