Hospital systems announce national campaign to address economic drivers of health disparities

Fourteen of the country's largest hospital systems, including several with ties to Ohio, on Tuesday pledged to invest more than $700 million toward community-based initiatives aimed at addressing the economic and environmental drivers behind a widening disparity in health outcomes  (Source: “Hospitals pledge $700 million to fight economic, social disparities,” Modern Healthcare, Nov. 5, 2019).

The funding over the next five years will go toward projects to tackle housing instability, food insecurity and economic revitalization, among other issues. The effort is part of a national campaign organized by the Healthcare Anchor Network, a collaborative of 45 hospitals and health systems launched in 2017 to help providers learn and share ways to implement strategies aimed at economic inclusion of communities.

Health systems are uniquely positioned to drive economic development since many are the largest employers and purchasers of products and services within their states, according to David Zuckerman, director for healthcare engagement for the Anchor Network's parent organization, the Democracy Collaborative.

According to a press release from the Anchor Healthcare Network, the health systems participating in the campaign include: Advocate Aurora Health, Anchorum St. Vincent, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Boston Medical Center, CommonSpirit Health, Einstein Healthcare Network, Henry Ford Health System, Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, ProMedica, Rush University Medical Center, RWJBarnabas Health, Trinity Health, and UMass Memorial Health Care.