7 Ways Ronald McDonald House New York Addresses Social Determinants of Health for Families
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In a speech given to the Medical Committee for Human Rights in 1966, Dr. King’s words addressed racial and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. His words remain a unique and urgent rally cry to all those who advocate for health equity for all people even now.
What are Social Determinants of Health?
In healthcare today, more attention than ever is being paid to the social determinants of health (SDoH)—the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. These include a myriad of factors like where a family lives, what and if they eat, their economic situation, access to education and transportation, and the strength of their social support systems.
At Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY), these factors are not background noise—they are the foundation. Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and serving families of children facing pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses, RMH-NY offers more than a place to stay. It provides wraparound, holistic family-centered care that addresses SDoH head-on with a goal of achieving health equity for all families, regardless of zip code.
Here’s how RMH-NY transforms the health journey for thousands of families each year by meeting their most essential social needs.
1. Housing Instability
(Neighborhood Environment)
Approximately 17 million households in the U.S. are considered cost-burdened, spending over 30% of their income on housing. USA Facts
RMH-NY’s ANSWER:
Housing Steps from the Hospital
95 private guestrooms, including specialized post-transplant suites, offer families a secure, comfortable home base near eight of New York City’s top hospitals, including Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Langone, NY Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, NYP Morgan Stanley and Hospital for Special Surgery among others (source).
Since opening its doors in 1978, RMH-NY has welcomed over 35,000 families, operating near full capacity year-round (source).
Why this matters: Comfortable, close-proximity housing means families never have to choose between keeping their child in treatment and having a place to sleep.
To Support a Family’s Stay – Your gift can provide one night of stability near life-saving care.
2. Income Inequality
(Economic Stability)
The top 20% of earners make over 10 times more than the bottom 20%, impacting access to healthcare. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Stanford Center on Longevity
RMH-NY’s ANSWER:
Financial Relief When It’s Needed Most
RMH-NY saves families more than $7.4 million a year in hotel, food, and transit costs (source). For many caregivers—some who have quit jobs or traveled from out of state—this relief is not a perk. It’s survival.
Why this matters: Families can redirect limited resources toward essentials like medications, childcare, or time away from work.
Become a Monthly Donor – Make it possible for RMH-NY to offer free services 365 days a year.
3. Food Insecurity
(Economic Stability)
About 10.5% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity in 2021, affecting health outcomes.
RMH-NY’s ANSWER:
Medically Tailored Nutrition
Thanks to a growing partnership with several incredibly consistent corporate volunteer teams, RMH-NY provides every single family that stays in the House with three meals a day. Every meal serves to provide our kids and their families with the nutritious sustenance needed to take on a full day of treatment or a full day off in the playroom (source). This includes “Breakfast to Go” kits and personalized meals for transplant recipients.
Why this matters: Malnutrition can impact recovery and immunity. Access to nutritious food reduces readmission rates and is proven to improve clinical outcomes.
Donate Meals & Smiles – Help stock our kitchen and deliver comfort on a plate.
4. Transportation Barriers
(Economic Stability)
Over 3 million Americans lack access to reliable transportation, hindering their ability to reach healthcare facilities. usnews.com+1
RMH-NY’s ANSWER:
Transportation Access to Appointments
Many families staying at RMH-NY are far from home without access to public transit or personal vehicles. RMH-NY ensures families can get to and from appointments with ease by offering transportation support services (source). Transportation services are offered to families staying at the House on East 73rd street through our Family Support and Community Outreach teams.
One of the newest teams at Ronald McDonald House New York is responsible for providing transportation services to families that we serve living in NYC. Part of the Population Health Team’s job is to provide the pathways necessary for local families who need the assistance can get to and from the doctor. Transportation services become a very important social determinant of health to these local NYC families, and RMH-NY provides that service any time they have the opportunity.
Why this matters: Missed appointments delay diagnoses and prolong treatment. Reliable transportation keeps care plans on track.
