Responding to the Changing Face of the Social Determinants of Health

The social determinants of health (SDoH) are at the top of every health care organization's priority list. The ability to respond to these nonclinical client needs is driving the financial sustainability, if not survivability, of facilities and programs across the globe. Although a number of traditional populations have been long identified with the SDoH, the face of those clients and communities is changing. With these demographic shifts come new ethical challenges for case managers, particularly in response to prevailing personal biases. With the case management positioned on the front lines of care, the workforce must be able to identify and respond ethically and effectively to the emerging new face of the SDoH.