Social work's opportunity and obligation to achieve population health equity.

US healthcare remains a system in crisis, wherein spending outpaces other Western economies but health inequities match those of an emerging market economy. As a country founded in tenets of white supremacy, structural racism persists as evidenced by longstanding race-based disparities. Although the population health approach offers a potential framework for preventative and community-based health, without overt race-conscious design, race-based disparities will be replicated. This article outlines the current US context and healthcare policy changes that led to population health taking hold. It then articulates social work's pivotal role in population health by explicitly challenging colorblindness to reach race-based health equity. Opportunities for social work practice, leadership, and research are discussed.

In the Global Epicenter: Social Work Leadership in a New York City Hospital.

The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City was in the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to transform from a tertiary to crisis care hospital and increase its bed capacity by 50 percent to care for COVID-19 patients. The size, scope, complexity and uncertainty of this crisis was unparalleled. This article describes the comprehensive response of the Department of Social Work Services, one of the largest hospital social work departments in the country. The response was informed by four Departmental principles, as well as crisis intervention strategies. This article describes organizational structures, practice models, policies, and protocols developed to respond quickly and effectively, given infection prevention mandates, to patient, population and workforce needs. Finally, it includes how social workers addressed COVID-19 related physical and psychosocial needs and applied and modified interprofessional communication and collaboration. Lessons learned and clinical and administrative changes that will assist in navigating "new normal" operations are discussed.

Thriving in today's health care environment: strategies for social work leadership in population health.

The current healthcare environment challenges social workers to balance multiple constituencies - organizational, payer-related, and professional - and convey the value-added nature of clinical work with patients and families. As healthcare systems move towards population health, leadership opportunities abound. This article provides an historical overview of healthcare transformation and its impact on social work practice, and describes strategies implemented to bolster the clinical focus and organizational responsiveness of Mount Sinai Health System care management staff. The training and supervisory approaches offered make possible relatable and synergistic connections between clinical practice and organizational imperatives to decrease unnecessary utilization and healthcare costs.

Building on community assets to improve palliative and end-of-life care.

In this article, the authors describe the development of a multidisciplinary, interfaith, grassroots community group of professionals and laypersons who have created a replicable model to enhance palliative and end-of-life care. The Collaborative for Palliative Care leverages existing community assets and capacities within the health and social service programs of Westchester County, New York, resulting in a unique public-private partnership. It has played a critical role in changing the culture of care for residents of Westchester who are faced with the challenges of serious and terminal illness.

Caregivers and professionals partnership caregiver resource center: assessing a hospital support program for family caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Given that 71% of caregivers nationally report that they are caring for someone with a long-term or chronic illness, providing support to families-from diagnosis to the bereavement phase--is essential. PURPOSE: This paper describes an exploratory assessment of a hospital-based support program for family caregivers, the Caregivers and Professionals Partnership (CAPP) Caregiver Resource Center. The goal of the program evaluation was to understand the challenges facing caregivers who used the Center, how social workers intervened and the results of their interventions. Authors suggest that caregivers benefit from social work interventions that focus both on the emotional impact of caregiving and the multiple resource issues caregivers face. METHODS: Social workers assisted more than half of participating caregivers with emotional coping issues as well as referrals to community resources. In approximately 75% of cases, social workers followed up with caregivers to engage them in services and ensure that they received ongoing support. FINDINGS: From the perspective of Resource Center social workers, their interventions enhanced caregivers' abilities to cope with their responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS: Supporting caregivers over time and following up to ensure that they access needed services are critical ways to help them cope with care of a loved one. Future research can focus on how to engage caregivers who are isolated or too overwhelmed to ask for help in order to increase their use of caregiver assistance programs.