The Northwest AHEC Practice Support Team supports social, physical, and economic environments which promote attaining the full potential of health and well-being for all. This blog segment will highlight impactful publications which promote improved health outcomes through Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) each month.

The Northwest AHEC Practice Support Team is committed to promote understanding and improve the orientation of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for North Carolinians. In order to support these goals, we will share a publication on SDOH each month on our Practice Support Blog. 

The aim of this conference is to provide healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to support and treat patients who struggle with obesity and obesity-related comorbidities. Participants will gain an evidence-based understanding of obesity as a disease that is influenced by a complex dynamic of physiological and psychosocial variables. Upon completion of the conference, participants will leave with a basic skill-set that enables them to identify treatment strategies that goes beyond 'eat less and move more'. Live Webinar is October 1st, 8am - 4pm, make sure to join us!

Join us on September 9-11 for the Addiction Research & Clinical Health (ARCH) Symposium - Making the Connection: Exploring the Intersectionality of Social Justice and Addiction Care. The ARCH Symposium is unique in that it brings together professionals and experts from several different fields—from physicians and public health experts to counselors and journalists—to take a broader look at addiction care and the many systems involved. Oftentimes, the topics of addiction and recovery focus solely on the individual and overlook the many systems that individuals interact with and how these systems can work with—but more often against—someone seeking care for their substance use.

In 2019, The Northwest AHEC re-prioritized our health education objectives to include non-medical drivers of health. These non-medical key drivers of an individual’s health (e.g. employment status, where we live, the air we breathe, our access to food and safe places nearby to exercise) have gained an elevated status in improving public health. This is noted in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s seminal work on preventing premature injury, the Healthy People 2030 Framework. Healthy People 2030 in its foundational principles includes: healthy physical, social, and economic environments to strengthen the potential to achieve health and well-being.

When searching for a way to give back to the community, Northwest AHEC did not have to look far for something where we could impact our local community. Senior Services of Forsyth County is located just across the street from our office location, at McCreary Tower, and they have a critical need for volunteers for the Meals-on-Wheels program.

The Northwest AHEC Practice Support Team is committed to promote understanding and improve the orientation of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for North Carolinians. In order to support these goals, we will share a publication on SDOH each month on our Practice Support Blog. 

The social determinants of health, or the areas in which people are born, grow, work, and age, have a profound impact on health. This month we are highlighting the article Screening for Social Determinants of Health in Free and Charitable Clinics in North Carolina.

This publication summarizes findings by Wake Forest Baptist Health researchers Deepak Palakshappa, MD MSHP, Mark Scheerer, Charles Thomas Alexander Semelka, MD, and Kristie L. Foley, PhD. Utilizing a web-based survey, this research team examined free and charitable clinics level of participation in screening for Social Determinants of Health among their 80,000 uninsured and underinsured patient population. The article examines how they can address the needs of patients even more effectively.

The article describes in detail the survey used to collect the data, how the responses were obtained and the final analysis of the data that was received. In addition to the methods of the study, the article details what the authors and researchers learned from the results. Although the results represent findings from a small sample of North Carolina free and charitable clinics, it’s findings reveal a microcosm of the barriers facing the healthcare system and how it can slowly but surely address the needs of all people.


Source:

Palakshappa D, Scheerer M, Semelka CT, Foley KL. Screening for Social Determinants of Health in Free and Charitable Clinics in North Carolina. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2020;31(1):382-397. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2020.0029. PMID: 32037338. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32037338/


Full text article - https://muse.jhu.edu/article/747795

The Office of Rural Health (ORH) and North Carolina Area Health Education Center (AHEC) invite you to participate in no-charge educational offerings to learn more about screening for unmet social needs, NCCARE360, and human service organizations in the region.

Social determinants awareness has become a consistent consideration in healthcare as we've become intentional about recognizing the environmental, social, and other factors leading to suboptimal health outcomes. Housing and the demand for safe and affordable housing is a challenge in many communities.

The Northwest AHEC Practice Support Team is committed to promote understanding and improve the orientation of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for North Carolinians. In order to support these goals, we will share a publication on SDOH each month on our Practice Support Blog.