Background

The Road We’ve Taken

2019: Understanding the Landscape

Since 2019, the BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina Foundation and The Duke Endowment have partnered to advance efforts addressing nonmedical factors impacting health (NFIH). A landscape assessment was conducted to understand who in the state and in what ways were NFIH being addressed. Interviews were conducted with healthcare systems, safety net partners, health and human services agencies and non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and payors to understand the depth and breadth of addressing NFIH in our state. 

What We Learned
Stakeholders confirmed that while many organizations are working to address NFIH, efforts are often: 

  • Fragmented across sectors  

  • Limited in scope  

  • Lacking coordination between local and state levels  

There was also no single entity responsible for aligning efforts statewide. 

2020: Establishing the Roadmap (Phase 1)
A multi-sector group of leaders, referred to as the “Design Committee”, developed the South Carolina Roadmap to align priorities, strengthen coordination, and guide action across sectors. 

2022–2023: Advancing the Work
From January 2022 through June 2023, the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation supported stakeholders in refining the Roadmap and building alignment around shared priorities. 

A governance structure was established with three cores—Data, Programmatic, and Administrative—bringing together local and state leaders and individuals with lived experience to shape a shared vision and develop recommendations to advance impactful policy change, align and spread innovations and build statewide data and information infrastructure around NFIH that creates systemic change and significantly improves health outcomes 

Phase 2: Aligning for Coordinated Action (2024–2027)
Phase 2 focuses on establishing a formal structure and a Common Agenda to guide coordinated, statewide action. 

Spanning July 2024 through June 2027, this phase moves the work from planning to implementation, aligning cross-sector partners around shared priorities and advancing solutions to improve health outcomes and quality of life for South Carolinians.

The Phases

A project plan titled 'Phase 1.1 Designing the Roadmap' with key activities including a landscape assessment, forming a design committee, identifying priority populations and social conditions, and creating a core structure.

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A graphic titled 'Phase 1.2 Learning Collaborative' with key activities listed: forming four cross-sector teams to improve efforts addressing food insecurity and encouraging upstream interventions for addressing NMFIH.

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A presentation slide titled 'Phase 1.3 The Cores' with key activities listed in a beige box, including Data Core, Administrative Core, and Programmatic Core.

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A digital graphic presenting the title 'Phase 2 The Road Ahead' with key activities: securing funding, identifying lead organizations, finalizing agenda and actions.

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