The Root Cause Coalition provides this weekly update to highlight our members’ social determinants of health (SDOH) activities, SDOH in the news, and the ever-growing challenges faced by our most vulnerable communities. We encourage you to share SDOH-focused research, events and other resources with us so that we can promote it through our TRCC network. Our aim is to foster an exchange of information that is helpful to others so that those most in need—on whose behalf we work each day—can continue to receive information, access and services to improve their health and quality of life.

Registration Now Open for the 2024 TRCC National Summit
Registration is now open for the 2024 National Summit on the Social Drivers of Health, held October 6-8 in Baltimore, Maryland. Our goal at the National Summit is to facilitate collaboration between and highlight the incredible work being done across the country by every type of organization working to achieve health equity.  As such, the agenda reflects the cross-sector nature of our work and focuses on demonstrable, scalable, innovative ideas and programs and discussions with national health equity experts. Don’t miss out on early bird registration rates starting at $695 for members (beyond member-only complimentary registrations) and $795 for non-members, including access to all sessions, meals and special features of the Summit. TRCC members' primary contacts had been sent an e-mail from Molly Melnick, TRCC Member Relations Coordinator, last week with instructions on how to redeem their organizations' complimentary registrations as a benefit of TRCC membership. 

TRCC News

Tomorrow's TRCC Research Webinar:  Social Drivers in Rural Communities
Join TRCC Senior Advisor, Research, Alex Lewin-Zwerdling, tomorrow, June 18 at noon ET, to learn about the results of TRCC's most recent public insight survey on social drivers of health in rural communities. Results show that, compared to urban and suburban residents, those living in rural areas are the least satisfied with accessible transportation options to complete their daily activities. Low-income individuals as well as rural residents also report less access to fresh fruits and vegetables from their home. Additionally, most respondents use their personal vehicle to get to places that are part of their daily routine; being driven by a friend or family member is most common among lower-income individuals. Rural residents also report more difficulty getting to the grocery store and fitness facilities. Click here to register for this webinar.

Root of the Issue
Check out Root of the Issue, TRCC’s podcast that explores the passion and purpose of individuals from across the nation who have dedicated themselves to championing health equity for all. Check out the most recent episodes, and all archived episodes, here! Root of the Issue can be accessed on TRCC’s website and on your favorite podcast app, including Apple, Spotify and Google.
 

TRCC Member Highlight

NCRC Shares New Dataset on Effects of Redlining
Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and Institute for Social Research (ISR) have collaborated to create the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Longitudinal Dataset (HLD). Covering activity since 1981, the HLD combines more than 40 years of data from the only available set of home mortgage information. By making this data accessible, NCRC looks to break down barriers that have impeded a wide range of policy efforts beyond the capital and housing markets themselves – to include public health, sociology and political science. They invite all researchers to utilize this new information to investigate the historical effects of redlining and disinvestment through new geographic alignment across multiple decades of mortgage reporting.

Interested in learning more about membership and engagement with The Root Cause Coalition and how your organization can join our work toward health equity for all? Please reach out to Molly Melnick, Member Relations Coordinator at mmelnick@rootcausecoalition.org

Social Determinants in the News

The Role of Payers in Achieving Environmentally Sustainable and Climate Resilient Health Care
Global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, posing significant threats from climate change. The US health care sector contributes approximately 8.5% of national emissions, more than the entire United Kingdom. This article explores the role that payers can play as the sector transitions towards sustainability. Payers can accelerate this progress by reducing low-value care, promoting clean energy, offering environmentally preferable health care services, supporting a circular economy, and enabling whole-person care to enhance climate resilience. The authors also encourage payers to implement environmental standards that incentivize clean energy investments, ensure access to low-carbon alternatives, reduce medical waste, and address the health impacts of climate change.

New Resource to Connect People Returning to the Community to Health Care Services
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health have joined together to release a new Coverage to Care (C2C) resource to support individuals upon release and re-entering the community to connect to health coverage and health services. The guide contains information to help individuals connect to health care services pre- and post-release, learn about insurance coverage types and how to apply, and tips to get started using health coverage to receive needed services to support a successful reentry and healthy life. It is available in both English and Spanish.

