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Social Determinants of Health Task Force
What
According to the World Health Organization, social determinants of health (SDOH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. The conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, and age along with the wider systems that affect daily life fall under SDOH. SDOH determines the impact of health equities positively or negatively based on the wider systems like economic policies, social norms, education, housing, basic amenities, etc., and affects the quality of life for all. SDOH accounts for between 30- 55% of health outcomes.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) have a major impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Impact Passaic’s SDOH Task Force aims to health equity by focusing on areas like:
- Behavioral Health
- Food Insecurity
- Preventive educational programs
Why
Improving health and well-being across Passaic County requires addressing the social and environmental circumstances that impact health outcomes. Without ensuring people have stable employment and income, adequate housing, clean air and water, access to nutritious food, reliable transportation, and other necessities, residents will continue to suffer the burden of the downstream effects stemming from these social circumstances. The task force's goal is to collaborate with community partners and residents to create a responsive accessible system that has a positive impact on health outcomes.
How
By integrating efforts, a multi-sector approach aims to create a more comprehensive and effective response to social determinants of health. This approach recognizes that health outcomes are influenced by a complex interplay of factors beyond medical care, requiring collective impact efforts to address root causes and promote health equity for all Passaic County residents. The task force asks partners across health care, social care, public and environmental health, government, and health information technology organizations to take shared and aligned individual actions to promote system(s) transformation, support shared decision-making and collaboration, and leverage community resources.
Co-chairs:
- Dr. Charlene Gungil, Ph.D. – Passaic County Department of Health
- Bart Chou – Passaic County Department of Human Services
Food Security Task Force:
- Jennifer Salt Taylor - Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Passaic County
- Mary Celis – United Way of Passaic County