Health Plans Archives - uniteus.com https://uniteus.com/industry/health-plans/ Software Connecting Health and Social Service Providers Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:40:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://uniteus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/uniteus-favicon-150x150.png Health Plans Archives - uniteus.com https://uniteus.com/industry/health-plans/ 32 32 Unite Us Celebrates the Approval of the New York State 1115 Medicaid Waiver: Improving Access to Care and Advancing Health Equity Together https://uniteus.com/blog/new-york-1115-medicaid-waiver/ Thu, 11 Jan 2024 14:30:30 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=6811 This week’s approval of the New York State 1115 Medicaid Waiver is a major step forward in advancing a stronger, healthier state for all New Yorkers. At Unite Us, we strongly support the waiver’s ambitious goals of building a resilient, flexible, and integrated delivery system that will improve access to health and social care, advance …

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This week’s approval of the New York State 1115 Medicaid Waiver is a major step forward in advancing a stronger, healthier state for all New Yorkers. At Unite Us, we strongly support the waiver’s ambitious goals of building a resilient, flexible, and integrated delivery system that will improve access to health and social care, advance health equity, reduce disparities, and support health-related social needs (HRSNs).

With our proven track record of successfully facilitating secure closed-loop referrals and social care payments in New York and other Medicaid waiver states, Unite Us stands ready to support this important initiative.

Key Insights on Social Care Components

Social Care Networks (SCNs): 

SCNs, or contracted entities in each of the State’s nine regions, will be charged with establishing a network of social services and community providers to deliver eligible Medicaid beneficiaries with HRSN screenings and referral services. The State will reimburse selected HRSN services related to housing, food, and transportation.

Managed Care Plans: 

Managed care plans will contract with SCNs to deliver the selected HRSN services through two tiers of benefits. Level 1 services will be available to all Medicaid beneficiaries and will include referrals to existing public programs that are separate from the newly authorized HRSN services; Level 2 services will be provided to targeted beneficiaries who meet certain criteria. Subsequently, MCOs will be required to report data in order to evaluate the utilization and effectiveness of the HRSN services on health outcomes and equity of care.

Hospitals:  

Safety net hospitals located in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Westchester Counties can apply to participate in a Medicaid Hospital Global Budget Initiative that aims to help safety net hospitals transition to a global budget system. This initiative is designed to empower selected hospitals to prioritize population health and enhance quality of care in order to stabilize their financial situations and advance accountability and health equity.

Together, Driving Impact in New York

Building upon our ongoing collaborations with valued partners and community networks in New York, we are ready to deliver the solutions needed to successfully achieve the goals of the waiver while establishing a sustainable infrastructure for the continuous delivery of social care.

Accessing community resources like food, benefits, housing, and legal support can be incredibly difficult. It is a rare occurrence to be connected to the right resource at the right time. But thanks to our partnership with Unite Us, Public Health Solutions has developed a coordinated, accountable, and modern network of organizations, WholeYouNYC, that supports over 1,000 New Yorkers each month to access services in their community. Unite Us enables us to collaborate in real-time, deliver reliably and responsively, and provides the visibility we need to ensure no one slips through the cracks. We hope that the coming investment through New York’s Medicaid Waiver program supports us to bring this infrastructure to scale.

Zachariah Hennessey
Chief Strategy Officer, Public Health Solutions



Since New York’s previous 1115 Waiver, HWCLI has led the Health Equity Alliance of Long Island (HEALI), Long Island’s Social Care Network, to build a comprehensive and integrated social care system for the region. In preparation for the upcoming waiver, our coalition partners have utilized Unite Us as a critical referral and communication tool to connect social care services across Long Island. Unite Us has been a responsive and collaborative partner by providing a technology solution to build the social care infrastructure necessary for our vision for Long Island

Lori Andrade
Chief Operations Officer, Health and Welfare Council of Long Island



Our vision is to create a connected ecosystem of care across healthcare, government, and social care in the Hudson Valley to improve access to needed services for individuals and their families. Unite Us enables organizations in our region to better coordinate and collaborate in order to care for the whole person, through visibility into the status of referrals and ultimately what services are delivered. We look forward to scaling our work together under the New York 1115 Waiver to promote health equity in our region and beyond.

