Better Upstream Health, Better Downstream Care is focus of 2018 Healthology Symposium; features national leaders Rishi Manchanda, MD, MPH and Paul Grundy, MD, MPH and local influencers including Herb Smitherman, MD, MPH and Marianne Udow-Phillips, MHSA

Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; 248.260.8466 barbara@eafocus.com; Sean Delaney, Oakland University, 248. 370-3139; sdelaney@oakland.edu

Rochester, Mich. – March 8, 2018 – Ewa Matuszeweski, CEO of MedNetOne Health Solutions (MedNetOne), a health care management organization offering infrastructure, clinical and technology services to more than 800 private practice physicians and other independent care providers, announced that MedNetOne will join with Oakland University’s School of Health Sciences to present a first of its kind symposium in Michigan focused on the social determinants of health (#SDOH). Entitled Better Upstream Health, Better Downstream Care, the April 18 event is part of the Oakland University School of Health Sciences 2018 Healthology Symposium series, “where science, practice, and social interests meet” and which provides a culminating focus for faculty, students and community partners to celebrate impactful research and scholarship that affect health outcomes.

At Healthology 2018, attendees will discuss the importance of addressing the “upstream” social determinants of health in achieving better “downstream” care. The social determinants of health may include:

  • Economic resources, including access to jobs that provide a living wage
  • Safe workplaces and safe neighborhoods
  • Quality of schools and availability for advanced education and training
  • Clean and safe water, air and food
  • Positive support systems through home and family relationships and extended social interactions

“This symposium is a call for public awareness and professional action and is an outstanding way to bring together collaborators, in purpose for health,” Kevin A. Ball, Ph.D., Dean of Oakland University School of Health Sciences, said. “We are pleased to partner with MedNetOne Health Solutions to bring the issue of social determinants of health to the forefront through this event.”

Matuszewski says the broad spectrum of factors comprising #SDOH can make it challenging to know where to begin when managing health crises that arise as a result of inadequate understanding of the role #SDOH play in overall health and quality of life.

“Better Upstream Health, Better Downstream Care is an important event – but not only for those directly involved with providing healthcare and administering healthcare programs or organizations,” Matuszewski said. “It’s planned as a community event to engage the healthcare community, legislators, local and state leaders, business decision makers and concerned citizens who want to be part of the solution for holistic healthcare that addresses the role that #SDOH play in overall health and wellness.”

Highlighting the event, and coming to Michigan for the first time, is Rishi Manchanda, MD, a physician and public health innovator who offers that zip codes may matter more than genetic codes in determining one’s health and wellness. Dr. Manchanda, president and founder of Health Begins, has worked in South Central Los Angeles and advocates for incorporating #SDOH into primary care, calling for more “upstreamists” in the healthcare community and beyond to increase efforts to examine the social determinants of health. Dr. Manchanda is the keynote speaker. He is joined by international healthcare innovator Paul Grundy MD, MPH, who just stepped down after a stellar career as IBM’s Global Director of Healthcare Transformation and is considered the “godfather” of the Patient Centered Medical Home. Dr. Grundy will deliver the closing keynote. Also presenting on panels and/or breakout sessions are Detroit physician leader Herb Smitherman, MD, MPH and healthcare transformation executive and advocate, Marianne Udow-Phillips, MHSA. The event will be facilitated by well-known health reporter and spokesperson, Lila Lazarus. The agenda includes:

  • Addressing #SDOH from a national and local perspective
  • Immigration and Assimilation as #SDOH
  • Building a learning system to identify and address #SDOH
  • Making a difference in #SDOH through community partnerships
  • Addressing community determinants: tools and ideas to overcome barriers
  • Investing in #SDHO: how a payer engages its workforce and the community
  • #SDOH- Where do we go from here?

8 CME hours are available for full-day attendance at the event. Better Upstream Health, Better Downstream Care runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18 and will be held in the Human Health Building on the campus of Oakland University. To register or to learn more, visit https://www.oakland.edu/shs/healthology/.

About the Oakland University School of Health Sciences

Oakland University’s School of Health Sciences provides an exceptional environment of collaborative, academic and clinical learning that helps transform students into leaders impacting the health needs of our communities in diverse wellness, safety and health-related practices. The School of Health Sciences is passionate about providing students with science-based health education, high-quality academic preparation, interdisciplinary teaching and excellence in instruction in the classroom and clinical laboratory. For more information about Oakland University’s School of Health Sciences, visit https://oakland.edu/shs/.  

About MedNetOne Health Solutions

Based in Rochester, Mich., MedNetOne Health Solutions is a leader in advancing the development and implementation of the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and advanced primary care. Its physician/provider members are focused on fully integrated, population-based, patient-centric practices that enhance patient outcomes and meet government healthcare reform mandates. Learn more here.

###