Give the Gift of the Ride – Keep families moving forward by supporting transportation programs.
5. Lack of Community Support
(Community Context)
Strong social networks can reduce mortality risk by up to 50%, highlighting the importance of community in health outcomes.
RMH-NY’s ANSWER:
Emotional Support Through Community Creation
RMH-NY’s family-centered programming provides daily emotional and social enrichment for children and caregivers. This includes:
- Art and music classes
- Tutoring and education
- Sibling support activities
- Wellness workshops and recreational play
- Volunteer-driven hospital outreach and bedside care.
These programs are offered both at the House and through Family Rooms and Hospitality Carts though Programs to Go located in hospitals like Health + Hospitals/Kings County and Elmhurst.
Why this matters: Social isolation, stress, and burnout can harm both caregivers and children. RMH-NY’s supportive environment helps families build resilience.
Volunteer Your Time – Bring joy and emotional relief to families in their toughest moments.
6.No Access to Healthcare
(Community Context and Neighborhood Environment)
Access to Healthcare: Up to 30–40% of parents of children with cancer or other serious conditions reduce work hours or quit their jobs, which directly affects family income and insurance status (NIH, 2021).
Nearly 30 million Americans remain uninsured, limiting their access to necessary health services. Cdc.gov
No Access to Health Insurance
As of 2023:
- White Americans uninsured rate: 7%
- Black Americans: 10.0%
- Hispanic Americans: 17.7%
- Native Americans / Alaska Natives: 21.7%
-U.S. Census Bureau, 2023
Supporting Details
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Housing and Transportation: Families living far from the hospital may lack affordable, stable accommodations. Programs like Ronald McDonald House exist because lack of temporary housing is a significant barrier to staying close to a hospitalized child.
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Food Insecurity: When caregivers spend weeks or months at a hospital, it often leads to poor access to affordable, nutritious meals, compounding stress and negatively impacting their own health.
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Caregiver Mental Health: Studies consistently show that long-term hospitalization of a child is associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in parents, particularly among low-income families.
Implications
These stressors aren't just personal hardships — they directly influence health outcomes for both the child and caregiver. For example:
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Parental stress is linked to slower recovery in children.
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Poor caregiver health can reduce the effectiveness of follow-up care post-discharge.
RMH-NY’s ANSWER:
Family Rooms within NYC Hospitals + NEW Population Health Team
Not all families can stay at the House and not all families that RMH-NY serves today need to stay at the House because they already reside in NYC. That’s why RMH-NY runs Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in a handful of NYC hospitals. These spaces provide rest, nourishment, laundry services, a TV moment, and a mental break for caregivers just steps from the pediatric floor (source).
The Ronald McDonald Family Room seeks to create an environment that facilitates decompression and allows families and caregivers with little ones in treatment on the pediatric floor, in the NICU or PICU of the hospital a close haven where they have no choice but to take a deep breath in the middle of their scariest moment.
Population Health
The Population Health Team at RMH-NY plays a critical role in elevating the organization’s impact beyond housing by addressing the broader health and social needs of the families it serves. By using data to identify trends, close care gaps, and guide targeted support services, the team ensures that families receive holistic, culturally sensitive care that complements their medical treatment. This includes connecting families with mental health resources, nutritional support, translation services, and community programs—all tailored to improve long-term outcomes.
Why these matter: Family Rooms are on-site sanctuaries that reduce stress and allow caregivers to stay near their child without sacrificing their own well-being.
Working closely with hospital partners and leveraging insights into family health patterns, the Population Health team helps RMH-NY function as an active, strategic player in pediatric care. Their work not only enhances the day-to-day experience of families in the five boroughs of NYC but also strengthens funding opportunities and program development by demonstrating measurable impact on family health and well-being.
