2026 Social Determinants of Health Summit

Sponsors & Exhibitors

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overview

Business Research Intelligence Network presents the Social Determinants of Health Summit, bringing together healthcare executives, community health leaders and innovative practitioners who are redefining what it means to deliver comprehensive care. As hospitals and health systems navigate an evolving policy landscape and tightening resources, addressing social determinants has become not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for improving outcomes and controlling costs. This summit explores practical approaches to integrating SDOH interventions into everyday operations while building sustainable partnerships that extend care beyond hospital walls.

Over two intensive days, participants will examine proven strategies for implementing SDOH programs that work in real-world settings with real-world constraints. From mobile health units reaching underserved populations to anchor institution initiatives that leverage purchasing power for community benefit, attendees will discover how leading organizations are making meaningful impact despite financial pressures and policy uncertainty. The program balances strategic vision with tactical implementation, offering frameworks for everything from launching food as medicine programs to navigating the complexities of Medicaid reimbursement for social interventions.

Whether you’re just beginning to formalize your SDOH strategy or looking to scale existing programs, this summit provides the insights, tools and connections needed to advance your organization’s efforts. You’ll leave with actionable plans for addressing workforce challenges, securing sustainable funding, leveraging technology for better data integration and building the cross-sector partnerships that transform how care is delivered. Join us to learn from peers who are successfully bridging the divide between clinical care and community health.

Agenda

Day One – Thursday, March 19, 2026

7:15am – 8:00am
Conference Registration & Networking Breakfast

8:00am – 8:15am
Chairperson's Opening Remarks

8:15am – 9:00am
The Science of Humankindness: Addressing Social Needs Through Compassion and Trust
In an era marked by persistent health inequities and growing polarization, reconnecting to our shared humanity offers a powerful catalyst for transformation. This session explores how the emerging science of humankindness—rooted in neuroscience, behavioral science, and social psychology—can inform strategies addressing social needs. Participants will learn how fostering kindness, compassion, empathy, and trust within healthcare systems not only improves individual health outcomes but also creates more flourishing environments for all. The session will highlight real-world examples of how healthcare leaders and practitioners are operationalizing humankindness to address social needs, rebuild trust in vulnerable communities, and drive meaningful change.

Define the science of humankindness and explain its relevance to addressing social needs in diverse healthcare settings
Analyze the impact of kindness, compassion, empathy, and trust (KCET) in operationalizing social needs strategies
Apply evidence-based strategies grounded in humankindness to foster more equitable, inclusive, and human-centered healthcare systems

Alisahah Jackson, MD
President
Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness & Health Justice
CommonSpirit Health

9:00am – 9:45am
Housing as Healthcare: Innovative Strategies and Partnerships
Housing instability and homelessness impact health outcomes and drive system-level costs, making housing interventions among the highest-impact, yet oftentimes hardest to implement, SDOH strategies available. This session explores a spectrum of housing support strategies, specific initiatives, and novel partnerships that can be considered on the local level by practioners in the field. This includes innovations such as social investment models like Pay for Success, housing supports and services such as Medicaid home stabilization services, and other innovative partnerships.

James C. Rajotte, MS
Director of Strategy and Innovation
Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services

9:45am – 10:15am
Networking & Refreshments Break

10:15am – 11:00am
From Data to Impact: Overcoming Barriers and Advancing Health Equity
Addressing and advancing health equity can pose both internal and external challenges for practitioners who are charged with mitigating barriers to access and care for patients and families. This session will explore and illuminate these challenges through candid discussion about social inequality, social determinants of health, access to resources, and historical and contemporary biases, discrimination, and apathy that all play a role and influence outcomes both for patients and health equity practitioners. Given our moral duty to help all who need it, this session will also include different strategies for collecting and sustaining data, how to stay abreast of key events and moments in your organization, and how to work around and/or win over those departments and individuals with limited interest and commitment.

