NAM: Organizations nationwide focusing on social determinants
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* Lindsey Wahowiak

Organizations across the U.S. are making social determinants of health a priority, according to the National Academy of Medicine.

In a June 30 discussion paper published jointly by NAM and *Preventing Chronic Disease,* researchers, including Acting Assistant Secretary for Health Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, reported that cross-sector collaboration to improve public health is at its best when it focuses on social determinants of health.

The paper, “An Environmental Scan of Recent Initiatives Incorporating Social Determinants in Public Health,” identified U.S. initiatives promoting health and well-being while working with both traditional and nontraditional partners. The paper also identified metrics that promote addressing social determinants, including Healthy People 2020, America’s Health Rankings and the National Prevention Strategy.

“A large and growing array of initiatives underway aims to improve community health by explicitly addressing social, economic and environmental determinants of health,” the authors wrote. “This convergence of crosscutting national initiatives from different sectors, both with each other and with community-driven efforts, is a welcome and critical development.

“Despite great progress in health care access and quality over the past few years and great progress in both public health science and organizational capacity in the last century, the health status of Americans is still far below where it needs to be and where it can be.”

APHA’s Generation Public Health was recognized for its work to build the healthiest nation.

For more information, visit [www.nam.edu](http://www.nam.edu).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association