Amie Parikh
Chief Executive Officer, Hudson Valley Care Coalition



Northwell is proud to partner with Unite Us as we continue to expand our screenings for the social determinants of health to over one million. Unite Us is a thought leader that is fostering dialogue around best practices throughout our region and nationally. The upcoming 1115 Medicaid Waiver will help accelerate the work we are doing and forge new community partnerships that are committed to making a difference

Deb Salas-Lopez, MD MPH
Senior Vice President of Community and Population Health, Northwell Health



The partnership with Unite Us has allowed the 360 Collaborative to begin preparation for social care payments, which is a critical component of the upcoming NYHER waiver. We have initiated a pilot that addresses food insecurity for individuals who have a Type II diagnosis. It has allowed us to have a better understanding of the resources dedicated for waiver implementation and partners are providing feedback in real-time on the support they need to make this social care delivery a success.

Peter Bauman
Executive Director, 360 Collaborative Network



As organizations across New York move to implement the new 1115 Waiver, there will be an even greater need for effective and efficient integration of clinical and social supports. Through our collaboration with Unite Us, we have developed readily adaptable systems and processes to screen patients for social needs, initiate referrals, and connect with new and existing community partners. During and post-DSRIP, CCB has advanced programs and partnerships that improve quality of care and address social factors impacting the health of 1.2 million Medicaid recipients in Brooklyn. The 1115 Waiver offers a unique opportunity to connect health and social care providers across the State to affect whole person care.

David I. Cohen, MD
Executive Committee Chair, Community Care of Brooklyn



As a Social Care Network and one of only 58 designated community care hubs in the nation, we at Healthy Alliance deeply understand the role a social care referral system plays in effectively connecting community members with health-related social needs (HRSN) to organizations that can help. Throughout our partnership, Unite Us has provided the technology infrastructure for our referral coordination center (RCC) and our network partners, enabling us to successfully connect thousands of people to services, such as healthy food, benefits counseling, housing, primary care, and workforce development, across a broad geography. With Unite Us, our RCC network partners have visibility into screenings, referrals, and case outcomes. Our partnership with Unite Us supports a shared goal and vision to create stronger, healthier, and more connected communities.

Michele Horan
Chief Operating Officer, Healthy Alliance









Leveraging Our Experience with State Medicaid Programs

We are proud to have established a reputation as the leading software solution for Medicaid programs addressing HRSNs across the country. Our cross-sector collaboration tools support a no-wrong-door system of social care, produce comprehensive insights to measure social need and community capacity at scale, and enable government leaders to strategically shift investments upstream to community-based partners, maximizing health benefits and better managing government spending. Like many Medicaid leaders, we know that social care coordination will improve outcomes, so we built our tools to collect structured social care data using a longitudinal care record. This allows states to measure real-time network performance and conduct integrated or longitudinal program evaluations over time, which will be critical in New York.

With networks in 44 states and partners leading the way in Medicaid transformation across the country, we’ve learned a lot about how we can support this critical work. Here are just a few examples:

North Carolina

North Carolina Growth MapIn North Carolina, Unite Us has partnered with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to act as the technology backbone connecting health plans, network leads, providers, and public entities engaged in The Healthy Opportunities Pilot. The pilot directs $650M in Medicaid funds to social care through NCCARE360, its statewide care coordination network that is powered by Unite Us.

Since the program launched in March 2022, the partnership has seen an incredible impact, with invoice metrics citing a 2-3% payer rejection rate – compared to the national denials rate of 26% – and over 236,354 services delivered to Medicaid members to date.

Oregon

Oregon Growth MapTo implement SDoH initiatives from Oregon’s previous Medicaid 1115 demonstration, Unite Us partnered with Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) to establish screening and referral workflows.

