The Root Cause Coalition is dedicated to amplifying the voices of communities and driving impactful policy reforms. As a nonprofit committed to addressing the root causes of health disparities and poverty, we aim to educate our members on recent news and research that advocates for equitable healthcare access and influencing policy decisions that combat food insecurity and poverty. 

Read our April 22, 2024 news on social drivers and advocacy updates below:

Social Drivers in the News:

Health Literacy Fact Sheets
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) has developed a series of health literacy fact sheets to help stakeholders understand, assess and improve health literacy practices. The fact sheets define health literacy as the “degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.” The other fact sheets deal with identifying limited health literacy, how improving health literacy can advance health equity, improving written communication to promote health literacy, and improving verbal communication to promote patient health literacy. To explore each fact sheet or download the entire toolkit, click here.
 
Cultivating Vital Conditions for Perinatal Well-Being and A Sustained Commitment to Reproductive Justice
Perinatal mental illness is a significant cause of death in the U.S. during pregnancy and the first postpartum year. While acute mental health services are crucial, they alone cannot foster thriving communities. The Rippel Foundation's framework highlights seven domains for well-being, including a thriving environment, basic needs, humane housing, meaningful work, education, reliable transportation and belonging. These conditions significantly impact perinatal mental health, emphasizing the importance of structural drivers of health to create supportive communities for pregnant women to thrive.
 
LGBT Adults’ Experiences with Discrimination and Health Care Disparities: Findings from the KFF Survey of Racism, Discrimination, and Health
This report focuses on LGBT adults’ experiences with discrimination in their daily lives and in health care settings. The report identifies LGBT adults as a growing population who have historically experienced health disparities in access to and outcomes for mental and physical health care and examines the relationship between experiences with discrimination and adverse mental health outcomes as well as the importance of local support networks in mitigating adverse outcomes. Findings show that LGBT adults face higher rates of discrimination and unfair treatment in their daily lives compared to non-LGBT adults, including in health care settings, and those who are lower income, younger and women are more likely to face challenges with discrimination or unfair treatment. To view the full report and breakdown of the data, click here. 
 
Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities and Connections
April is National Minority Health Month, focusing on health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. This year's theme, "Be the Source for Better Health," highlights how understanding of cultural and social drivers impacts health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health aims to improve health outcomes for minority populations through culturally responsive care, considering diverse beliefs, languages and socioeconomic factors. For ways to engage and more information on minority health, click here.

SDoH Advocacy Update:

FNS Announces WIC Updates
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has finalized updates to the foods prescribed to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). These science-based revisions incorporate recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. These improvements to the WIC food packages support fruit and vegetable consumption by increasing the amount provided and the varieties available for purchase. They will also provide participants with a wider variety of foods to support healthy dietary patterns and allow WIC state agencies more flexibility to tailor the food packages to accommodate personal and cultural food preferences and special dietary needs. WIC state agencies will have two years to implement these changes to allow for time to engage with partners on tailoring the new food packages to meet the needs of each community. FNS has also released an explainer video, infographic and Q&A on these changes and will be holding a briefing for external partners on Thursday, April 18, at 11 a.m. ET. Click here to register. 
 
Black Maternal Health Week 
Held annually April 11-17th, Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) is a week-long campaign founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) to build awareness, activism and community-building to amplify the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black moms and birthing people. This year’s theme is “Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!” In addition to the resources available from BMMA, the Health Resources and Services Administration also shared a toolkit of messaging content to help organizations raise awareness, drive action and advocate for positive change in Black maternal health. President Biden also issued a proclamation to acknowledge BMHW and call upon all Americans to raise awareness of the state of Black maternal health in the U.S. by understanding the consequences of institutional racism and recognizing the scope of this problem and the need for urgent solutions. 
 
S.4031 – PRO-HEAL Act of 2024
This bill was introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich [D-NM] to address health care provider shortages by incentivizing states and institutions of higher education to expand or create health care provider pipeline programs. The bill would authorize the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish grant funding for states and institutions of higher education working to expand or create health care provider pipeline programs. Eligible pipeline programs include a wide range of specialties including medical doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, emergency medical technicians, dentists and behavioral health providers. HRSA would prioritize grants for states and institutions that are working to serve underserved or rural communities and focus on recruiting students from the state where the program is based. The bill was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 
S.Res.575 – A resolution declaring racism a public health crisis
This resolution was introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown [D-OH] to acknowledge the history of racism and discrimination within health care and the systemic barriers that people of color continue to face when seeking care. It recognizes racism as a public health crisis and addresses the impact of systemic racism on health inequities including shorter life expectancy, worsened health outcomes and enhanced exposure to harmful or dangerous environments for communities of color. The resolution commits to establishing a nationwide strategy to advance reforms and address health disparities and inequities across all sectors in society, dismantling systemic practices and policies that perpetuate racism and promoting efforts to address the social determinants of health. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.