Weaving the Fabric of Community: Strengthening Support for Social Drivers of Health (SDOH)
Introduction
Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) reveal that our health is shaped by more than medical care—it’s intertwined with housing, food security, education, and more. Hospitals nationwide are taking steps to screen for these factors, but as needs grow more complex, we must move beyond coordination alone. At Convergence, we see communities as weaving looms, where organizations, individuals, and partnerships form the threads of a supportive and resilient network. How can we weave these threads together to create a stronger safety net?
The Loom as a Metaphor for Community Support
Weaving looms teach us a powerful lesson: individual threads may be fragile, but when woven together, they create strength and functionality. This metaphor holds true for our communities:
Organizations as Threads: Hospitals, housing agencies, schools, food pantries, and businesses form the framework.
People as Threads: Friends, neighbors, and families often provide the most critical support in challenging times.
When these threads interconnect—over, under, and between—they create a strong fabric that can support the weight of life’s challenges. Without this weaving, even the best-intentioned systems may buckle under pressure.
Why Strengthening Community Fabric Matters
Hospitals and healthcare systems face significant challenges in addressing SDOH:
Resource Gaps: Many communities lack the capacity to meet housing, food, and safety needs.
Complex Needs: Patients often face overlapping issues that require coordinated responses.
Organizational Silos: Agencies may struggle to share information effectively, limiting impact.
Rather than focusing solely on connecting organizations, hospitals can embrace a broader approach: strengthening the fabric of community relationships and empowering individuals to contribute to collective well-being.
Strategies for Hospitals to Strengthen the Community Weave
Build Local Partnerships:
Hospitals can identify new partners in their community and ask critical questions:
What are you working on?
How can we help each other?
These conversations reveal opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Engage Patients and Community Leaders:
People with lived experiences often hold unique insights and solutions. Hospitals can:
Host community forums to gather ideas.
Include patients in decision-making processes.
Invest in Capacity Building:
Beyond linking existing resources, hospitals can support efforts to expand capacity in under-resourced areas. For example:
Partnering with local organizations to secure grants.
Providing training and tools to strengthen community networks.
Reimagining the Safety Net
Even with the best weaving, some communities have frayed threads or fewer resources. This highlights the need to think creatively:
How can we innovate with limited inputs?
What new resources or voices can we bring into the tapestry?
Hospitals have the influence and leadership to open these conversations. By asking, What does our community’s net look like?, they can help reimagine how to meet patients’ needs holistically.
Join the Conversation
At Convergence, we believe in creating space for health systems and partners to convene, dream, and design solutions for SDOH challenges. We invite you to:
Share your ideas or learn from our community by joining our National QI Connection Listserv.
Connect with us to explore how we can work together.
Let’s weave stronger communities—together.
About Convergence
Convergence works with hospitals, organizations, and communities to create innovative solutions that address SDOH. By promoting improvement at scale, we empower healthcare systems to lead the way in building healthier, more resilient communities. Visit us at Convergence Health to learn more.