There is growing recognition that to improve public health and achieve greater equity in health care requires efforts to address the full spectrum of social, economic, and environmental factors that affect an individual's health, health-related behaviors, and access to care, an issue brief from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation argues. The brief, Beyond Health Care: The Role of Social Determinants in Promoting Health and Health Equity (11 pages, PDF), notes that initiatives aimed at promoting better health and health equity increasingly seek integrated solutions that address determinants such as socioeconomic status, education, physical environment, employment, and social support networks. The brief highlights examples of place-based approaches that connect individuals who visit emergency rooms frequently with primary care providers and social workers; the "health in all policies" approach, which ensures that decision makers across sectors are informed about the health, equity, and sustainability consequences of policy decisions; and initiatives in Medicaid delivery and payment reform designed to meet diverse needs through an increased focus on social determinants of health.