The NACHC and The Rippel Foundation have united in a collaborative effort to advance primary care access and improve community well-being. This powerful partnership leverages The Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being Framework, a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of health disparities and promote holistic well-being for thriving communities.
The Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being Framework
The Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) model, while influential, presented several limitations. These included ambiguous terminology, a potentially divisive emphasis on ‘non-medical’ factors, and a framework that inadvertently alienated key stakeholders by overemphasizing health outcomes. To address these shortcomings, the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being Framework was developed in 2017. This new framework aimed to provide a more inclusive and collaborative approach, fostering intersectoral action to improve population health. The vital conditions framework encourages a shift from reactive to proactive approaches. Instead of primarily addressing immediate needs through urgent services, it emphasizes creating the foundational conditions that support long-term well-being for all community members. This proactive strategy aims to reduce reliance on urgent interventions in the long run
A team led by the Rippel Foundation’s ReThink Health initiative and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation came together with hundreds of national and local partners to fully describe the conditions that are essential to health and well-being.
The team sought to build on the SDOH by creating a structure that was both comprehensive and succinct. The result was an articulation of this set of vital conditions for health and well-being which drew upon decades of research on social drivers and strategic case-making. These vital conditions account for the opportunities, obstacles, exposures, and choices that we each encounter from birth to death and across generations. The vital conditions identify seven essential conditions that all people and communities need to thrive:
The vital conditions framework presents SDOH concepts in a clear, concise form and built for concerted action. Users across the country and around the world have said that the vital conditions framework:
- communicates in simple, humane language, with priorities that are easy to remember;
- builds consensus around familiar conditions and values, focused on the benefits we want to create, not the harms we hope to avoid;
- moves beyond the false dichotomy of health versus health care;
- reveal how multiple conditions fit together as a system—and show how anyone can bring a complementary part of the solution;
- expands existing assets and attracts equitable investment from all parts of society and
- chart progress using existing and emerging measures
Belonging & Civic Muscle is central to the vital conditions framework. Belonging means being accepted and valued in your community, while civic muscle is the ability to collaborate across differences to shape our shared future. Together, belonging and civic muscle represent both a vital condition themselves and are essential tools for advancing health and well-being across all areas and sectors. When combined with Social Drivers of Health (SDOH), this framework helps community leaders, funders, and policymakers develop effective strategies to address health disparities and improve community well-being. While SDOH and vital conditions each offer distinct perspectives, they work together to create comprehensive approaches. Both the Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) and the vital conditions framework work hand-in-hand to enhance health outcomes and well-being by addressing a multitude of social and environmental factors. Though each framework has its unique components, they harmonize effectively to craft comprehensive strategies.
A growing cadre of organizations, including Community Health Centers (CHCs) now explicitly focus on establishing the vital conditions. The advantages of the vital conditions framework extend beyond merely categorizing and conveying social drivers. It helps change agents understand the interconnections among social drivers, highlighting the intergenerational influences on well-being and justice.
Community Health Centers as Stewards of the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-being
CHCs are innately primed to be stewards of the vital conditions. In 2023, CHCs served 1 in 10 people nationwide. They provide care to 1 in 5 uninsured individuals, 1 in 3 people living in poverty, and 1 in 5 rural residents. Being uniquely positioned at the intersection of medical care and public health, CHCs are trusted and essential pillars of their communities. They address the fundamental conditions shaping overall health and play a pivotal role in enhancing the well-being of individuals and the community at large.
Gain valuable insights from health centers that have effectively utilized the vital conditions framework.
Visit the NACHC webpage to see real-world examples.
Adopting the vital conditions framework reflects a commitment to healthier, more resilient communities. This approach recognizes the importance of social, economic, and environmental factors in health, equipping leaders to address health disparities and promote essential holistic health opportunities. CHCs are critical to this transformative movement by connecting patients to essential services that go beyond the clinical setting, such as, advocating for better housing and transportation access, and promoting economic opportunities. The Rippel Foundation and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recognize that investing in vital conditions can strengthen entire communities. Through this partnership, NACHC and The Rippel Foundation are driving initiatives to inspire CHCs to actively engage in developing and strengthening their communities by focusing on the vital conditions and fostering belonging and civic muscle to improve public health outcomes. By providing resources, training, and support to stewards, like CHCs, this partnership seeks to expand the benefits of the vital conditions framework, promoting healthier communities nationwide where all people thrive -no exceptions. Stay tuned for additional resources and materials!
View additional key resources below:
- National Civic League’s Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map
- Rippel Initiative: ReThink Health’s Developing A Resident Engagement Strategy
- Health Affairs Article: Organizing Around Vital Conditions Moves The Social Drivers Agenda Into Wider Action
- Rippel Foundation: Vital Conditions For Health and Well-Being Webpage