A comprehensive new resource designed to help healthcare systems address the foundational elements of patient wellness has earned formal recognition across major academic and public health networks. The Salud America! Action Pack, titled “How to Start Screening for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NMDoH),” has been selected for inclusion in two prominent digital resource databases aimed at equipping clinics, hospitals, and medical systems with practical tools for patient assessment, referral, and community-based intervention.
Developed by public health experts at UT Health San Antonio, the action pack is now featured in the University of California, San Francisco’s national database, known as the Social Interventions Research & Evaluation Network (SIREN). Additionally, the toolkit has been integrated into Rice University’s Texas-focused database, Evidence-to-Practice for Non-Medical Drivers of Health (E2 Practice NMDOH). These inclusions highlight a growing national and regional emphasis on identifying and addressing the systemic, non-clinical factors that profoundly influence overall health outcomes.
The toolkit provides medical professionals, clinic administrators, and healthcare teams with a ready-to-use framework to launch or refine screening protocols within their respective institutions. Created under the leadership of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, the action pack includes a collection of practical materials, featuring a conversation-starting model email, an informative fact sheet, a developmental checklist for establishing screening programs, and an extensive guide reviewing existing screening instruments currently utilized across the healthcare landscape.
Why Do We Need Screening for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health?
For decades, the traditional medical model has focused primarily on clinical interventions, diagnosing ailments, and prescribing pharmaceutical treatments or surgical procedures within the four walls of a doctor’s office. However, public health research increasingly demonstrates that clinical care accounts for only a fraction of a person’s overall health outcomes. The vast majority of a person’s well-being is determined by external circumstances, often referred to as non-medical drivers of health, social determinants of health, or social needs.
To truly improve patient and community health, healthcare providers must confront the external realities that make it difficult for individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Factors such as stable housing, reliable transportation, secure financial resources, and consistent access to nutritious food play a decisive role in whether a patient can manage chronic conditions, adhere to medication regimens, or attend follow-up appointments. When these fundamental needs go unmet, patients experience heightened stress, poorer health outcomes, and a greater reliance on acute care services like emergency departments.
This is where formal screening for non-medical drivers of health becomes essential. NMDoH screening typically involves a structured questionnaire administered to patients during routine healthcare visits. These assessments are designed to help medical providers systematically identify unmet social needs, ranging from food insecurity and housing instability to financial hardship and lack of transit options.
Once these challenges are identified during a clinical encounter, healthcare teams can bridge the gap between medicine and community support. Patients are subsequently connected with local resources, social services, and community-based organizations equipped to help resolve these underlying hardships.
Implementing NMDoH screening within clinical settings allows hospitals, health systems, and community health centers to address health-related needs at the individual level while simultaneously gaining a broader understanding of population-level trends within their patient communities. Major healthcare organizations across the country—such as Nemours Children’s Health, various Federally Qualified Health Centers, and pediatric care systems in major metropolitan areas like Dallas—have already begun integrating these practices to better serve families and improve long-term health trajectories.
How This Action Pack Supports Healthcare Transformation
The inclusion of the Salud America! Action Pack in both the SIREN and E2 Practice databases underscores its utility for medical teams seeking actionable pathways toward comprehensive patient care. Designed to streamline the integration of social needs assessments, the toolkit offers a structured approach for clinics and hospital systems looking to move beyond traditional medical paradigms.
Spearheaded by Dr. Ramirez, the action pack is a collaborative product of the Salud America! national health communication program and the ACS Avanzando Salud Center at the Institute for Health Promotion Research, both housed within UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Ramirez also serves as the leader of the community outreach and engagement team at the Mays Cancer Center.
According to public health advocates, the primary hurdle for many clinical practices is knowing how to initiate conversations around sensitive topics like financial distress or housing insecurity, and subsequently, how to build reliable referral networks with community organizations. The action pack addresses these operational challenges by providing concrete communication templates and strategic guidance. Furthermore, the initiative offers technical assistance through designated Salud America! action pack coaches, who are available to help clinics customize materials and navigate implementation questions.
By providing clinicians and non-clinical staff alike with the insights needed to understand patients’ real-world experiences, the toolkit aims to transform routine clinical encounters into opportunities for holistic care. Through targeted screening and effective community referrals, healthcare systems can begin addressing the root causes of health disparities, fostering stronger connections between medical providers and the communities they serve.
