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Introduction1
The 2013 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Population Health Improvement workshop Applying a Health Lens to Decision Making in Non-Health Sectors discussed opportunities to foster a health in all policies approach in non-health sectors such as housing, transportation, defense, education, and others (IOM, 2014). Much of the discussion focused on public-sector organizations, and roundtable members saw the need for further discussion of the role of the private sector, as both stakeholder and partner. The Roundtable on Population Health Improvement sponsors workshops for its members, stakeholders, and the public to discuss issues of importance for improving our nation’s health. On June 4, 2015, the roundtable convened a follow-up workshop focused on applying a health lens to the role and potential of businesses in improving economic well-being and community health outcomes.
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1 This workshop was organized by an independent planning committee whose role was limited to identification of topics and speakers. This workshop summary was prepared by the rapporteurs as a factual summary of the presentations and discussion that took place at the workshop. Statements, recommendations, and opinions expressed are those of individual presenters and participants, and are not necessarily endorsed or verified by the Institute of Medicine or the roundtable, and they should not be construed as reflecting any group consensus.
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
Businesses can consider health in their decision making in many ways, said Raymond Baxter, senior vice president for Community Benefit, Research, and Health Policy at Kaiser Permanente. The objectives of the workshop were to
- explore what businesses can offer the movement to improve population health;
- discuss areas of potential, as well as models for how businesses can impact the determinants of health; and
- provide a platform for discussing how to promote and support health in all business practices, policies, and investments.
An independent planning committee, chaired by Baxter, and including Catherine Baase, Maggie Super Church, David Dodson, George Flores, Mary Lou Goeke, George Isham, and Martín Jose Sepúlveda, was charged with developing a workshop to build on the 2013 workshop Applying a Health Lens to Decision Making in Non-Health Sectors and to focus specifically on the private sector (IOM, 2014) (see Appendix C). The workshop was also informed by a previous roundtable workshop on Business Engagement in Building Healthy Communities (IOM, 2015a). The committee developed a workshop that featured presentations and discussion focused on applying a health lens to decisions made in the private sector. In this context, applying a health lens refers to giving consideration to potential health effects in decision making in different sectors. The committee conceptualized this workshop as a way to bring attention to the huge array of levers that the private sector can pull to improve health and economic well-being in communities. They recognized the importance of moving beyond policy alone to the practices and investments in and by the private sector as important determinants of health. The presentations and discussions in this workshop are framed by an approach that looks for health and the promotion of health in all practices of businesses and other organizations.
There is rarely talk about health in all practices, said Baxter. By looking at their practices through a health lens, he added, businesses can see how they are either positively shaping their communities toward health, or undermining the factors that can improve and promote health. There are opportunities to help companies understand the impacts of, for example, their employment practices, supply chains, procurement practices, chemicals in the workplace, energy and water use, and investments. As employers, they can consider their contribution to the development of the local workforce, and if/how they provide opportunities for communities to be revitalized, with attention to equity and improving health for all.
This workshop was designed, he said, to put a spotlight on the potential for the private sector to leverage its tremendous resources and knowledge to improve the social and economic conditions of communities, and to intentionally affect the social determinants of health.
ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKSHOP AND SUMMARY
The workshop, titled Applying a Health Lens II: The Role and Potential of the Private Sector to Improve Economic Well-Being and Community Outcomes, consisted of a keynote presentation on strategies for the private sector to invest in improving population health (Chapter 2), and four panel sessions. The first panel provided examples of how businesses are changing their practices to produce health (Chapter 3); the second panel focused on developing human capital in communities (Chapter 4); the third panel shared two examples of major initiatives focused on revitalizing communities and addressing inequities (Chapter 5); and the final panel discussed examples of how companies are making the link between the workforce and community health (Chapter 6). In the final discussion, participants reflected on the presentations and highlighted key take-away messages (Chapter 7).
In accordance with the policies of the IOM, the workshop did not attempt to establish any conclusions or recommendations about needs and future directions, focusing instead on issues identified by the speakers and workshop participants. In addition, the organizing committee’s role was limited to planning the workshop. The workshop summary has been prepared by workshop rapporteurs Theresa Wizemann and Darla Thompson as a factual summary of what occurred at the workshop.
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