Fourth in a series of reflections from the LPPIH

In September 2025, Samantha Shaak, PhD, Executive Director of the Leonard Parker Pool Institute for Health (LPPIH), attended The Health Management Academy (THMA) Fall 2025 Health Impact Alliance in Washington, D.C., alongside Jefferson Health’s Pierre Vigilance, MD, Senior Vice President, Community Health, and Tara Hayden, Vice President, Community Health.

The event brought together hospital leaders, philanthropic partners and policy experts from across the nation to explore how large health systems can build measurable, equitable and sustainable community health impact. It also reinforced Jefferson Health’s commitment to improving community health through strategies that expand access, transform care delivery and engage communities – priorities that guided the attendees’ reflections throughout the conference. Below are seven takeaways from the LPPIH and Jefferson Health team.

1. Vital conditions as a shared framework 

The Rippel Foundation’s Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being framework, which LPPIH has adopted as a guide, was both new and valuable to many THMA participants. Shaak and Dr. Vigilance shared it with participants and saw firsthand how the model helped unify hospital leaders seeking to align population health, equity and community investment strategies. Using the framework to translate complex factors into actionable categories sparked meaningful dialogue and confirmed that the vital conditions could become the basis for future conference presentations.

2. DEI and health equity executive orders: The do’s and don’ts 

Recent federal executive orders on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) were a hot topic. The discussion underscored the need for organizations to find the right balance between compliance and authenticity. It reaffirmed that equity work must be anchored in mission, not mandate. The team walked away with a clearer understanding of the “do’s and don’ts” for embedding equity language and practice within operational frameworks.

3. Turning data into insight

A major takeaway from other health systems, including ChristianaCare, was the approach to data dashboards that explain health disparities. The system’s example underscored the importance of prioritizing Jefferson Health’s own data infrastructure to identify and track health inequities on a large scale. Building such dashboards – integrating race, ethnicity, language and social determinants of health (SDOH) indicators with clinical outcomes data – will be critical for community health efforts and clinical alignment. Dashboards that reveal disparities will allow Jefferson Health to transform delivery of care and ensure equitable access across the network.

4. Working with corporate partners 

A promising aspect of the summit was the potential collaboration with corporate partners, whose enterprise-level community health goals align closely with Jefferson’s systemwide priorities. Exploring partnership opportunities with key corporate organizations could amplify impact, particularly in addressing chronic disease prevention, workforce development and neighborhood health improvement through joint investment or pilot programs.

5. SDOH priorities still on the federal radar 

While the SDOH landscape continues to evolve, federal priorities remain focused on three key areas: food, housing and social isolation/loneliness, alongside chronic disease management. The Jefferson and LPPIH teams reflected that this alignment reinforces much of the ongoing work in the Lehigh Valley and offers a strategic anchor for communicating local progress to national partners.

6. Systems to watch: lessons from leaders 

Health systems like Loma Linda, CommonSpirit and Intermountain are embedding the vital conditions into Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) and organizational structures. These health system examples highlight the urgency for Jefferson Health to socialize the vital conditions internally. LPPIH introduced them in the 2025 Lehigh Valley region CHNA. In participation with LPPIH, Jefferson Health can share the framework with clinical partners and health systems already connected to the Rippel Foundation, who champion the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being framework. 

7. From insight to influence 

THMA reinforced that community health impact is not just local, it’s national. Jefferson Health and LPPIH have an opportunity to shape the narrative by sharing learnings and frameworks (like the vital conditions) through future THMA events, policy forums and collaborative requests for proposals. Communicating and promoting the Lehigh Valley region’s progress leads to identifying and activating broader strategies.

Looking ahead 

The conversations at THMA reinforced what leaders at LPPIH and Jefferson Health already believe: that improving community health depends on collaboration across scales – from the boardroom to the neighborhood block. By combining data, partnership and shared frameworks, health systems can help shape environments where people truly can thrive.

Looking forward, Jefferson Health’s FY26 priorities – access, transform, engage – will guide how insights are turned into action. Expanding access to care, transforming processes for equity and engaging communities deeply are not just operational goals, they are essential to creating the conditions for well-being across our region.