UnitedHealthcare Donates $500,000 to Nonprofits in Georgia

Rhea-AI Summary

UnitedHealthcare is granting $500,000 to six organizations in Georgia to enhance healthcare access for uninsured individuals. This funding is part of a larger $11.4 million initiative across 18 states aimed at addressing social determinants of health, such as food security and mental health. Key recipients include National Birth Equity Collaborative and Atlanta Community Food Bank. Since 2018, over $40 million in grants have impacted more than 6 million people. The company's commitment to reducing health disparities includes significant investments in affordable housing and partnerships with local organizations.

Positive

• Awarding $500,000 to six organizations in Georgia to improve healthcare access.
• Total $11.4 million in grants distributed across 18 states.
• More than $40 million invested in Empowering Health grants since 2018, benefiting over 6 million individuals.
• Ongoing commitment to health disparities includes $6.8 million in contributions in Georgia from 2018-2020.

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• None.

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is awarding $500,000 in Empowering Health grants to six community-based organizations in Georgia to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.

In total, UnitedHealthcare is donating $11.4 million through Empowering Health grants across 18 states and the District of Columbia. The grants will assist individuals and families experiencing challenges from food insecurity, social isolation and behavioral health issues, and support local health promotion and health literacy efforts.

Grant recipients in Georgia include:

• National Birth Equity Collaborative – $125,000 to implement the Birth Equity Practice Center for ongoing training and promotion of healthier birth experiences and health outcomes for Black birthing people and their babies statewide.
• Atlanta Community Food Bank – $100,000 to support the Food as Medicine program, a food pharmacy program in collaboration with Grady Health System that helps patients with certain chronic conditions improve their health with nutritious food prescriptions and more.
• Wellspring Living – $100,000 to expand behavioral health programming through the addition of an enrichment coordinator and a nutritionist, and the provision of equine-assisted therapy (activities with horses and members of the horse family to promote physical and mental health) for participants recovery at the Receiving Hope Center.
• Emory University – $75,000 to improve health outcomes in Black mothers and their babies by supporting culturally responsive outreach and engagement in a mindfulness-based intervention addressing previous trauma, mental health needs and adverse childhood experiences.
• Open Hand Atlanta – $75,000 to expand its six-week Cooking Matters for Healthcare Partners nutrition and cooking education class.
• Hope Center – $25,000 to purchase a refrigerated vehicle for distributing fresh produce and boxed meals to homebound senior adults and families living in the Albany area.

“Social and economic factors have a profound impact on achieving and maintaining good health,” said Tiah Tomlin, manager of community engagement, UnitedHealthcare of Georgia. “Through Empowering Health grants, we’re working with local organizations to provide Georgians with greater access to essential resources in high-risk and high-need communities so they can live healthier lives.”

Good health encompasses more than simply visiting a doctor’s office. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 80% of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. And for so many, the global pandemic has caused additional social and economic challenges that continue to affect healthy behaviors and exacerbate health disparities.

Since launching its Empowering Health commitment in 2018, UnitedHealthcare has now invested more than $40 million in Empowering Health grants reaching more than 6 million people through partnerships with community-based organizations in 29 states.

UnitedHealth Group, including UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and its affiliated companies, is committed to reducing health disparities and building healthier communities by supporting programs to improve access to care and address key determinants of health. In Georgia this includes more than $6.8 million in contributions from 2018-2020 representing its businesses, foundations and employees.

Additionally, UnitedHealth Group has invested more than $500 million in affordable housing communities since 2011, partnered with food banks and meal-delivery services, and in 2019 joined with the American Medical Association to standardize how social determinants of health data is collected and used to create more holistic care plans.

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210722005164/en/

FAQ

What is the purpose of the $500,000 grants awarded by UnitedHealthcare in Georgia?

The grants aim to expand access to care and address social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.

How much total funding has UnitedHealthcare distributed through Empowering Health grants?

UnitedHealthcare has awarded a total of $11.4 million in Empowering Health grants across 18 states.

How many people have been impacted by the Empowering Health grants since 2018?

Over 6 million people have benefited from the Empowering Health grants since their launch in 2018.

What organizations received funding from UnitedHealthcare in Georgia?

Key recipients include National Birth Equity Collaborative, Atlanta Community Food Bank, and Wellspring Living, among others.

How does UnitedHealthcare address social determinants of health?

UnitedHealthcare invests in community organizations to tackle issues like food insecurity and mental health through Empowering Health grants.