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5 <br /> <br />Priority: Social Determinants of Health <br /> <br />Health is much more than what happens within the walls of a clinic or hospital. Health is <br />influenced by our homes, schools, jobs, and access to social and economic opportunities. <br />These impacts on health are known as the Social Determinants of Health (SDH). Issues such <br />as poverty, access to care, employment and transportation were all discussed as important <br />SDH in Orange County by residents during the 2015 Community Health Assessment. The Board <br />of Health will work to address these issues through two focus areas: <br />1) Serve as a catalyst and advocate for health outcomes in the Family Success Alliance. <br />2) Advocate for and pursue policies and practices aimed at improving access to care, with <br />a focus on cultural and language barriers to access. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Action Steps <br /> <br />Focus Area #1 – Serve as a catalyst and advocate for health outcomes in the Family Success <br />Alliance <br /> <br />1) By May 2018, the SDH Subcommittee and Board will recommend a pilot medical-legal <br />partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina to address legal care needed for Family Success <br />Alliance cohort families to be healthy. <br />2) By October 2017, Health Department staff will explore the use of clinical tools, such as <br />ACEs screening, to use in OCHD clinics to identify important social determinants of health <br />and appropriate interventions. <br /> <br />Focus Area #2 – Advocate for and pursue policies and practices aimed at improving access to <br />care, with a focus on cultural and language barriers to access. <br />1) By May 2017, Health Department staff will explore the use of text messaging to provide <br />reminders, education, or self-management for OCHD programs and clinic services. <br />2) By February 2017, the Health Department will host at least two “translation boot camps” <br />with the Healthy Carolinians Access to Care committee, on specific health topics to <br />translate clinical language and recommendations about that health topic into culturally and <br />linguistically relevant and motivational messages. <br />3) By February 2018, the SDH Subcommittee will receive a report on Health Department staff’s <br />research on the appropriate pathway and necessary partners to pursue policy change to <br />make birth control pills available over the counter.