Introducing the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women 2024-2028
The NIH's Office of Research on Women’s Health has released the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women 2024–2028. This plan, developed with input from NIH leaders, external stakeholders and the public, outlines five strategic goals: advancing research on multiple factors affecting women's health, improving data science and innovative research methods, fostering career development for women scientists, supporting studies on the biology of sex influences, and enhancing community-engaged science and implementation of solutions. The plan aims to promote health equity, ensuring women receive tailored, evidence-based care, and to support women in scientific careers.

Three Ways Local Solutions Can Improve Maternal and Birthing Health
Access to dignified healthcare and supportive community conditions during pregnancy and birth is a basic right, encompassing safe housing, nutritious food and social services. Structural racism, however, continues to drive disparities in care for people of color, necessitating systemic approaches to improve health outcomes. The Systems for Action Research program builds evidence to better align medical care, public health, prevention, and social services delivery. Research from its programs points to solutions such as creating safe and culturally inclusive spaces, creating comprehensive cross sector care models, and improving outcomes through community formed research.
 

SDoH Advocacy Update

TRCC’s Equity Legislation Monitor for 118th Congress
TRCC’s Equity Legislation Monitor (ELM) was developed by TRCC to identify priority issues affecting health disparities and relevant legislation that address them. The ELM provides updates and pertinent information on research, news and legislation in eight priority areas: digital equity; environment and climate change; gun violence prevention; housing; maternal health; nutrition and food security; rural health; and payment models. 

HHS Delivers Strategic Framework for National Plan on Aging
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Community Living, recently released a report as an initial step in the development of a national plan on aging. This report lays the groundwork for a coordinated effort to establish a national set of recommendations for advancing healthy aging and age-friendly communities. The document was developed by leaders and experts from 16 federal agencies and departments working together through the Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities, with additional input given by community partners and leaders in the aging services network. The report outlines many factors that influence the aging experience and the specific needs of older adults, including affordable and accessible housing, aligned health care and supportive services, accessible communities, age-friendly workplaces, and sufficient, high-quality long-term services and supports. 

Casey Urges Review of How Women’s Unpaid Labor Contributes to American Economy
Senator Bob Casey [D-PA] recently sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an examination of unpaid care, domestic and reproductive work, and quantification of these contributions to the U.S. economy. He outlines how unpaid work in the U.S. is predominantly provided by women and includes caring for children, older adults and people with disabilities; domestic work, such as grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning; and reproductive work, such as pregnancy, labor and breastfeeding. The letter requests that the GAO study the economic value of unpaid work related to caregiving, domestic work, reproductive work and how much these contributions are worth in terms of GDP. He also requests that the GAO explore analytical methods to capture and quantify data on this unpaid work, including demographic characteristics of unpaid workers, by gender, race/ethnicity, and income. Finally, Senator Casey asks for research on the implications of any gaps in understanding the extent and value of unpaid work for policymakers and the oversight of federal programs, especially as it relates to supporting unpaid workers and the care workforce. 

H.R.8330 - Stop Nurse Shortages Act
This bill was introduced by Representative Haley Stevens [D-MI] to address workforce shortages in the nursing field. The bill would establish a grant program to help nursing schools create, expand or support accelerated nursing degree programs, which are geared towards training those with an undergraduate degree in another field as nurses at an accelerated pace. Funding could be used for hiring and retaining faculty, increasing the number of clinical training sites, and offering student financial assistance. It could also be used to increase the number of graduating nurses, with a focus on racial and ethnic minorities that are underrepresented among registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R.8470 - Helping Families Heal Act of 2024 
This legislation was introduced by Representative Cori Bush [D-MO] to expand mental health services for communities harmed by police violence. The bill would establish grant programs within the Department of Health and Human Services to expand communities’ ability to recruit, hire, train, and dispatch mental health professionals and community health workers to provide comprehensive mental health services to individuals impacted by police violence, including students and school personnel. It would also establish community-based mental health programs that build awareness, expand screening efforts, incorporate community interventions, and facilitate partnerships among families, students and health care workers. Additionally, it would establish an interagency task force of representatives from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education and Justice to coordinate existing grants and other resources to better serve people who have experienced law enforcement personnel violence. The bill was referred to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce and the Judiciary.