Addressing Social Drivers of Health: Communication, Resources, and Impact

– Gabrielle Jasmin, DO; Kammeron Brissett, MD; Alex Rucker, MD

• Identify key social drivers of health (SDOH) impacting pediatric emergency patients, such as housing instability and food insecurity.
• Demonstrate effective and culturally sensitive communication strategies for initiating and navigating SDOH conversations in a time-limited ED setting.

• Words That Heal: Applying Equitable, Emotionally-Attuned Language in High-Stress Patient & Family Encounters

  – Seph Morrison MBBS, MSCI, MBA; Katie Donnelly, MD, MPH; Haroon Shaukat, MD, CHSE

• Apply health-equity-centered language in emotionally charged patient/family interactions.
• Recognize how word choice affects trust, escalation, and perceived respect.
• Use empathetic communication frameworks during mental health, end-of-life, financial, and multi-child scenarios.
• Practice equitable linguistic responses through small-group cases and role-play.
• Utilize hospital and community resources to efficiently screen for needs and connect families to appropriate support services.