UnitedHealthcare Introduces First-of-its-Kind Community-Based Collaborative to Improve Health Outcomes and Equity

Rhea-AI Summary

UnitedHealthcare has launched the Community Catalyst initiative, a program aimed at addressing significant health care needs in communities with publicly assisted housing. This initiative partners with public housing agencies, federally qualified health centers, and community organizations to improve health equity and outcomes. Key health challenges identified include food insecurity and chronic disease management. The initiative will expand to multiple regions, including Atlanta, Detroit, and Phoenix, aiming to offer tailored solutions based on local data and community perspectives.

Positive

• Expansion of the Community Catalyst initiative to additional housing authorities enhances reach to low-income families.
• Collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders aims to effectively address health disparities and improve community health outcomes.

Negative

• Challenges in addressing complex health issues may persist despite the initiative's efforts.

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.

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.

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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

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210519005139/en/

FAQ

What is the Community Catalyst initiative by UnitedHealthcare?

The Community Catalyst initiative is a program launched by UnitedHealthcare to address health care needs in communities, particularly those with publicly assisted housing.

What challenges does the Community Catalyst initiative aim to address?

The initiative targets health challenges such as food insecurity, health literacy, chronic disease management, and access to health care.

Where is the Community Catalyst initiative being expanded?

The initiative is expanding to cities including Atlanta, Detroit, and Phoenix, involving multiple public housing authorities.

How does UnitedHealthcare plan to measure the success of the Community Catalyst initiative?

Success will be tracked through collaborative interventions and analysis of local health data to identify disparities and improve health outcomes.

What is the significance of the partnerships in the Community Catalyst initiative?

The partnerships with public housing agencies and community organizations are crucial for effectively addressing health disparities and improving care access.