The Ways Social Determinants and Safe Housing Impacts Health

Steve Adubato is joined by Michellene Davis, Esq., Former Executive Vice President & Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, RWJBarnabas Health, to discuss social determinants of health and how safe, stable housing impacts health.  

3/28/2020 #208

Excerpt:

"Think Tank is pleased to welcome Michellene Davis who is executive vice president chief corporate affairs officer RWJ Barnabas health an underwriter of our programming and also Michellene is a trustee of the caucus educational corporation our production company how you doing? I am well how are you? I'm doing great let's talk about we have these conversations about quote social determinants of health defined as social determinants of health really are the experiences that you have outside of a clinical setting so how people live work age and really spend their lives. You know it's interesting one of the areas with your social impact and community investment team.mm hm. where I’ve done some Leadership coaching with them they focus on a variety of these social determinants one of them is housing make this clear the connection between affordable quality housing and healthcare a and then b we'll talk about exactly what's going on there. Yeah. Well I will tell you Steve the evidence and research has really borne out the fact that housing is such a huge determinant about the outcomes of health of individuals--how so? Oh my goodness so researchers evidence the fact that housing had literally been shown to ensure that individuals quite frankly have better mental health days right have better access to other supports within systems we literally pursue it as a housing first model because once we get you into housing then we can really surround individuals with all of the requisite other needs that they that they actually have but everything from asthma to hypertension stress and anxiety all impacted by whether or not you have safe secure affordable housing. Michellene let's pick up on exactly what the health network is doing particularly in the city of Newark and in other communities but starting with Newark. So in Newark New Jersey we are proud we recently announced a partnership with the state through the department of community affairs HMFA program. New jersey housing mortgage finance--financing authority--it's not like we don't have enough acronyms [laughter] all true, all true and--to do what though? Oh my goodness to literally enter into the nation's first model of its kind so why do I say that I say that because for the first time we are seeing not just in the state of new Jersey but quite frankly across the country the fact that the state through one of its state agencies are literally putting in a significant percentage as an incentive to get more hospitals to really invest in housing because housing has such an incredible impact on health and health outcomes. How many units? So we are looking at between 60 and 70 units we are at the very early stages we have other partners Penrose the city of Newark has been a tremendous partner in..."