When I founded Spring Street Exchange (SSX) back in 2016, it was with the goal of bringing a fresh, respectful approach to consulting services in healthcare and also to have the freedom to pursue mission-aligned work. Most of us chose to work in this industry because we want to be part of impacting people’s lives in a positive way. Our goal was to help change the incentives, reduce the insanity, and drive healthcare to be a human-centered, compassionate industry that truly reflects the needs of those it serves.
In a great collective irony, the industry often defines consumer-driven care in ways that expose patients to more out-of-pocket costs, which many cannot afford. There is nothing consumer-centered about putting patients in a quandary as to whether they should forego care or put off some other critical expense such as rent, food, and utilities.[1]
Any meaningful consumer-centered healthcare needs to embrace a broader definition of care, one which acknowledges the social context of an individual, their personal history, their social circumstances, and the community in which they live. The added benefit for the industry is that, when done well, socially informed healthcare and aligned incentives save money for the system overall.
Looking at healthcare in the context of social drivers of health (SDOH) does not mean fixing all social ills through the healthcare system. Instead, by taking a comprehensive view of individuals, families, and communities, we can work to reduce barriers to health, safety, and well-being and increase accessibility of healthcare diagnosis and treatment.
Addressing social barriers to healthcare is also a critical step in reducing disparities in healthcare. The impacts of poverty are disproportionately experienced by people of color and other historically marginalized populations. Providing social support to bridge this gap is essential on any path to health equity.
Our strategic and operational work has always been about a consumer-centric approach that allows us to align with our values and deliver savings for the industry. In 2018 we started working on our first SDOH Benchmark Assessment, some form of which has now been delivered to over 60 organizations. From here our work expanded to supporting SDOH strategy, market analysis, inventory, program development, and establishing community partnerships.
Our approach is at once visionary and practical. We work with healthcare organizations to establish a common vision, align on values and priorities, and to take a structured and sustainable approach to addressing social needs. Our work is grounded by data and driven by common sense. As a result of our SDOH Benchmark Assessments, we have the only national database documenting the progress payers and providers have been making in addressing SDOH. This intelligence source includes both quantitative and qualitative insight on organizational decisions, challenges, funding, member identification, programs and partnerships, and measurement and outcomes.
With something as important and fast-moving as the shift to address social needs in healthcare, we need to keep our eyes on long-term ROI and cost-benefit analysis, but we cannot wait for these studies to be complete to take action. Spring Street’s approach to knowledge-sharing and benchmarking brings this insight into the present. This reduces risk and accelerates action.
Our firm’s work in SDOH informs our work in strategic planning and industry transformation. All of the enterprise analysis and strategy work we have undertaken in recent years has included exploring new boundaries of healthcare, whether for scope of service, location of care, and other expanding guard rails.
Our SSX team is on this journey because it is a critical transition needed in healthcare for the lives of individuals needing care, for those working in the healthcare system, and for society as a whole. We stand firm in this quest because of the inspiring work of our industry colleagues – those who have been leading the way for decades and those who are just getting started. The tenacity and creativity fuel us and propel the work forward.
It is an honor for us to tackle these challenges as part of our daily work. Interested in hearing from you – why do you work to address SDOH?