Top national health policy leaders convene to assess the impact of social drivers of health and mobilize health leaders around the next wave of solutions.

BOSTON, March 9, 2026 — In collaboration with The Physicians Foundation Center for the Study of Physician Practice and Leadership and the Cornell Health Policy Center, The Physicians Foundation will convene national experts on March 25 from 4:00 – 5:00pm ET, for a virtual seminar: Addressing Drivers of Health: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next. The seminar also marks the 10-year anniversary of Dr. Buz Cooper’s influential work highlighting the importance of drivers of health.

A decade ago, The Physicians Foundation commissioned Dr. Buz Cooper’s book Poverty and the Myths of Health Care Reform and helped sharpen the national conversation about how social and economic conditions influence health outcomes and healthcare utilization. Dr. Buz Cooper’s work challenged policymakers and health leaders to look beyond clinical care alone and consider the broader forces shaping patient health.

“Dr. Cooper’s research helped elevate the conversation around the social forces that influence health,” said Paul Harrington, Board member and Chair of The Physicians Foundation Drivers of Health Committee.  “Ten years later, health systems, policymakers and physicians are still grappling with the best ways to address these drivers—and the evidence continues to evolve.”

The seminar will examine lessons from the past decade of efforts and investment to address drivers of health, including the benefits and limitations of healthcare-based social interventions. Speakers will also explore the policy and structural reforms needed to improve health outcomes nationwide.

The discussion will be moderated by Dhruv Khullar, MD, MPP, director of the Physicians Foundation Center for the Study of Physician Practice and Leadership and associate director of the Cornell Health Policy Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Panelists include:

• Seth A. Berkowitz, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and deputy scientific director of the American Heart Association Health Care by Food initiative
• Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy
• Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and national advisor at Manatt Health
• William L. Schpero, PhD, associate director of the Cornell Health Policy Center and associate director of the Cornell Center for Health Equity at Weill Cornell Medicine

To attend the event, please register here.

About The Physicians Foundation 

The Physicians Foundation is a public charity seeking to advance the work of practicing physicians and help them facilitate the delivery of high-quality health care to patients. As the U.S. health care system continues to evolve, The Physicians Foundation is steadfast in strengthening the physician-patient relationship, supporting medical practices’ sustainability and helping physicians navigate the changing health care system. The Physicians Foundation pursues its mission through research, education and innovative grant making that improves physician wellbeing, strengthens physician leadership, addresses drivers of health and lifts physician perspectives. For more information, visit www.physiciansfoundation.org.