The Unite Us longitudinal care record enables care teams across providers, plans, government, and social services to collaborate securely across sectors and care for the whole person.

Unite Us and Connect Oregon network partner CCOs are working to implement workflows and functionality to reimburse for Medicaid members’ health-related social needs, as approved by Oregon’s 1115 new Medicaid waiver.

As of January 2024:

  • The Connect Oregon network offers partners access to over 2,400 accountable, in-network programs.
  • 15 of the 16 Oregon CCOs have contracted with Unite Us to provide social care infrastructure to any healthcare provider or community-based organization serving Medicaid members in Oregon.

Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services offers SDoH screening through our collaborative software, allowing the State and health plans to understand gaps, target resources, and drive plan performance toward equity.

As of January 2024:

  • The Unite Rhode Island network offers partners access to nearly 1,000 accountable, in-network programs.
  • More than 28,000 managed cases have been seen to completion since 2021, meaning that social or healthcare services have actually been delivered to the client in need.
  • Nearly 83% of all referrals are accepted within four days.

Missouri

Missouri Growth Map GIFUnite Us is supporting an innovative rural healthcare delivery model serving Medicaid members in Missouri. The Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) project led by the Missouri HealthNet Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services is a new model of care to direct resources to rural communities committed to addressing the ‘upstream’ causes of poor health through integrating social care supports into clinical care.

The ToRCH project establishes community-based hubs that serve as regional leads to direct strategy and coordinate the efforts of healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and social service agencies within a designated rural community. These hubs will holistically address social determinants of health (SDoH) by screening for health-related social needs (HRSN) and connecting Medicaid recipients with select CBOs funded to provide social services. By addressing social needs of Medicaid recipients, ToRCH aims to improve population health outcomes and achieve cost savings. Through Unite Us’ Social Care Payments product, partners will be able to manage eligibility and authorization, send referrals to contracted providers (i.e., close the loop), securely track outcomes and document services, generate invoices, and efficiently manage reimbursement of social care services.

 

We’re proud to support partners across the country in leveraging our solutions to support Medicaid waiver initiatives and advancing whole-person care. Interested in learning more about Unite Us solutions?

Get in Touch

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Powering Medicaid Transformation Webinar https://uniteus.com/webinar/powering-medicaid-transformation/ Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:45:24 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=5571 Implementing Medicaid transformation can be challenging but, when executed correctly, has the power to drive real results in both outcomes and cost.  Across the country, states are prioritizing investments in community-based care and population health management strategies to address social drivers of health (SDoH) that negatively impact members and exacerbate program costs. 

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Implementing Medicaid transformation can be challenging but, when executed correctly, has the power to drive real results in both outcomes and cost. 

Across the country, states are prioritizing investments in community-based care and population health management strategies to address social drivers of health (SDoH) that negatively impact members and exacerbate program costs. 

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Improving Behavioral Health: A Community Effort Webinar https://uniteus.com/webinar/improving-behavioral-health-webinar/ Fri, 29 Sep 2023 18:52:47 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=5367 Across the country, communities are facing significant challenges in meeting the growing needs for behavioral health care services. Healthcare and community-based organizations alike have seen that they cannot tackle this surge in demand alone. In this webinar, discover the strategic and coordinated efforts that champion a comprehensive and proactive approach to mental wellness—leaving no individual …

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Across the country, communities are facing significant challenges in meeting the growing needs for behavioral health care services. Healthcare and community-based organizations alike have seen that they cannot tackle this surge in demand alone.

In this webinar, discover the strategic and coordinated efforts that champion a comprehensive and proactive approach to mental wellness—leaving no individual or community behind.

You’ll learn: 

  • The pivotal role of community-based organizations in enhancing mental health care delivery
  • The importance of building networks that embrace diversity and cultural sensitivity
  • Strategies for seamless collaboration between healthcare organizations and local community partners

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How Addressing Social Needs Will Transform Healthcare Webinar https://uniteus.com/webinar/addressing-social-needs-in-healthcare/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:00:40 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=5285 Addressing social needs is now at the forefront of policy and industry innovations to deliver whole-person, high-quality care. This webinar explores new incentives and requirements for healthcare organizations to integrate social needs screenings and interventions in their care model. Plus, discover lessons learned from pioneering efforts that have advanced our understanding of how to address …

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Addressing social needs is now at the forefront of policy and industry innovations to deliver whole-person, high-quality care.