7. Education Disparities
(Education)
Adults with a college degree live, on average, 9 years longer than those without a high school diploma. Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics
Education Instability by Race
High school graduation rates (2023):
- White: 89%
- Black: 81%
- Hispanic: 83%
- Native American: 74%
RMH-NY's ANSWER
Health Equity Through Education, Data, & Strategy
Within our Children’s Enrichment Programs and supported by programs through the Department of Education, the House transforms learning into a daily celebration of curiosity. Up to five days a week, devoted volunteer tutors arrive with armfuls of encouragement and expertise, guiding each child through tailored lessons that keep them sharp, confident, and fully in step with their classmates back home. And for brothers and sisters who temporarily trade their own schools for city sidewalks while a sibling receives treatment, RMH-NY can arrange enrollment in New York City’s public schools when their stay stretches on—ensuring continuity, community, and a reassuring sense of normal in the midst of uncertainty.
While academic knowledge is crucial for shaping young minds during the school day, there is another kind of knowledge that must be vigilantly protected. At RMH-NY, knowledge also takes the form of vast troves of sensitive, confidential data—information that is not just important, but imperative to safeguard. Here, privacy isn't just a policy—it's a promise.
Securing Data
In 2023, RMH-NY received a $1.05 million grant from RBC Foundation USA to launch the Health Equity Data Center, a bold initiative to track, measure, and expand access for families facing health disparities (source).
- Targeting 15,000+ medically complex children and families
- Goal to increase reach by 30% annually.
- Data tools to identify gaps in housing, access, mental health, and family support.
Why this matters: Only when we understand who is being left behind can we begin to close the gap in both education and health equity for these vulnerable families.
Champion Health Equity – Join us in building a more just, accessible care system for all.
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More Social Determinants
Poor Environmental Factors
Air Quality
88 million Americans lived in counties with unhealthy air quality in 2023 (American Lung Association, State of the Air 2024).
Communities of color are 61% more likely to live in areas with unhealthy air pollution (EPA).
Access to Clean Water
An estimated 2 million people in the U.S. lack basic running water or indoor plumbing (U.S. Water Alliance, 2021).
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Racial Disparities
Black and Hispanic populations face higher rates of chronic diseases compared to their white counterparts, influenced by social determinants. jamanetwork.com
Life Expectancy
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Black Americans have a life expectancy 5.5 years shorter than white Americans (CDC, 2023).
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In some ZIP codes, this gap is over 15 years, reflecting historical segregation and systemic disinvestment (RWJF, 2022).
Infant Mortality
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Black infants die at 2.4 times the rate of white infants (10.6 vs. 4.4 per 1,000 live births) — CDC, 2022.
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Mental Health
Approximately 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness, with socioeconomic factors significantly affecting access to care.
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Asian Americans are least likely to access mental health care (only 23.3% with a mental illness received services) — SAMHSA, 2022.
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Black and Hispanic adults also face lower rates of treatment due to stigma, access, and provider bias.
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Why Social Determinants of Health Matter at RMH-NY
At Ronald McDonald House New York, our mission drives us to deliver comprehensive, 360-degree wraparound care to every family we serve. By addressing the full spectrum of health-related social needs, we ensure that our family-centered care approach provides guidance for every question, support for every decision, and solutions for every challenge along the journey.
Quick Overview
|
Social Determinant |
RMH-NY Solution |
|
Housing Stability |
95 rooms available nightly within walking distance to hospitals |
|
Economic Stability |
$7.4 million saved annually for families |
|
Nutrition & Food Access |
Medically tailored meals and daily snacks through partners like God’s Love We Deliver |
|
Transportation Access |
Transportation to and from hospitals coordinated through RMH-NY support |
|
Emotional Wellbeing |
In-house wellness, sibling support, and play programming |
|
Social Support |
Peer communities, hospital-based Family Rooms, and volunteers |
|
Education |
Volunteer tutors and local school enrollment for siblings. |
|
Health Equity
|
A Data center to track underserved populations and close service gaps |
Because No Family Deserves to Go It Alone
When a child is diagnosed with a complex medical condition like cancer, families are thrust into a fast-moving and often overwhelming medical world. Healing, however, depends on more than just clinical care—it requires safe housing, nourishing meals, emotional support, a strong, reliable community, and a sense of dignity.
