HAN member Kaiser Permanente’s Bechara Choucair, M.D. senior vice president and chief health officer, highlights that many individuals are suffering economic insecurity from the impacts of the pandemic, inflation, and long-standing income and wealth inequities. Dr. Choucair stresses that financial insecurity is the next great health crisis and that health systems that adopt the anchor mission are taking action to address a major determinant of poor health. Towards that end, Kaiser recently doubled its social impact investment fund to $400 million to build more affordable housing and other value-based investments.
From the Modern Healthcare commentary:
Health systems can deploy their resources to influence upstream, economic levers that drive community health. . . . The Healthcare Anchor Network is bringing together health systems across the country to support equitable economic development in their local communities.
From the Fierce Healthcare article:
As part of the additional investments, Kaiser will give loan capital to “transform a previously underutilized eight-acre area in Washington, D.C., with mixed-income housing and public health resources.”