Last year, the National Academy of Medicine issued a report on how to educate health professionals to address the social determinants of health; in the second of a three-part series, the Penn Interprofessional Forum to Address Social Determinants illustrated how to put the NAM recommendations into action.

In a forum held February 28, Terri Lipman, PhD, CRNP, Joan Gluch, PhD, RDH, and community partners discussed Penn Nursing and Penn Dental partnerships with Sayre Health Clinic as an example of how to integrate education, community involvement, and organizational support through collaboration with community-based organizations.

“Partnership is key,” said Dr. Lipman, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement at Penn Nursing. “Partnerships should use an assets-based approach and engage the community as an equal partner.” As a partner, she said, health professionals should listen to the community’s health priorities and share the responsibility for developing strategies to address those priorities.

Dr. Gluch, LDI Senior Fellow and Professor of Clinical Community Oral Health at Penn Dental, pointed out that equal partnership with the community is essential in creating learning opportunities that advance health equity based on community priorities.

Kiasha Huling, Director of Outreach and Social Work, and Deanne Wallaert, Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner from Sayre Health Center, outlined Sayre’s approach to community health.  The clinic was designed to leverage the school setting to provide comprehensive primary care for the community. According to Huling and Wallaert, the clinic eliminates barriers to access by centralizing services in one community location. It emphasizes patient decision making and surveys patients and community members for their expectations and health priorities.

Huling and Wallaert also highlighted the opportunities for learning and development for Penn students at Sayre. Recently, Penn Law students organized a “Know Your Rights” clinic to promote health and legal literacy within the community. Graduate students from Penn Nursing, Penn Medicine, Penn Dental and SP2 collaborate with the clinic to provide clinical services, social services and dental services.

David Earley and Selena Williams, who lead a free school-based fitness program called Dance for Health at Sayre High School, described the health and social benefits of the fitness program for the community. In partnership with Sayre Health Clinic, Penn Nursing created the program to increase physical activity among West Philadelphia residents. Community members have found Dance for Health to be accessible, fun and culturally relevant.

The first forum was held on November 8, 2016 and featured Dr. Laura Valladares from Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health and Dean Antonia Villarruel from Penn Nursing, who both served on the NAM committee that developed the report. The third and last forum is scheduled for May 2, 2017 and will detail Penn’s health professional schools’ efforts to address social determinants of health.