At Ronald McDonald House New York, we provide comprehensive, thoughtfully designed services that meet families where they are—responding to their needs with compassion, stability, and strength. It’s a full-circle model of care that directly addresses the critical social determinants of health.
You can be part of the solution.
Donate Now • Volunteer • Share Our Mission
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Index of Social Determinants of Health below.
Social Determinants of Health:
The Comprehensive Guide
Community (Social & Community Context)
Social Support
Not just “feel-good company”—robust social ties can actually halve your risk of early death. One meta-analysis found that the health benefits of social relationships rival quitting smoking or maintaining a healthy weight. Additionally, lacking someone to get you to the hospital doubles your risk of death within five years. BioMed Central
Isolation
Loneliness is a biological stressor: it’s linked to 29% higher risk of heart disease, 50% increased risk of dementia, and even a 77% higher risk of depression. For older adults who feel lonely, mortality climbs sharply—14% of non-lonely individuals versus 23% for those who are. Stanford Center on Longevity, Wikipedia
Community Empowerment
When communities co-design their own solutions, transformative change follows: child mortality in rural Brazil was halved through “social mother” programs. WHO confirms that empowerment initiatives consistently deliver measurable health improvements. Financial Times, Wikipedia, The Guardian
Discrimination & Inequities
Beyond individual bias, systemic inequities in race, gender, and class are primary drivers of unequal health outcomes worldwide—a fundamental piece of the SDoH puzzle for global agencies like WHO.
Incarceration / Institutionalization
Time spent in prison isn’t just time lost—it’s a serious injury to health. Incarcerated individuals suffer higher rates of chronic illness, mental health conditions, and infectious disease. These conditions are rooted in the trauma of confinement and social isolation.
Racism
It creates unhealthy environments—filtering who gets access to adequate housing, healthcare, jobs, and even clean neighborhoods. Structural racism is now recognized as a major upstream driver of morbidity and mortality.
Lived Experience
Programs co-designed with individuals who’ve personally navigated adversity aren’t just well-intentioned—they work better. People who’ve “been there” bring unique insight that improves trust, uptake, and impact.
Healthcare (Health Care Access & Quality)
Access to Health Care
More than simply billing insurance: about 30–40% of parents in pediatric cancer care reduce hours or quit jobs, putting their family’s coverage at risk. Gaps in access foster interruptions in treatment, worse outcomes, and even increased mortality.
Access to Primary Care / Trusted Provider
Having a “medical home” isn’t just convenient—it’s lifesaving. Continuity with a trusted provider is linked to better chronic disease control and significantly fewer hospital admissions or readmissions.
Availability of Health Care
Living in a medical desert—an area with few clinics or providers—leads to detectable declines in birth outcomes. One U.S. rollout of community health centers resulted in babies being born 25–42 grams heavier and a 9–16% drop in low birth weight. Stanford Center on Longevity, Wikipedia, WHO, Health Equity Evidence Centre, communityandhealth.info
Cultural & Linguistic Competence
Providers who speak your language and understand your culture don’t just give better care—with trust and understanding built-in, patients show better adherence and satisfaction.
Health Literacy
It's the secret superpower for health success: people who understand their health are more likely to take medication correctly, avoid complications, and fend off chronic illness—with overall cost savings for the system.
Trauma-Informed Care
Up to two-thirds of U.S. adults report at least one traumatic experience—and regular healthcare settings can re-traumatize patients. Trauma-informed care recognizes these wounds and responds with safety and sensitivity.
Medical Bills
Medical debt remains the No. 1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S. Beyond dollars, it cripples families—leading them to skip medications, miss appointments, or avoid care entirely.
Language Access / Interpreters / Tech
Simple interventions like hospital-based interpreters reduce medical errors and improve satisfaction. In a world with increasing linguistic diversity, this isn’t a luxury—it’s essential equity in action.
