Breaking Down Social Barriers: Analyzing Social Care Programs and Their Impact

Every day, we see patients whose medical hurdles land them at hospitals like Children's Hospital Colorado. There are many answers our providers and specialists can provide when giving patient families a medical diagnosis, but many of those same children are facing gaps and inequities socially. Often, they fall into different minority groups facing disparities in healthcare equality. Medical insurance may cover labs and procedures, but it doesn't cover the need for food or housing. Those are just two examples of social barriers that greatly affect one's health. While many questions remain on best practices for social care programs and how we bring them to fruition, experts, like our guests today, are working hard to use them effectively. "We can't meet family's needs if we don't know what they are. So, the first step is assessing what those needs are," says Lisa DeCamp, MD.   In today's episode we are joined by Lisa DeCamp, MD, a practicing general pediatrician at Children's Colorado and an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her research focuses on increasing healthcare engagement of Spanish -speaking Latino families and reducing disparities in healthcare equality and safety for patients and families with limited English proficiency. Julie Beaubian is an operations manager here at Children's Colorado within the community health department. She manages community benefits for the hospital. "So we're constantly trying to balance what is reasonable, what does the family need and how can we continue to support that family," Beaubian says.  Read the paper mentioned in this episode.  Some highlights from this episode include:  Outlining this Children's Colorado social care program  How this program can influence other communities and hospitals  Social barriers and how that impacts healthcare  How we can bridge gaps for communities facing inequities For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org