Dionne Wright Poulton, Ph.D.
Head of Organizational Learning & DEB
Organizational Ombudsperson
Franciscan Children’s

11:00am – 11:45am
Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis Through Decreasing Social Disparities
The United States has identified that maternal health is an area of crisis. It is a cornerstone of all national and state health initiatives. The United States is ranked 122 out of 186 countries for maternal mortality rate (MMR). This rate is based on the number of female deaths per 100,000 live births for any cause related to pregnancy (CIA, 2020). A significant factor affecting maternal health outcomes are socio-economic issues. Social disparities create inequality for maternal care, proper nutrition, safe housing, and greater challenges in overall well-being. Lower income levels lead to decreased access to prenatal care, assistance during birth and support services. Socio-economic factors also increase risks of pregnancy and birth complications.

A community-based model of maternal care has been developed and piloted that works to address the socio-economic issues impacting the access to peri-natal care, education, nutrition, housing, and birthing supports. This pilot program has demonstrated how engaging with the pregnant woman and improving quality of life decreases the percentage of pre-term births, maternal deaths, and increases birth weight.

This presentation will review the maternal health crisis and its relationship to SDoH issues. The development and implementation of the pilot program and its one year outcomes.

Jayme Ambrose, DNP, RN, CCM
Chief Executive Officer
Adobe Population Health

11:45am – 12:30pm
Cold Spotting and Community Needs Assessment: Finding the Gaps in Your Service Area
While "hot spotting" identifies high-utilizers who need intensive intervention, "cold spotting" reveals underserved populations who aren't accessing care at all. This session introduces analytical approaches for identifying gaps in service delivery and unmet community needs. You'll learn how to combine EHR data, claims information and community-level social determinants to create comprehensive pictures of population health. The discussion covers geospatial mapping techniques that visualize disparities across your service area and guide resource deployment decisions. We'll explore innovative uses of Community Health Needs Assessments that go beyond compliance to drive strategic planning. Attendees will discover how leading organizations are partnering with public health departments and community organizations to share data and coordinate efforts, ensuring limited resources reach the communities with the greatest needs rather than just the loudest voices.

Balpreet K. Grewal-Virk, Ph.D., MBA, MA
Senior Vice President, Community Health
RWJBarnabas Health

12:30pm – 1:30pm
Luncheon

1:30pm – 2:15pm
What's Law Got To Do With It? A Comprehensive Look at Psychology, Sociology, Justice, and Community Networking
This session is designed to illuminate how the legal system can intersect and does intersect with psychological functioning, social structures, and community based supports. Participants will gain a practical and conceptual understanding of how our laws of the land influence mental health outcomes, access to services, substance use attention and recovery, and overall community well being. This session demonstrates how to build bridges with theory and practice by examining how justice policies impact individuals in all neighbohoods, schools, court rooms and agencies. Emphasis is on smashing stigmas and effective collaboration across all systems.

Learning objectives:

- Identify how laws and justice policies influence our communities

- Explain the sociological and psychological impact of systemic inequities,criminalization, and access to the right resources

- Recognize the role of trauma, adverse experiences, and cultural context in our families and individuals

- Collaborate more effectively across legal, mental health, and community systems.

Lisa Seif, LCSW, LCAC, CSAMS
Consultant

Wayne Trockman J.D., J.S.C
Judge
Vanderburg Superior Court

Lindsay Snyder
Deputy Mayor
Evansville Indiana

2:15pm – 3:15pm
Breaking Down Silos Between Health Systems and Community Organizations
Effective SDOH work requires genuine partnership between healthcare and community-based organizations, but these relationships don't always come naturally. This session brings together leaders from both sides who have built successful collaborations that are delivering results. Speakers will share candid insights about navigating different organizational cultures, aligning incentives and building trust when historical relationships may have been rocky. The conversation addresses practical challenges like data sharing, referral coordination and sustaining partnerships when funding landscapes shift. You'll hear about innovative models including community health worker programs, wraparound services and integrated care teams that blend clinical and social support. The discussion includes audience Q&A focused on overcoming specific barriers and building partnerships that last.

