A resolution addressing the social determinants of health was the basis for a newly-adopted policy that will drive the Society’s advocacy. At the 2018 MMS Interim Meeting, Damian K. Archer, MD, chief medical officer at North Shore Community Health, presented a report on social determinants of health on behalf of the MMS Committee on Diversity in Medicine.
“At the Interim Meeting, physicians coming to the microphone were giving their personal experiences of patients and situations where the social determinants were ignored, causing extremely poor outcomes and extreme expense,” Dr. Archer told Vital Signs. On December 1, 2018, the House of Delegates voted for the new policy. It includes supporting sustainable care delivery and payment models that incorporate creative solutions.
Photo by Doug Bradshaw.
