Premise Health Clinical Leader Maria Romano Joins Epic Advisory Board

Maria Romano, MSN, NP-C, vice president of health equity and medical informatics at Premise Health, recently was elected to serve as a board member on the Epic Advisory Steering Board dedicated to conversations about the social determinants of health. Social determinants of health are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, work, play, worship and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

Epic Advisory Steering Boards provide a platform for a peer-elected group of experts to define the tools that drive care. Romano started her two-year tenure this month and will work with a team of fellow health care professionals across the industry to unpack the effects of social determinants of health on peoples’ lives. The Steering Board will collaborate with Epic staff and other Epic organizations to identify areas to improve how social determinants of health are incorporated into patients’ electronic health records; to select the best tools and practices for the future; and ultimately to enhance patient care and the patient-provider relationship through their recommendations.

“At Premise, we have long recognized that social determinants of health and health equity are an important part of our members’ health and wellbeing as part of our uniquely comprehensive approach to primary care and other services,” Romano said. “Having a voice and a seat at the table with a partner like Epic is an exciting opportunity to share what we have learned, learn from others, and have a positive impact on patient care.”

In 2021, Premise launched Find Help with Premise, a platform that connects members to community assistance programs in their area to help with everything from food and transportation to health care, clothing and childcare. Romano led the initiative to launch Find Help with Premise and integrate it into the Epic electronic health record, allowing Premise clinical providers to view local resources during appointments and make seamless referrals.

“Incorporating social determinants of health into clinical practice is an important part of delivering comprehensive, whole-person primary care that improves wellbeing,” said Jon Leizman, MD, chief medical officer for Premise. “Empowering our providers to have conversations about these factors at the point of care can ultimately lead to better outcomes, improve member satisfaction, enhance clinical quality, and drive cost-savings.”