Health and social services integration is mission-critical in the coronavirus response

The April 2020 issue of Health Affairs journal includes the article, “Health And Human Services Integration: Generating Sustained Health And Equity Improvements,” by Caroline Fichtenberg and colleagues. In response to the latest world events, we asked the authors to put their work in the context of the current coronavirus crisis.

We recently published an article highlighting growth in health care sector activities to coordinate and integrate health and human services. Driven by appreciation of the impact of social factors on health combined with pressure to produce higher value per health care dollar, some health care organizations across the country have developed programs to identify patients’ social risks and facilitate social service access, including in some cases by directly paying for services such as transportation, housing, and food. Simultaneously, some organizations are supporting initiatives to improve community conditions, including through affordable housing and economic development loans.