Population Health Pledge for Essential Hospital CEOs
America’s Essential Hospitals is dedicated to helping hospitals and health systems improve population health in their communities. Improving population health means working toward a goal of community-integrated health care, in which hospitals develop community partnerships to systematically address social determinants of health. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age. They include safe housing, healthy food, reliable transportation, and other factors. To effect change at the population level, hospitals need to collaborate with community partners from various sectors, including government, education, and social services. As providers for communities with unique and disproportionate social challenges, essential hospitals have an opportunity and responsibility to improve the health of their populations.