Lauren Shweder Biel

The Business Case for Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Joanne Kenen, Georges Benjamin, Thomas Moriarty, Ashley Perry, Lauren Shweder Biel, Emily Yu, Joanne Cannon, Lauren Schwader-Beal, Katherine Connelly, Michael Golinkoff

Moderated by Joanne Cannon, a panel of public health leaders and corporate strategists redefined the conversation around Social Determinants of Health by prioritizing the business case for intervention over traditional philanthropy. Speakers detailed scalable models such as DC Greens' produce prescription program and CVS's integrated health hubs, which leverage data-driven insights to prove cost savings through medication compliance and reduced emergency room visits. The group concluded that sustainable growth depends on transitioning funding from grants to payer reimbursement within value-based care systems, leveraging political and corporate influence to address root causes like housing instability.