Nnenna Ezeh, MD is a dual resident physician in the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency and the Brigham and Women's Hospital Internal Medicine Residency. Her clinical and research interests include complex medical dermatology, rheumatology-dermatology, and improving access to dermatologic services in underserved communities. Dr. Ezeh has considered how the intersections of policy, social inequities and discriminatory narratives impact the health of marginalized populations. She previously served as a policy fellow in the California State Department of Social Services through the Capital Fellows Program. While in medical school, Dr. Ezeh was selected by fellow students and faculty to sit on the inaugural Health Equity Task Force. Additionally, she completed a longitudinal project focusing on building sustainable funding for community health workers in Milwaukee, WI. She aspires to utilize innovative care models to improve inequities in the diagnosis and management of dermatologic conditions. Dr. Ezeh received her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020 with distinctions in public health and research.
Nnenna Ezeh, MD, MPH
PGY-5 Resident, Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Training Program, Boston, MA
Reimagining a Return on Investment Model for Community Benefit
Objectives:
- To conduct a feasibility analysis, key informant interviews and construct a modeling tool for evaluating social value related to community focused initiatives around behavioral health and housing.
- To inform incorporation of social value indicators to assess the ability of community benefit grantees to provide community benefit through proposed grant projects
Background:
As health systems prepare to integrate social drivers of health screening into their clinical operations, systems must be able to adequately evaluate specific initiatives designed to address social drivers of health. Frequently, programs that offer community benefit have been negatively impacted by the lack of understanding how to measure impact on community benefit in a fiscal manner. This program seeks to assess the feasibility of whether it is possible to apply a fiscal lens to community programs that honors and incorporates non-fiscal community benefit.
The Beth Israel Lahey Health Community Benefits and Community Initiatives Office seeks to improve the health status of underserved communities lies in weaving values and dedication into the very fabric of culture, policies, procedures, and programs. It does this by implementing programs and services in Greater Boston, Cape Cod and Southern New Hampshire to improve the current and future health status of medically underserved communities which are challenged by barriers in accessing and interacting effectively with the healthcare system and impacted by other social determinants of health.
The purpose of this project is to better optimize the Community Benefits evaluation process of community based programming by incorporating an evaluation tool to assess its fiscal impact of programming on community benefit and social value.
Methods:
- Performed a literature review to identify existing models and frameworks for incorporating community benefit into return on investment modeling
- Conducted key informant interviews regarding the current landscape regarding social value and community benefit particularly related to behavioral health and housing.
- Identified key outcome measures used to evaluate prospective grantee applications.
Results:
Provision of a practical tool based on literature and stakeholder engagement that prospectively evaluates the social return on investment for community benefit programming.
Recommendations:
- Pilot the evaluation tool with additional grantees and the evaluation team to ensure appropriate outcome measures are being utilized.
- Consideration of partnership with other health ecosystem stakeholders to maximize impact on community identified health related social needs.
Preceptor:
Nancy Kasen, MPH, VP of BILH Community Benefit and Community Relations and Nancy Turnbull, MBA, Harvard Chan Senior Associate Dean for Professional Education
