Alumna's Pursuit to Bridge Finance and Health Delivery Gaps

Senior Fellow in Health Policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health alumna, Elena M. Marks, JD, MPH serves as a leading voice at the intersection of policy and health care, where she has spent her career working to help Americans navigate the complex health care system, a passion she pursues through research and advocacy.

Throughout her academic and professional journey, Marks has remained steadfast in applying her unique perspective of law and understanding of the health care industry to her role. At UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, she utilized her experience as a lawyer to bridge health policy and management, to develop the essential framework she continues today.

• This fall, Marks co-authored a report, "Enhancing Texas' Health Care Investments by Addressing Patients' Non-Medical Needs,” which explores ways to improve access to non-medical services in the state. In the report, Marks highlighted three recommendations for the state, who can leverage current and existing services with proven success: Implementing the Non-Medical Drivers of Health Action Plan.
• Modifying the Directed Payment Programs.
• Expanding the non-medical services under HB 1575.

"As health care costs continue to soar, and health outcomes decline, there is an opportunity to increase the value of health care expenditures by using some of those dollars to address patients' health-related social needs," she stated. "Our challenge is to bridge the financing and delivery gaps so we can use our $4.5 trillion in national health expenditures to produce strong health outcomes for all."

In the last two decades, Marks has tackled this challenge to support this transformation and mission through her various roles.

As co-founder of the Texas Consortium for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health, Marks collaborates with the Baker Institute for Public Policy and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health's Center for Health Care Data. The Texas Consortium strives to integrate non-medical interventions with the expertise of researchers and practitioners' knowledge.

Previously, Marks served as the founding president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, impacting the health of more than 15 million Texans. Additionally, Marks served as the director of health and environmental policy for the City of Houston.