d.health Summit Addresses Social Determinants of Health

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Each day 10,000 Americans reach the age of 65. Providing medical care alone is not enough. The 2019 d.health Summit program will address the social determinants of health – non-medical factors that include economic security, education, physical environment, employment, social support networks, and access to healthcare – forces essential to improve wellbeing and reduce health disparities.

"These social factors have an enormous impact on healthy aging - but they seem to be rarely addressed by the typical geriatric clinical care systems for our senior population," according to Professor Avi Seidmann, one of the d.health Summit co-chairs. "The 2019 d.health Summit will address and showcase some innovative technologies aimed at reducing loneliness, increasing social connectedness, and providing effective home monitoring."

Now in its fifth year, the d.health Summit will convene over 200 dynamic leaders across healthcare, advocacy, technology and policy on Tuesday, June 11 at the State Room in Boston, MA. The program aims to improve our understanding of the social determinants of health, highlight breakthrough initiatives and emerging partnerships, introduce disruptive technologies, and inspire bold solutions to our biggest challenges. Learn more at www.dhealthsummit.org.

"By any measure, the social determinants of health are far more important factors in an individual's and certainly a society's health than anything that my medical colleagues and I do," says Dr. Ray Dorsey, co-chair of the d.health Summit and director of the University of Rochester's Center for Health + Technology.

Three compelling keynote speakers will take the Summit stage: Alexandra Drane, an advocate for health and wellness, will share her disruptive ideas to help people live happier, healthier lives. Sean Duffy, CEO of Omada Health, will share the successes and lessons learned from building a startup that addresses chronic disease. Dr. Donald Berwick, a former CMS administrator, will wrap up the day by sharing his perspectives on how our healthcare system can do better to provide quality care that addresses the social determinants of health.

Our roster of d.health speakers includes prominent leaders from AARP Foundation, Alignment Healthcare, Cityblock Health, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Kaiser Health News, Meals on Wheels America, MIT, Optum, Pfizer, StartUp Health, and West Health as well as outstanding leaders from Israel to give a global perspective on these issues. A complete list of sessions and topics is outlined in the d.health agenda.

As a lead-up to the June 11 d.health Summit, participants are invited to attend a pre-Summit event, Transforming the Way We Care, at AGENCY-CIC headquarters in Cambridge, MA on Monday, June 10. Co-hosted by AGENCY and the Massachusetts eHealth Institute, the event will focus on identifying key opportunities for the digital health industry to support the unique challenges of informal caregivers.

For the third consecutive year, the d.health Summit will be co-hosted by West Health, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age in place. West Health will convene a panel at the d.health Summit to showcase North Carolina as an innovative case study with the goal of paying for health—not healthcare— to lower costs and improve outcomes.

The 2019 d.health Innovation Expo will showcase innovative products and technologies from across the globe. Among them are select startups from AARP Innovation Labs, including Pillo Health, Folia Health, and Let's Be Well. In addition, Kaiser Health News editor-in-chief, Elisabeth Rosenthal, will have a book signing for her New York Times best-seller, An American Sickness.

The d.health Summit 2019, organized by the University of Rochester, will take place on Tuesday, June 11, 7:45am – 5:30pm at the State Room (60 State Street, 33rd Floor, Boston, MA, 02109). Visit the d.health Summit website for more information and follow on Twitter @dhealth_Summit or #dhealth2019.

About the d.health Summit
The d.health Summit is an annual aging innovation conference that brings together world-class leaders across healthcare, technology, policy and advocacy. The d.health Summit provides a platform for attendees to learn, share and evaluate transformative approaches and create new partnerships to improve the lives of Aging Americans. Visit the d.health Summit website for more information and follow on Twitter @dhealth_Summit or #dhealth2019.

d.health Summit 2019 Sponsors

AARP Innovation Labs, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, AETION, Alignment Healthcare, American Well, Benchmark Senior Living, The John A. Hartford Foundation, Medically Home, and VNA Health Group.

SOURCE d.health Summit

Related Links

http://www.dhealthsummit.org