Partnering to Create an Accessible, Vibrant, and Healthy Community for All
SNMA completes donation drive for HOT thanks to Shamone Gore Panter, OMS II- SNMA-Cleveland Student Diversity and Inclusion officer, HOT Volunteer.
Exploring the world around us creates a unique opportunity to develop our knowledge beyond our lived experience. It is undeniable that most of us can articulate the lived experience, available resources, and needs of our respective communities however, we may struggle to understand communities with a different context. Education creates a pathway to develop technical skills that can supplement what we have learned throughout life.
It is increasingly important to leverage medical education to sharpen the cultural competencies of current and future clinicians. Many clinical programs are forging partnerships with philanthropy and community-based organizations (CBOs) like Haus of Transcendent (HOT) to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). This transformation is also evident in how Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) distributes reimbursement. Last year, CMS created a new reimbursement code for providers to bill Medicare when they screen (G0136) patients for health-related social needs. CMS is also embedding health equity into its value-based reimbursement programs, which means that addressing health disparities will benefit the bottom line of healthcare organizations.
Health systems, medical schools, and CBOs who have made SDOH a priority are well-positioned to capitalize on the changes underway in US health care. An example of this is a family medicine program at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM) known as Transformative Care Continuum (TCC).
Last year, OHUCOM invited HOT, Healthy Lakewood Foundation, and Community Legal Aid to participate in a TCC panel to discuss how we are identifying and removing social barriers that often lead to worse outcomes.
It was eye-opening when Jordi Luke, founder and CEO of HOT told me about the medical, housing, and socio-economic challenges LGBTQI2S+ individuals face. Naturally, when the organization I belong to, SNMA (Student National Medical Association) was interested in running a benefit campaign to support LGBTQI2S+ individuals, HOT immediately came to mind. I reached out to Jordi, and they were happy to partner with us. We were able to collect numerous items, from food and clothing to basic toiletries that have since been distributed to trans people in crisis.—Shamone Gore Panter, OMS II- SNMA-Cleveland Student Diversity and Inclusion officer, HOT Volunteer.
These items went directly to Transgender folks who recently completed an addiction treatment program. “Every little bit helps!” said one of HOT’s clients that was helped by SNMA’s generous donation.
Pictured: Haus of Transcendent volunteers at the HOT Haus construction site.
Khalaf Mohamed purchases shoes for shoeless children on the streets of Luxor, Egypt.
As an Emergency Medicine Physician, I believe it is imperative for us to learn about and be directly exposed to communities with different lived experiences than my own. I serve patients from diverse cultures and languages so this will only make me a more skilled doctor. As HOT’s Clinical Outreach Director I have had invaluable opportunities to guide and connect medically underserved individuals to clinical services. Learning about the barriers and the types of discrimination that LGBTQI+ people must navigate has helped me connect the dots between clinical services and social determinants of health.
Khalaf Mohamed, Emergency Medicine Resident & HOT Clinical Outreach Director.
