Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/759108
84 STRATEGY & INNOVATION Hungry No More: This Coalition Tackling Food Insecurity is One for Healthcare Leaders to Watch By Heather Punke L ast year, 42.2 million Americans lived in food insecure house- holds, including 13.1 million children, according to Feeding America. Minorities, children, single-parent families and senior citizens are most affected by food insecurity, which is especially widespread in the South. In 2015, a coalition formed to position all organizations — both in and out of healthcare — to better tackle this problem head-on, nationwide. e Root Cause Coalition was founded by the AARP Foundation and ProMedica, a health system based in Toledo, Ohio. e nonprofit or- ganization addresses the root causes of health disparities by focusing on hunger and other social determinants that contribute to preventable chronic health conditions. It engages in research on the correlation of hunger and other social factors to overall health and well-being and works to equip members with resources to make changes in their com- munity. e unlikely partners came together at a hunger summit in Washington, D.C., in 2014. "We were there, listening to the same sorts of issues, talking together, and we said we should work together," says Randy Oostra, president and CEO of ProMedica and chairman of the coalition. "From there, the partnership quickly evolved because of our passion for hunger as a health issue." e Root Cause Coalition has grown substantially since it was formal- ly established last October, adding members like Ascension, Dignity Health, the American Hospital Association, Feeding America, Humana and a roster of 11 other national and regional health systems and local organizations. Hunger first e countless social determinants of one's health can leave health sys- tems unsure of how to prioritize their efforts. e Root Cause Coalition chose to focus its efforts on hunger first because hunger and nutrition have such a large effect on a person's well-being. Hungry people are 2.9 times more likely to be in poor health. Barbara Petee, executive director of the Root Cause Coalition and Pro- Medica's chief advocacy and government relations officer, put it simply: "Food is medicine." It makes sense for the healthcare industry to focus efforts there first. She also feels hunger serves as a natural segue into other social determinants of health. "If someone is food insecure … it's a pretty safe bet they're lacking resources for safe housing, transportation or living in a safe neighborhood." ProMedica has addressed hunger as a health issue for years — for in- stance, it started a food reclamation program in 2013 that has recovered more than 275,000 pounds of food since. Additionally, the system treats hunger as a medical vital sign. ProMedica care teams screen patients for food insecurity. "We have a discussion, screen them and align peo- ple with resources and make them aware of community resources," Mr. Oostra explains. Taking it national Now that it boasts a variety of members from various industries, the Coalition is taking its message to the national stage. It is hosting its first annual National Summit on the Social Determinants of Health in Chi- cago this December. "It has been exciting and gratifying for us to see the range of organi- zations that have become so interested and involved in the important work of the Root Cause Coalition," says Lisa Marsh Ryerson, vice chair of the Root Cause Coalition and president of the AARP Foundation. "When we came together as two organizations, we knew it would take a cross-sector approach to address these persistent and complex social problems." Summit attendees will have the chance to learn best practices related to addressing hunger as a health issue — as well as other social determi- nants of health like housing and isolation — in their communities, from organizations and health systems that have found success already. "e more we all collectively share what we're doing, our passions, our stories and successes, and be a model for each other, the more we can impact people," Mr. Oostra says. "Our aim is to really make this a national conversation among the healthcare industry," says Ms. Petee. "While we are finding solid and growing pockets of industry [working on this], it has to be something that is top-of-mind, second nature and part of the strategic plan, not something off on the sidelines." n UnitedHealthcare, Moffitt Cancer Center Partner for Lung Cancer Payment Model By Morgan Haefner T ampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center and payer UnitedHealthcare launched a value-based payment model for lung cancer treatment effective Oct. 1. The three-year pilot model uses bundled payments to reimburse providers or hospitals for care under a single fee or payment. Bundled payments will fo- cus on treating early-stage lung cancer and include surgery and radiation therapy bundles developed by Moffitt and Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare. "Our organizations are working together to promote more patient-centric, evidence-based care, and this bundled payment model is an important part of UnitedHealthcare's value-based programs that are shifting how we collaborate with care providers," Lee Newcomer, MD, UnitedHealth- care's senior vice president of oncology and genetics, said in a prepared statement. n