The Social Care for All Needs Medical Education (SCAN ME) Academy is a set of six modules aimed at increasing the participation of medical students and residents in addressing health-related social needs. Funded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF) since 2024, GNYHA’s aim with this current project is to educate the future physician workforce about social care needs, the impact they have on health, and the importance of considering social care needs in the context of health care delivery. The topics covered in each module are:
1. Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN)
2. Housing Instability
3. Food and Nutrition Insecurity
4. Transportation Insecurity
5. Care Team Roles in Addressing HRSN
6. Communicating with Patients about HRSN
The goal of this two-year project is for these modules to be used by all medical students who are enrolled in medical schools within New York and ultimately improve the ability of these future doctors to meet the needs of their communities by highlighting the social care needs of the communities they serve. Post project, GNYHA will continue to recruit New York residency programs and medical schools to adopt the SCAN ME Academy curriculum and will continue to evaluate the program’s adoption and impact past the two-year grant period.