Social Determinants of Health Used in Redesign of Referral Networks

Experts call for payers to work alongside community-based organizations to strengthen referral networks. Blue KC heeded the call and found that payer referral networks built on long-standing, trusting relationships with community-based organizations are stronger networks.

Kansas City, Missouri faced a multitude of health barriers that have been intensified by the coronavirus pandemic. “Two things that seem to have risen to the surface during the pandemic were financial hardship and then the other is food access,” said Jerry Jones, director of community health at Blue KC.

Going forward, Blue KC plans to launch a dashboard to monitor health equity in the Kansas City area, through incentivizing primary and secondary prevention. “The future of community health will clearly have payers at the table, we’ll have our clinical partners at the table, and it must include community based organizations,” Jones emphasized. Read more here.

(Source: Kelsey Waddill, August 21, 2020)