The MDHHS SDoH Strategy is in its third year of improving health and social outcomes for all Michigan residents while working to achieve health equity by eliminating disparities and barriers to social and economic opportunity. It is a marathon, not a sprint, and will require committed effort and a solid foundation for long term sustainability. There is a great deal of work across the state to strive towards that aim.
For example, you’ll remember that one of the key components of the Phase III MDHHS SDoH Strategy was the concept of SDoH hubs. The hubs are intended to be regional initiatives that bring community members, health care professionals, social service providers, government partners, and business leaders together to address the social determinants of health (SDoH) and improve health equity. Communities are unique and so are the hubs that serve them. Local community input guides how each hub is structured, what is prioritized, and how to spend resources.
What do the SDoH Hubs work on?
- Connecting with local partners and bringing them together for community-informed design
- Identifying areas of opportunity for community information exchange (CIE)
- Exploring ways to incorporate a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach. This includes the Good Housing = Good Health program, which increases housing access, educates to prevent the loss of housing, and enhances the well-being of families with the highest barriers to secure, safe, affordable housing. It also includes food delivery service to improve nutrition, and fully optimizing the use of community health workers (CHWs).
- Periodically meeting together to exchange learnings and best practices to combine the best thinking of all
In January, MDHHS announced the Cohort 1 SDoH Hub awardees (Detroit Health Department; District Health Department #10; Greater Flint Health Coalition and the United Way; and Wayne County Health Department). MDHHS just announced the selection of three new SDOH Hubs pilot for the launch of the second cohort. This brings the total count of announced hubs to seven, and a third cohort will launch on May 1.
Let’s get to know the three new Cohort 2 hubs:
- In Bay County, the United Way of Bay County will include a technology solution so that community navigators can connect individuals & families with health, human, and social service resources to better meet SDOH needs.
- In Muskegon County, the Muskegon County Health Department will connect with current county and state CIE efforts and serve to support and strengthen community -based organizations.
- In Kent County, Heart of West Michigan United Way will work with Kent County Health Department, Health Net of West Michigan, and the Kent County Essential Needs Task Force to deploy Community Health Navigators (CHN) to identify populations of need and type of need with a focus on access to food.
To learn more about the SDOH Hubs, including an overview of each hub site, please visit www.Michigan.gov/SDOH.
Michigan Multipayer Initiatives 