Jessica Bowman
Senior Program Manager
MassHealth

Sarah Cluggish
Chief Program Officer
Project Bread

Kim Prendergast
Vice President, Policy & Strategy
Community Care Cooperative

3:15pm – 3:45pm
Networking & Refreshments Break

3:45pm – 4:30pm
Catalyzing Collaboration: How TennCare’s Health Starts Scales Social Care Across Tennessee
TennCare’s Health Starts initiative tackles health-related social needs through three integrated workstreams: TN Community Compass, Provider Partnerships, and Community Health Worker development. This session will explore real-world challenges and successes in building collaboration among a state Medicaid agency, medical providers, health plans, and community organizations. Attendees will learn how technology-enabled closed-loop referrals and data sharing can create scalable, sustainable models for social care integration. Key takeaways include practical lessons on stakeholder roles, strategies for leveraging technology, and actionable insights for designing sustainable approaches that improve health outcomes through social care.

Nicolette Wise, MPH
SDOH Director
TennCare

Rachael Jameson, MPH
SDOH Program Manager
TennCare

Victor Wu, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer
TennCare

4:30pm – 5:15pm
From Policy to Practice: Implementing and Evaluating Systemwide SDOH Screening in Acute Care

Growing evidence underscores the profound impact of social drivers of health (SDOH) on clinical outcomes. In recent years, several U.S. federal agencies promoted expanded SDOH data collection, reporting, and analysis, reinforcing the importance of screening and creating incentives for implementation. These federal initiatives prompted healthcare organizations to build the infrastructure, processes, and staffing needed to support systemwide SDOH screening. In this session, you’ll gain insights from Sutter Health’s implementation journey and lessons learned from a comprehensive evaluation. Drawing on perspectives from patients and care teams, we’ll identify key facilitators, barriers, and opportunities throughout the process. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to strengthen workflows, communication, and post-screening connections in acute care settings.

Juan Carlos Piña, MPH, CPHQ
Program Manager, SDOH, Quality & Patient Safety Division
Sutter Health

5:15pm
End of Day One

Day Two – Friday, March 20, 2026

7:15am – 8:00am
Networking Breakfast

8:00am – 8:15am
Chairperson's Recap

8:15am – 9:00am
Medicine for the Greater Good: Achieving the Promise of Medicine Through Community Engagement
Health begins long before a patient enters a clinic or hospital. It takes root in the neighborhoods, families, and faith communities that shape our daily lives. In Medicine for the Greater Good, Panagis Galiatsatos shows how physicians, community leaders, and health systems can work together to strengthen those roots and transform the way we understand and deliver care.

Dr. Galiatsatos offers a compelling vision of health care that extends beyond the exam room. In his recent book, each chapter highlights the expanding role of Community Health Workers, advice for treating both children's and adults' mental health, and insights from a surgeon and a religious leader working to advance community-focused projects at the state level. Through partnerships with churches and community organizations, volunteers are trained as trusted health educators, addressing challenges that medical advice alone cannot solve. These collaborations create lasting networks of support that improve access to screenings, encourage healthier lifestyles, and foster trust between institutions and communities. Examples drawn from initiatives developed during and after the pandemic underscore how resilient, adaptive outreach can save lives while reducing costs for hospitals and health systems.

In an era when population health and cost efficiency are under intense scrutiny, this book offers a model rooted in trust, compassion, and the shared work of building healthier communities. Whether you are a health care professional frustrated by seeing the benefits of your team's service end at the clinic door or a community member who sees the benefits of connecting with your local health system, this first-hand account will give you the inspiration to get started.

Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, MHS
Associate Professor of Medicine & Oncology
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
Johns Hopkins Medicine

9:00am – 9:45am
Behavioral Health Integration: Treating Mental Health and Substance Use as Part of Whole-Person Care
Mental health and substance use disorders intersect with virtually every other social determinant, yet behavioral health services remain frustratingly siloed in many organizations. This session examines practical strategies for integrating behavioral health screening and treatment into primary care and SDOH programming. You'll explore co-location models, warm handoff protocols and collaborative care arrangements that make mental health support accessible when and where patients need it. The discussion addresses workforce challenges including the shortage of behavioral health providers and innovative solutions like peer support specialists and telehealth. We'll cover reimbursement strategies, including new Medicaid pathways for behavioral health integration and the role of community-based organizations in providing services. Learn how successful programs are addressing stigma, building trust and ensuring that mental health and substance use treatment are standard components of addressing social needs.

