Video

How Rush University Medical Center is addressing the root causes of social determinants of health

Rush and their partners are pioneers in health equity. Watch five videos to hear their experiences firsthand becoming an anchor institution.

Overview

Rush University Medical Center is a 664-bed academic medical center and Level II Trauma Center located on the West Side of Chicago. Rush and their community partners are at the forefront of innovative approaches to address the social determinants of health. They graciously met with our experts to share what they’ve learned. Watch the five videos below to hear their experiences firsthand.

Early indicators of success

Since the launch of West Side United in 2017, community leaders have achieved:

  • $6.5M dedicated to social impact loans
  • 1,800+ new West Side hospital hires
  • 1,500 patients served by community health workers
  • $125K dedicated to co-locating mental health care in the community

Results

Key lessons from the field

As a pioneer in the field, Rush University Medical Center learned tactics to embrace and missteps to avoid along the way. Provider organizations that strive to address the root causes of social determinants of health should review these six lessons from Rush and West Side United leaders:

  1. Repair historical mistrust by acknowledging past mistakes
  2. Initiate candid conversations to pinpoint actionable opportunities
  3. Follow the community’s lead to design effective solutions
  4. Create structural accountability for senior leadership
  5. Expect that staff will want to be a part of structural change
  6. Commit to long-term investments to yield a true ROI

The consequences of inaction

Social determinants of health pose a major challenge in Chicago. The inequitable distribution of resources across neighborhoods results in vastly different quality of life and health outcomes for white and black communities. In the primarily black neighborhoods on the West Side of Chicago, where Rush University Medical Center is located, patients are more likely to have serious health challenges and less likely to be able to access and afford the care they need.

In West Garfield Park, one of the neighborhoods on the West Side, 25% of residents are unemployed and 40% live below the poverty line. Per capita income is just over $10,000. Compared with primarily white downtown Chicago neighborhoods, such as the Loop, West Side residents are:

  • 4x more likely to die from diabetes
  • 3x more likely to die as an infant
  • 2x more likely to die from cancer

As a result, West Side residents lose an average of 16 years of life compared with residents of the primarily white neighborhoods in downtown Chicago.

Unearthing root causes

This death gap did not occur by chance. The root causes include the enduring legacies of structural racism and intergenerational poverty.

Many provider organizations now focus on addressing the social determinants of health, and their efforts can meaningfully impact the lives of patients who receive social support. However, most organizations’ initiatives target consequences to the health system—such as ED utilization and readmissions—reflecting a short-term ambition. This approach perpetuates a revolving door of need. In order to break the cycle, leaders need to set a long-term ambition centered on the structural root causes.

Embracing an anchor strategy

Structural change requires broad community coalitions. But organizations can also take steps independently to adopt equitable business practices, invest in economic development, and demonstrate their commitment to the community, ultimately serving as a true anchor institution.

Rush University Medical Center started by determining how they could better serve their “first community”—their staff. Internal champions, including Dr. David Ansell, the SVP of Community Health Equity, successful advocated for an organization-wide $15 minimum wage and the creation of career pipelines for local residents and entry-level incumbent staff.

Rush also realized they could channel their resources to strengthen locally owned businesses. Leaders re-engineered their supply chain processes to ensure they purchase from as many local businesses as possible. They also dedicated $6 million in social impact loans by partnering with Community Development Financial Institutions.


Challenge

Leaders across the health care industry increasingly recognize that a person’s ZIP code is more important to their health outcomes than their genetic code. Mounting evidence demonstrates that when a community faces insufficient social goods—including healthy food, safe housing, and living wages—population health declines. These social determinants of health most negatively impact marginalized populations, including communities of color.


Solution

Convening community partners

Realizing they couldn’t effectively address the root causes of the social determinants of health alone, Rush University Medical Center launched a community-led partnership, West Side United. This coalition of over 50 local organizations elevates the expertise of community leaders to impact four focus areas:

  • Economic vitality
  • Education
  • Health and health care
  • Neighborhood and physical environment

West Side United’s goal is to reduce the life expectancy gap between the West Side and the Loop by 50% by 2030.


Your Next Step

The field guide for defining providers' role in addressing social determinants of health

Leaders across the health care industry increasingly recognize the impact of social determinants on health outcomes. Provider organizations are starting to set a long-term strategy centered on the structural root causes: poverty and inequity. See our field guide to learn about the root causes of social determinants and five ways your organization can be an effective community partner and make a difference at scale.

Download now

SPONSORED BY

INTENDED AUDIENCE

AFTER YOU READ THIS

1. You'll learn what it means to be an anchor institution for the community.

2. You'll learn how Rush embraced an anchor strategy.

2. You'll hear directly from leaders at Rush and in their community and what they learned.

Don't miss out on the latest Advisory Board insights

Create your free account to access 2 resources each month, including the latest research and webinars.

Want access without creating an account?

   

You have 2 free members-only resources remaining this month remaining this month.

1 free members-only resources remaining this month

1 free members-only resources remaining this month

You've reached your limit of free monthly insights

Become a member to access all of Advisory Board's resources, events, and experts

Never miss out on the latest innovative health care content tailored to you.

Benefits include:

Unlimited access to research and resources
Member-only access to events and trainings
Expert-led consultation and facilitation
The latest content delivered to your inbox

You've reached your limit of free monthly insights

Become a member to access all of Advisory Board's resources, events, and experts

Never miss out on the latest innovative health care content tailored to you.

Benefits include:

Unlimited access to research and resources
Member-only access to events and trainings
Expert-led consultation and facilitation
The latest content delivered to your inbox
AB
Thanks you! Your updates are made successfully.
Oh no! There was a problem with your request.
Error in form submission. Please try again.