Q&A
Addressing social determinants of health in NYC
0:21:14
·
132 sec
Council Member Powers asks Ms. Rodriguez about how H+H can better address social determinants of health, especially those having negative consequences on mortality and nutrition. Ms. Rodriguez provides insights on potential strategies and focus areas.
- Improving patient longevity and increasing access to medical insurance
- Addressing affordable housing issues
- Targeting food access and increasing community resources like food pantries
- Implementing 'hot spotting' to identify areas of greatest need
- Hiring 'boots on the ground' personnel to assist community members with accessing resources and navigating healthcare systems
- Focusing on holistic care, especially for vulnerable populations like homeless individuals with chronic conditions
Keith Powers
0:21:14
And and one of the prior questions we talked about, social determinants of health across the city, And what do you think h and h can be doing to better address those social determinants of health especially the ones that are having negative consequences here.
0:21:27
We talk about mortality.
0:21:29
Certainly, we talk about nutrition.
0:21:31
Other other issues that are are having negative consequences or a city.
0:21:36
Can you talk more about the work that if you are on the board, you might encourage or or think the h h can focus on to address those?
Vanessa Rodriguez
0:21:43
Yes.
0:21:45
So I think h h can focus on improving patient longevity to improve long term access, increase access to medical in insurance.
0:22:00
I know that that's a big issue for a lot of patients and community the community getting insurance.
0:22:10
Having afford and having affordable housing is another major issue.
0:22:16
Targeting the food access.
0:22:19
I know that focusing on the needs of the community of the patient, being able to have more access to resources, community resources, such as more food pantries, possibly doing some more hot spotting to identify where those areas that are having that need that have that need the the more focus.
0:22:52
You know, hiring what I call boots on boots on the ground, people who can actually be there for the community and help them fill out forms because it's it's those little things that really matter and that patients do look for.
0:23:08
Right?
0:23:08
Because they will it's actually somebody who is, you know, homeless, who may also be suffering from diabetes.
0:23:16
If they had somebody who was there to actually help them and kinda hand hold them to the process, I think that's something that will improve the social determinants.