Hira Ruskin, MBA
Vice President of Operations
Institute for Community Health and Wellness
Health Management Division
Northwell Health

Mitchell Cornet, MPP, MHSA
Vice President, Community Strategic Partnerships
Institute for Community Health and Wellness
Northwell Health

9:45am – 10:15am
Networking & Refreshments Break

10:15am – 11:00am
Medicaid and Value-Based Care: Making the Business Case for SDOH Investment
As value-based payment models expand and Medicaid increasingly covers social interventions, the financial equation for SDOH programming is shifting rapidly. This session helps you navigate the evolving reimbursement landscape and build compelling business cases for your initiatives. You'll learn which SDOH services are now covered by Medicaid in your state, how to bill for them correctly and what documentation is required. The discussion explores value-based care arrangements where shared savings can fund social interventions that reduce costly utilization. We'll examine emerging models including Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations, Health-Related Social Needs initiatives and state innovation waivers that are creating new funding streams. Attendees will gain frameworks for projecting ROI, conducting cost-benefit analyses and presenting SDOH investments to CFOs and boards in language that resonates with financial decision-makers.

Chad J. Westover
Chief Executive Officer
University of Utah Health Plans

11:00am – 11:45am
Hospital Violence Intervention Programs: An SDOH Strategy that Addresses a Leading Cause of Death
Firearms are a leading cause of death for youth and young adults in the United States, yet investment in evidence-based community violence intervention strategies remains inadequate. Hospital violence intervention programs (HVIPs) bridge the gap between health systems and communities, addressing SDOH that influence patients’ risk of repeat violence victimization, injury recovery outcomes, and overall quality of life. Attendees will gain perspective on the benefits of utilizing a public health approach to improve trauma-informed and culturally competent care for an underserved patient population. The discussion will include practical guidance on building capacity to improve the care and outcomes of violently injured patients despite limited resources.

Christa Green, MPH
Program Director
Turning the Tide Violence Intervention Program
Department of Surgery
Medical University of South Carolina

11:45am – 12:30pm

Jessica Perkerewicz
Social Work
Altru Health System

12:30pm
Conference Concludes

Workshop - Friday, March 20, 2026

Friday, March 20, 2026

12:45pm – 2:45pm
Workshop:
Sustaining and Empowering the Community Based Social Heath Care Delivery System
Local community-based organizations are often best positioned to reach high need populations, promote wellness, and address social health needs. However, these organizations are unlikely to have the infrastructure or service volume necessary to effectively contract for, deliver, and sustainably scale Medicaid or Medicare funded services. This session highlights the value of supporting CBO social care integration via public financing with shared functions utilizing the Community Care Hub (CCH) model. You’ll learn why community members, managed care plans, hospitals, and health care providers value CBOs and embrace the CCH model; what factors within a state’s ecosystem best facilitate CCH development; and the steps necessary to convene, design, and implement a CCH. This session will share an overview of CBO integration models and CCH examples from multiple states. Participants will participate in developing a CBO integration strategy, based on key factors within their own state.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the value proposition for a Community Care Hub from the perspective of a person, a primary care or behavioral health provider, a hospital, an MCO, and a state-wide system
Learn how to finance hub implementation and sustainability
Reflect on social health delivery experiences with or without a CCH model
Plan potential next steps for exploring options for a CCH

Heidi Arthur, LMSW
Principal
Health Management Associates

Who Should Attend?

Medicaid; Medicaid; Commercial Health Plans; Health Systems; Hospitals; Provider Groups; Pharma Organizations; Gov’t and Community Based Organizations; Rural Health