June 22-24 2015
  • Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
  • SOC Institute Team

SOCI 10th Annual National Symposium

Harnessing the Power of Information Interoperability and Social Determinants to Advance Health and Wellness Integration

The Stewards of Change Institute was proud to host our 10th Anniversary Symposium, held June 22-24, 2015, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, along with its School of Medicine and Institute for Health and Social Policy.

From its inception in 2005, Stewards of Change has been bringing together small groups of thought leaders from across the nation who are creating innovative, effective and efficient programs for responsible information sharing and interoperability across the Health and Human Services spectrum. The Symposium brought together over 100 senior leaders, who explored ways to harness the power of Information Interoperability and Social Determinants to better serve individuals, families and communities.

Below, we have posted many of the materials generated by the Symposium sessions and discussions. We are very grateful to all of our partners, sponsors, participants, and speakers for helping us convene this special symposium!

Event Materials

Resources:

Session Description Resources
SOCI 10th Annual Symposium – Day One – Welcome, Introduction, Overview

Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, Dean, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Daniel Stein, President, Stewards of Change Institute .

Stewards of Change Institute's 10th Annual National Symposium will kick off with a welcome from our hosts, who will review the agenda and outline how we will collectively devise strategies, recommendations and tools that will enable coordinated and integrated action for advancing the use of Social Determinants of Health and Wellness.

SOCI 10th Annual Symposium – Day One - Applying Social Determinants to Improve Health and Wellness

Pierre-Gerlier Forest, PhD, Director of the Institute for Health and Social Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Jonathan Weiner, DrPH, Professor of Health Policy & Management and Health Informatics, Director Center for Population Health Information Technology, Johns Hopkins University
LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH, Executive Director, National Association of County and City Health Officials

As millions of people gain access to health care coverage, the opportunity and need to learn about the role of Social Determinants is more pressing than ever. This session will provide a foundational understanding of the Social Determinants of Health and Wellness, as well as the implications for redesigning systems that consider the impact on population health outcomes and on individuals in the context of their resources, living environments, families and communities. We also will explore the progress and promising practices that are demonstrating the actual and potential impact of rebalancing investments when Social Determinants are taken into account, as well as the challenges of operating in this more integrated way.

SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day One - Insights on ONC's Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap

Thomas Mason, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, US DHHS
Steven Posnack, MS, MHS, Director, Office of Standards and Technology, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, US DHHS

Underlying the Affordable Care Act's "Triple Aim" (improving the quality, cost and patient experience in health care) are the objectives of "person-centric" practices and "interoperability." Yet, after a decade of nurturing these goals, there are only a limited number of examples of system interoperability within HHS. In its 10-year "Connecting Health and Health Care” plan, the ONC describes 11 federal actions that will help drive demand for interoperability. Signaling the end of ONC's narrowly focused HIE policies, this draft Roadmap invites the convergence of diverse stakeholders, external forces and interests to collaboratively lead and govern the HHS ecosystem. Dr. Mason and Mr. Posnack will share their perspectives on the promise, tangible progress and remaining challenges of advancing interoperability and incorporating Social Determinants into the broader vision of the ONC.

SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day One - Wisdom and Knowledge in the Age of Google

Presenter: Umesh Vemuri, Head of Engineering for Google for Work

This session examines two User trends - increased on-demand information consumption and changing sharing norms - and how their intersection provides the opportunity for new types of digital and physical services. Specifically, we will examine what is required to enable on-demand information consumption at scale including access, context and trust. Further, we will discuss how the norms for rich digital sharing are influencing the norms for physical sharing and how this is rapidly leading to new m
SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day One - Signs of Momentum for Interoperability in Building a Culture of Health

Shell Culp, Chief Innovation Officer, SOC Institute
Hilary Heishman, Program Officer, Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Peter Eckart, Director, Co-Director, Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH), Illinois Public Health Institute
Hunt Blair, Interoperability Advocate, The Distributed Network, LLC
Janhavi Kirtane Fritz, Director, Collaborative Health Network, Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement

This panel weaves together a number of initiatives supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Office of the National Coordinator that help build momentum and bring in a wide array of viewpoints to the role of data and interoperability in building a Culture of Health. The panel will provide the broadly relevant context of RWJF’s Culture of Health vision, along with an overview of some recommendations from the recent Data for Health Listening Series and future plans of the Data Across Sectors for Health national coordinating center. This work envisions an HHS ecosystem that is data-informed; embraces a holistic view of people, communities and society; and balances the costs and benefits of treatment and prevention for high-value care and services. Juxtaposing the Foundation’s vision of a Culture of Health with the ONC’s "Connecting Health and Care for the Nation: A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap,” the panel will explore strategies and tangible projects for improving information-sharing and interoperability that cut across a broad range of programs and silos. Recognizing that a core part of the solution lies in embracing our shared national interests, the panelists will discuss potential responses to the call to action outlined in the ONC’s Roadmap for coordinated interoperability governance. Discussions will also focus on "co-creation" of a collaborative “network of networks,” in which practitioners and citizens from across the country can engage to help them design innovative service-delivery models that cut across multiple domains and sectors
SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day Two - Scaling the Mountain of Interoperability – Successful Steps and Lessons Learned From the Trek

