Healthier Together Conference attendees explore best practices, real-world solutions to improve health outcomes for all

The convening of 600 leaders from hospitals, health systems, and community and public health organizations continued for a full-day schedule at the AHA Healthier Together Conference in Dallas. 

Attendees participated in pre-conference workshops, breakout sessions, table conversations, networking opportunities and community immersion experiences. 

Highlights included: 

• Keynote remarks from Daniel Dawes, senior vice president of global health and founding dean at Nashville, Tenn.-based Meharry Medical College’s School of Global Health. Dawes discussed how data, leveraging drivers of health and longevity can improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care.
• A plenary session on evidence-informed practices and real-world solutions health systems can use to improve health care experience, access and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
• Breakout sessions on the Food Is Medicine movement and place-based food models; integrating community health workers into care settings; and leveraging data — specifically through collection, visualization and community profiles — to address disparities in health outcomes.
• Visits to the Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center, where attendees learned about the center’s services such as medical care, nutrition counseling, wellness classes and chronic disease management; and the Health to Home facility, a partnership between Austin Street Center and Texas Health Resources to improve health outcomes and reduce readmissions for people experiencing housing insecurity.