Data-driven ”Community Catalyst”
initiative in 23 communities convenes partners across sectors to identify and
address community and population health needs; 10 of the initiatives are
focused on public housing authority partnerships
May 19, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare
today announced a community-based initiative, Community Catalyst, that convenes
a broad range of community stakeholders to identify and address specific health
care needs of members of the community and residents of publicly assisted
housing who are often difficult to reach and serve.
“CLPHA and our member public housing authorities are excited to
work with UnitedHealthcare in this innovative and large-scale effort to bring
together housing and health systems in an integrated approach.”
UnitedHealthcare is expanding on its long-term collaboration
with the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) by engaging public
housing agencies (PHAs), federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and community-based
organizations (CBOs) in their mutual commitment to serve as a catalyst to close
gaps in care, address health equity challenges, and encourage a greater
positive health impact in local communities. By blending clinical data with
firsthand information from community members to identify health challenges, the
initiative formally brings together local partners to develop a collaborative
community plan to address needs and track progress and outcomes.
UnitedHealthcare and its partners will analyze claims, health
care utilization and local data to identify communities with large racial and
health disparities and challenges. Working together, Community Catalyst
initiative partners will develop common goals and collaborative interventions
that enable each organization to leverage its capabilities to address the local
health challenge. These interventions will be customized to the community and
may encompass food insecurity and diabetes management programs that can include
trauma-informed care trainings, telehealth and virtual care services,
multilingual educational materials, and social services wraparound support.
To date, the priority challenges identified include food
insecurity, health disparities such as health literacy and maternal and women’s
health, behavioral and mental health, homelessness, access to health care, and
chronic disease and diabetes management.
“The needs of communities are as diverse as the communities
themselves, and in order to best impact health outcomes in communities, we are
creating approaches that are rooted in data and also reflect the perspectives
of the people that live and work in the community,” said Catherine Anderson,
senior vice president of policy and strategy, UnitedHealthcare Community &
State. “By working closely with CLPHA, FQHCs, and CBOs, UnitedHealthcare is
well-positioned to bring the right partners together to align primary and
behavioral health with social needs, creating initiatives that not only improve
health outcomes but also provide for equitable care for all.”
UnitedHealthcare and CLPHA announced the first cohort of PHAs
with planned programs addressing challenges as identified in: Akron and
Columbus, Ohio; Austin and Houston, Texas; and Seattle/King County, Wash. A
second cohort of public housing authorities now joining the initiative include:
Atlanta Housing Authority, Detroit Housing Commission, Indianapolis Housing
Authority, Memphis Housing Authority, and New Orleans Housing Authority.
“UnitedHealthcare's expansion of the Community Catalyst initiative
to a second cohort of five additional housing authorities demonstrates the
value of public housing authorities to reach low-income families and to provide
support services to improve community and population health needs,” said Sunia
Zaterman, executive director, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities.
“CLPHA and our member public housing authorities are excited to work with
UnitedHealthcare in this innovative and large-scale effort to bring together
housing and health systems in an integrated approach.”
Additionally, UnitedHealthcare plans to launch similar
initiatives partnering with FQHCs and CBOs to address community health needs
in: Phoenix, Ariz.; Maui, Hawaii; Baton Rouge, La.; Montgomery County, Md.;
Detroit, Mich.; Jackson and Clay counties, Mo.; Hinds, Copiah, and Warren,
Miss.; Chester, Pa.; Richmond, Va.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Providence
and Newport, R.I.
Research shows that 80% of an individual’s health is determined
by what happens outside of a doctor’s officei. There are specific
local underlying causes that trend in a community and create complex health
challenges and barriers for individuals and communities, such as: lack of safe
and affordable housing, healthy food and financial stability. In the United
States, there are more than 2 million people in public housingii.
Nationwide, children in subsidized housing have the lowest rate of enrollment
into kindergarteniii.
FQHCs are rooted in local communities and critical to closing
access gaps. In fact, 29 million Americans receive care at a FQHC each year,
including 1 in 12 people and 1 in 5 people on Medicaid. FQHCs serve
approximately 23% of UnitedHealthcare Community & State members at more
than 1,300 clinics across the country. They are leading the way when it comes
to serving our most vulnerable populations, including serving school-based
health centers, military veterans, and homeless and public housing patients.
“UnitedHealthcare has provided ongoing support to our health
center so we can better serve members of our community,” said María S. Gomez,
president and CEO, Mary's Center. “This initiative is an exciting next step in
the journey of collaboration, bringing together the key players in the
community to help bridge the gap for people with an array of social and health
needs that must be met before we can see a marked improvement in the overall
health of our communities.”
This Community Catalyst initiative is one part of
UnitedHealthcare’s ongoing efforts to address health equity, promote positive
health outcomes and expand access to all. The company is also investing in
programs and partnerships focused on food, transportation and social isolation,
including $80 million to fight the pandemic and support vulnerable minority
populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier
lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the
health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and
sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States,
UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for
individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts
directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and
6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides
health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health
care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.
About the Council of Large Public Housing
Authorities
CLPHA is a non-profit organization that works to preserve and
improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy
analysis, and public education. Its membership includes 70 of the largest and
most innovative public housing authorities across the country, which
collectively owns and manages nearly 40 percent of the nation’s public housing
stock, administers more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program,
and provides a wide array of other rental assistance. CLPHA members also make
vital services available to the more than one million low-income households
they serve in federally-assisted housing. CLPHA believes housing authorities
are foundational to improving outcomes around housing, families, individuals,
and communities. Through their Housing Is Initiative, CLPHA
helps build a future where sectors work together to improve life outcomes.
Housing stability is a critical first step to improve life outcomes for
low-income children, families, and seniors; CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative
is based on the premise that sectors can better meet needs when they work
together. Housing Is establishes, broadens, and deepens
efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce
positive, long-term results. Learn more at housingis.org and on Twitter @housing_is.
i https://nam.edu/social-determinants-of-health-101-for-health-care-five-plus-five/
ii https://www.cbpp.org/research/housing/national-and-state-housing-fact-sheets-data
iii https://newsroom.uhc.com/community/housing-healthcare.html
Contacts
Christina Witz
UnitedHealthcare
952-931-4645
Christina.witz@UHC.com
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