Former White House official to co-chair the Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum

    WASHINGTON, DC, July 31, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- RISE is excited to announce the addition of Dr. Sandra E. Ford as co-chair for The 2nd Annual Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum on December 4-6, at The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center.

The conference, hosted in partnership with Aligning for Health, a member association that advocates to Congress for solutions to address social determinants of health (SDoH), will offer attendees the opportunity to engage with government leaders on federal efforts to increase coordination and impact of programs and services that address health and social needs.

A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Ford has served in executive leadership roles at the local, state, and federal levels. During her tenure at the White House, her work focused on health equity, maternal and child health, and SDoH. She is also the principal author of the White House Action Plan identifying whole-of-government policy actions to address SDoH.

The two-day conference will feature presentations and panels from federal and local government agencies, members of Congress, the White House, practitioners, health plans, community-based organizations, and other policymakers. Speakers will present fresh perspectives and tactical insights to continue to implement policies needed to improve the health and wellbeing of communities.

This year's forum will be divided into three overarching themes loosely based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2022 SDoH Action Plan: Whole of government approach to addressing SDoH, data and infrastructure, and building connections and partnerships.

"This is an opportunity to find your tribe, find those folks doing the same work you're doing but outside your usual circle," said Dr. Ford in a recent interview with RISE. "It's a chance to discover opportunities and best practices you may not have been aware of, which is key."

About RISE
RISE is the premier community for health care professionals who aspire to meet the extraordinary challenges posed by the emerging landscape of accountable care and government health care reform. Recognized industry wide as the number one source for information on risk adjustment and quality improvement within health care, RISE strives to serve the community on four fronts: networking, education, industry intelligence, and career development. Through cutting-edge conferences, online courses, in-house training, and webinars, RISE provides professionals with industry insights and critical information they need to stay ahead of the curve. RISE produces more than 30 conferences annually, focused on sophisticated topics and ample networking opportunities for thousands of executives from mid- to senior-level and C-suite. Our team of subject matter experts is often first to market with emerging topics, and we pride ourselves on consistently delivering on top-quality operations and logistics to produce a seamless event.

About Aligning for Health
Aligning for Health is a membership association which, with the support of our members and Advisory Board, advocates for solutions that address the common challenge of our members–the need for more integrated and coordinated programs to better improve health outcomes for Americans.

The AFH team:
• Assesses current opportunities for coordination of relevant health and human service programs across the federal government, such as housing, food assistance, workforce training, transportation, and Medicaid.
• Identifies successful state- and locally-developed cross-sector models addressing social determinants, and reviewed the role of the private sector and charitable initiatives in such models.
• Meets with county and state officials to understand the challenges and barriers they face in addressing the whole-person needs of vulnerable and/or or high-cost patients.
• Builds and executes on an advocacy campaign to support solutions to address social determinants.
• Cultivates supportive Governors and state and local officials.
• Lobbies the Biden Administration and Congress.
• Educates interested stakeholders.
• Works with agencies at the state and federal level to assist in developing Social Determinants Accelerator Plans.

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