Josh Sharfstein, MD, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Training, Johns Hopkins University
William Hazel, MD, Secretary Health and Human Services, Commonwealth of Virginia
Michael Wilkening, Undersecretary, California Health and Human Services Agency
Theresa Cullen, MD, MS, Chief Medical Information Officer, Veterans Health Administration

These panelists will provide perspectives and insights gleaned from their experiences in leading and fostering innovation/integration in large, complex HHS organizations. The session will consider overall strategic approaches, key drivers of success and early results from important initiatives in their organizations. The discussion will also focus on opportunities, challenges and development plans that are critical to successful delivery of effective and efficient services across states and localities. While still a rarity in its most-mature form, interoperability has indeed been initiated in pockets across the country. Leaders of these efforts will share their strategies in advancing interoperability among agencies and programs, including changes to government structures and operations that facilitate more-holistic, data-driven processes.

SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day Two - Insights into the Future of Health and Human Services – Powered by Watson

MODERATOR: Adam Pertman, Senior Consultant, Stewards of Change Institute
Presenter: Claude Yusti, IBM Partner - Watson and Analytics

Organizations are struggling to keep up with an overwhelming sea of information. Watson can understand that information and bridge gaps in our knowledge, helping us to glean better insights. Watson is built to mirror the same learning process that we have – through the power of cognition. This IBM session will introduce Watson and how it is working with health-related organizations to tackle some of their most complex problems and to improve outcomes.
SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day Two - Federal Interagency Collaboration – Perspectives, Pitfalls…and Progress

Paul Wormeli, Board Member, SOC Institute
Maria Cancian, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy for the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS
Jessica Kahn, MPH, Director, Data and Systems Group, CMS/ Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services
Kshemendra Paul, Program Manager, Information Sharing Environment
Chris Traver, Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau of Justice Assistance

This session will examine the advances that federal administrators are making, and the challenges they continue to face, as they build bridges across health, public health, human services, and justice agencies and other program sectors. The discussion will focus on initiatives in which progress is occurring, specific tools and models that could be shared across agencies/programs, and emerging efforts that hold promise for moving forward with information-sharing and interoperability. The panelists will also consider the Symposium’s guiding question regarding how to reapportion strategy, policy and funding resources so that Social Determinan
SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day Two - Leveling Up – Virtual Simulations for Better Child and Family Outcomes

Richard Gold, Senior Consultant, SOC Institute
Wade Horn, Human Services Segment Leader, State and Local Government Practice, Deloitte Consulting, LLP
Christian Doolin, Manager, Deloitte Consulting, LLP
Beverly (BJ) Walker, Director, Deloitte Consulting, LLP

The most-effective responses to reports of child abuse or neglect are associated with the use of multidisciplinary teams whose members combine their unique perspectives to help determine what actions to take on behalf of children and their families. Most training for professionals in the child welfare system, however, occurs in a disconnected, didactic fashion. Immersive learning solutions offer a way to move from a siloed approach to training for multidisciplinary teams, utilizing a simulation-based gaming environment. Panelists will provide background on immersive learning; explain the opportunity this approach offers for developing child welfare professionals; demonstrate examples of training simulations; and discuss practical applications of these solutions.
SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - Day Two - Ignite Sessions: Leading Change in Health and Human Services – Emerging and Next Practices

This panel will showcase several innovative, emerging initiatives and approaches designed to improve information-sharing and interoperability. The presenters will provide a rapid overview of their initiatives and answer questions from attendees.

SOCI 10th Annual Symposium - A Baltimore Case Study: Moving from Theory to Reality – Understanding the Relationship among Social Determinants, Racism and Structural Inequities to Improve Health, Wellness and Safety

Leana S. Wen, MD, Baltimore Health Commissioner
Don Edwards, Assistant Agency Director, Health and Human Services Agency, Alameda County, California

Given the recent unrest in our Symposium’s host city, and the subsequent attention it has received, this session will identify practical solutions that could help Baltimore move forward – and could also assist other communities across the nation that are facing similar challenges. The panel will discuss how policymakers and practitioners can better use data to understand the underlying causes of poor health and discontent to inform more-effective decision-making and policy-making. Fundamentally, this session will address how we can better use data to guide interventions and understand the relationships among Social Determinants, racism and structural inequities that are related to both poor health and violence. Insights, challenges and practical solutions discussed during this session will inform Symposium participants as we develop and vet recommendations during the event’s final sessions.

FISHBOWL/SHARK TANK: Creating the Recipe for Progress – Identifying, Sifting and Blending Recommendations for Maximum Impact

Teams will present, discuss and defend their concepts and suggestions – prepared in the prior session – to a panel composed of government, philanthropy, academic and industry leaders representing health, public health, human services, justice and other relevant realms. The teams’ recommendations will include responses to the Symposium’s core question, as well as suggestions for next steps and ideas for engaging and sustaining engagement with the broader community to advance holistic, person-centered care. The panelists will engage with each team to review and discuss its recommendations. Priority findings and recommendations will be captured on a graphically illustrated mural depicting the focal areas, messages and recommendations for advancing awareness and integration of the Social Determinants of Health and Wellness.