Neighborhood Environment (Neighborhood & Built Environment)
Affordable/Quality Housing & Stability
Living near hospitals reduces readmissions and stress—and having a stable address works like a vaccination for stress-related diseases. Interventions improving housing support in disadvantaged communities measurably boost mental health. Health Equity Evidence Centre, Financial Times, sciencedirect.com
Access to Healthy Foods
Known as “nutrition deserts,” areas lacking fresh, affordable food see heightened obesity, diabetes, and heart disease—underscoring why food access is now a climate and health priority.
Crime & Violence
Living with violence isn't just traumatic—it primes your body to release stress hormones continuously. This underlies rising risks for chronic illness in high-crime areas. Financial Times
Safe Green Spaces & Air Quality
Green space is more than nice—it’s nearly therapeutic. A Netherlands study found towns with more greenery had dramatically lower antidepressant prescription rates. arxiv.org
Walkability / Sidewalks
A friendly streetscape nudges people into regular walking—and even small design changes have ripple effects: reduced obesity, fewer heart attacks, and a healthier community overall.
Food & Medical Deserts
If you live where there's no grocery store OR hospital, daily life becomes a marathon. Both types of deserts are linked to worse health outcomes and increased healthcare spending.
Access to Transportation
Ride or die? Literally. Missed rides to clinics mean delayed treatment—especially for urban families without private cars, making transit access a critical barrier to care.
Education (Education Access & Quality)
Early Childhood Education & Development
Investing in kindergarten isn’t just child’s play—it pays off big. Participants in high-quality preschool programs can see better adult health outcomes and fewer chronic diseases decades later.
High School Education
Every year beyond 9th grade boosts average lifespan. A high school diploma correlates with clear improvements in literacy, income — and a healthier life.
Enrollment in Higher Education
Earning a college degree isn't just financial—it’s a health investment. Degree holders live longer, exercise more, and are less likely to smoke—helping explain the 9-year lifespan gap in some communities.
Language & Literacy
You can’t manage what you can’t read. Poor literacy is linked to misunderstanding treatment, medication errors, and higher hospitalization rates—underscoring the need for plain-language communication.
Workforce / Trade & Vocational Training
Not everyone needs a four-year degree—but skilled trades are associated with better economic stability, fewer injuries, and improved mental health compared to unstable or low-paying employment.
Formal Education
Ongoing education—from online classes to community workshops—boosts critical thinking, health literacy, and civic engagement—helping demystify science and empower better health choices.
Health Literacy
A crosscutting outcome of education—health literacy means people can decode care plans, navigate insurance, and independently manage their health.
Economic Stability
Poverty
More than lacking money—poverty limits options. It's tied to reduced cognitive development, shorter lifespans, and poor birth outcomes. That’s why RMH-NY’s financial support directly translates into health resilience.
Employment
Work offers more than income—it offers identity, routine, community, and health insurance. Conversely, involuntary job loss drastically increases mortality risk within a year.
Food Security / Hunger
Hunger isn’t urgent—it’s chronic. Food insecurity correlates with malnutrition, obesity, mental illness—and in parents of seriously ill kids, it can complicate recovery and strain caregiving capacity.
Housing Security & Stability
Echoing earlier—but financially speaking, housing stability prevents costly chaos. Eviction or instability leads to disrupting care, higher stress, and declining health—creating cycles of hardship.
Financial Literacy
Money smarts are health skills. When families can budget effectively, avoid debt, and plan ahead, they’re more resilient to crises—including health emergencies.
Medical Bills
Reiterating—but with economic weight: medical debt drains resources, limits future planning, and can devastate credit—causing emotional stress that harms health.
Transportation
Employment, healthcare, and food are inaccessible without transport. For economically vulnerable families, the absence of transit isn't inconvenience—it’s a life barrier.
Source: New York State Department of Health
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