TFAH Applauds the Re-introduction of The Social Determinants of Health Act in Congress
(Washington, DC – February 29) – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a non-partisan, independent public health policy, research, and advocacy organization, applauds the introduction of the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2024 for the critical ways it would address the social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect health and well-being and would drive improved health for millions of Americans.
If enacted, the bill would codify and expand the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through grants to public health departments and community organizations, the program would help build multisector collaborations to address non-medical drivers of health. Grants would also be issued to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to conduct research on SDOH best practices, provide technical training, evaluation assistance, and/or disseminate those best practices. Lastly, the program would coordinate, support, and align SDOH activities at CDC.
The President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, congratulates Rep. Barragán and Senators Smith and Murphy on the introduction of the bill:
“Social determinants of health, including housing, employment, food security, transportation, and education, contribute significantly to people’s health outcomes over their lifetime. Communities need more flexible and cross-cutting resources to address these factors that if unaddressed can lead to poor health. CDC’s SDOH program has already assisted dozens of communities in creating SDOH plans and now needs the resources to allow additional grantees to implement community-tailored plans.
Public health plays an important role in convening partners from different sectors and trusted community leaders to address these non-medical drivers of health. This legislation is an important step in improving health outcomes, reducing overall healthcare spending, and helping reduce health disparities. TFAH is proud to support this bill.”
TFAH’s summary of the bill can be found here. For more information on The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2023, please contact Madison West at [email protected].
In addition to TFAH, original endorsing national organizations include:
| New York State Public Health Association | AAHFN | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics | AcademyHealth |
| Access Care Anywhere | AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services | AIDS Alabama | Aligning for Health |
| America Walks | American Association of Colleges of Nursing | American Association on Health and Disability | American College of Medical Toxicology |
| American College of Nurse-Midwives | American College of Physicians | American College of Preventive Medicine | American Heart Association |
| American Medical Women’s Association | American Physical Therapy Association | Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago | Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs |
| Association of State and Territorial Health Officials | Association of State Public Health Nutritionists | Bariatrix Fitness &Functional Training | BDS HEALTHY AGING NETWORKS, INC. |
| Big Cities Health Coalition | Bike Cleveland | Bridges Into the Future | Brighter Beginnings |
| Burke County Health Department | Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids | Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of Elders (CARIE) | Center for Biological Diversity |
| Center for Community Resilience | Center for Promotion of Child Development through Primary Care | Center for Whole Health Learning in K-12 | Ceres Community Project |
| CHAMPS GPO | ChangeLab Solutions | Children’s HealthWatch | Christian Council of Delmarva |
| Civitas Networks for Health | Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients | Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness | Community Health Council of Wyandotte County |
| Continual Care Solutions | Council on Aging for Henderson County | Counter Tools | Deborah’s Place |
| Dia de la Mujer Latina Inc | DuPage County Health Department | Epilepsy Foundation | Epilepsy Information Service of Wake Forest School of Medicine |
| Equality California | Fact Forward | Flint Rising | Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository | Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Inc | Haleon | Hartsfield Health Systems Consulting |
| Health by Design | Health Improvement Collaborative of Southeastern Connecticut | Health Outreach Partners | Health Resources in Action |
| Healthy Alliance | Healthy Little Havana | HealthyWomen | Human Impact Partners |
| I AM HEALTH EDUCATION | Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | Indiana Public Health Association | Indy Hunger Network |
| Inner Explorer | International OCD Foundation | Japanese American Citizens League | Lakeshore Foundation |
| Lanai Community Health Center | League of American Bicyclists | Ledge Light Health District | Linn County Public Health |
| Louisiana Obesity Society | Lutheran Services in America | Maine Public Health Association | Maternal and Child Health Access |
| Mel Leaman Free Clinic | Metropolitan Area Planning Council | MIKE Program | Miles for migraine |
| MindWise Innovation | Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs (MCLA) | Minnesota Public Health Association | MKE FreshAir Collective |
| MountainCare | Move United | NASTAD | National Alliance to Impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH) |
| National Association for Public Health Policy | National Association of Counties (NACo) | National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners | National Association of School Nurses |
| National Association of Social Workers | National Community Action Partnership | National Foundation for Infectious Diseases | National League for Nursing |
| National Network of Public Health Institutes | National Nurse-Led Care Consortium | National Recreation and Park Association | Nemours Children’s Health |
| Nevada Public Health Association | New York State Public Health Association | NJ Public Health Association | OCS eWellness |
| Partnership to End Addiction | Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease | Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation | Pennsylvania Public Health Association |
| Postpartum Support International | Prevent Blindness | Prevent Blindness Georgia | Prevent Blindness North Carolina |
| Prevent Blindness Wisconsin | Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association | Public Health Foundation | Public Health Institute |
| Public Health Solutions | Richmond County Health Department | Safe Routes Partnership | Safe States Alliance |
| Sage Transformations | Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Healthcare Foundation | SLM Consulting, LLC | Society for Public Health Education |
| Society for Social Work Leadership in Healthcare | Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education | Southeastern Michigan Health Association | Stratis Health |
| Summit County Family Resource Center | Susan G. Komen | Telosity Ventures | Texas Health Resources |
| Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility | The AIDS Institute | The American College of Preventive Medicine | The Center for Health Affairs (Cleveland Hospital Association) |
| The Foundation for Sustainable Communities | The Gerontological Society of America | The Joy Labs | The Kennedy Forum |
| The Praxis Project | Treatment Action Group | Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region | Valley AIDS Council |
| Visible Network Labs | Voices of Hope, Inc. | Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility | Washington State Public Health Association |
| Wholespire Inc | Zero Breast Cancer |
