Healthcare Without Hurdles: Lessons From Implementing a Statewide Physician Association Initiative to Support Social Needs Screening and Referral in Mississippi

Health-related social needs such as food insecurity, transportation barriers, housing instability, financial hardship, and limited social support influence patients’ ability to access care, follow treatment plans, and manage health. Although social needs screening is becoming more prominent in clinical settings, screening alone does not guarantee that patients will be connected to support services. Healthcare Without Hurdles was developed through a two-year grant from The Physicians Foundation (2025–2026) to assist participating Mississippi physician practices in identifying patients’ social needs and strengthening referral processes. This Special Article describes the program’s phased implementation approach, including partner and clinic engagement, screening implementation and data collection, physician awareness and outreach, and referral support and dissemination. Early implementation was shaped by workflow challenges and capacity limits, which constrained technology integration and community health worker-led navigation. In response, the initiative adapted toward workflow-based screening, staff training, physician education, and region-specific resource materials. This pilot illustrates how a state physician association can facilitate the practical implementation of social needs screening and referral support, demonstrating how physician associations can accelerate implementation by providing workflow support, physician engagement, and locally tailored referral resources.