This webinar explores new incentives and requirements for healthcare organizations to integrate social needs screenings and interventions in their care model. Plus, discover lessons learned from pioneering efforts that have advanced our understanding of how to address social needs to improve health outcomes.

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Better Together: Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) https://uniteus.com/blog/better-together-center-for-employment-opportunities-ceo/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 23:41:37 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=5323 The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners here and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential …

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The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners here and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential of your community.

More than 600,000 people come home from prison every year. With a job and support, they have a chance to succeed. This is the mission of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a national partner of Unite Us. CEO provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services to individuals who have recently returned home from incarceration.

Unite Us shares CEO’s vision that everyone, regardless of whether they have had involvement with the justice system, should have the preparation and support needed to find a job and stay connected to the labor force. We believe that all individuals deserve the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their family, and their communities.

The Unite Us partnership has greatly strengthened how CEO’s program has been able to assist their participants, including by successfully integrating our software with their Salesforce instance. This integration has enabled CEO to work more efficiently and connect program participants across the country to community partners seamlessly. These direct connections to community-based organizations, agencies, and programs have helped CEO better support participants in navigating the barriers they face during their reentry process.

For this series, we asked the CEO team about our work together and their vision of how cross-sector collaboration creates lasting change for justice-involved individuals.

As we reflect on a decade bringing sectors together through technology to ensure people’s needs are met, what do you think has changed the most for your organization since the start of our partnership?

Since the beginning of our partnership, CEO has continually appreciated how technology can help us more comprehensively support people returning home from incarceration. It is critical we provide returning citizens with digital skills training, facilitate housing support, make referrals to mental health professionals, and foster connections to other local supportive services. Our partnership with Unite Us has strengthened our ability to meet these needs at scale—which is no small feat given that CEO operates in 31 local communities.

How does CEO think about or approach collaboration with other sectors? What are the benefits to your participants?

Because CEO focuses on the intersection of economic mobility and criminal legal system reform, our work would not be possible without strong partnerships. First and foremost, we rely heavily on collaboration with community-based partners in all CEO locations, especially organizations led by BIPOC individuals and individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. This ensures our model complements and strengthens the network of support that has long helped people return home successfully to their local communities. We also work with local and national employers who value hiring people with convictions and investing in them as high-impact talent. And finally, we rely on government agencies. This includes probation and parole, who can identify people who might benefit from CEO’s services, as well as state departments of transportation, housing authorities, and other government stakeholders who collaborate with CEO to provide participants with transitional jobs. Partners like Unite Us allow us to focus on our strengths and work more efficiently to support CEO participants and advance our overall mission.

Are there any upcoming programs or initiatives related to drivers of health and community health at CEO that you are excited about?

Food security is absolutely essential to individual and community health. This is why we’re supporting the introduction of bipartisan federal legislation that ensures no one has to choose between job training and putting food on the table. Under current law, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients risk losing their food security because of temporary wages they earn in job training or work-based learning programs. The newly introduced Training and Nutrition Stability Act (TNSA), H.R. 3087, aims to remedy this “catch-22.”  The bill would allow them to maintain their nutrition supports—leading to better training opportunities, permanent employment, and food security. CEO led the development of this 2023 legislation, which has the support of over 100 organizations. CEO has been proud to work alongside Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Max Miller (R-OH), Alma Adams (D-NC), and Marcus Molinaro (R-NY) to make this change to the Farm Bill so that thousands of justice-impacted individuals get the support they need during their reentry journey. 

Looking another 10 years into the future, what is your biggest hope for cross-sector collaboration to improve community health?

Of the many risks revealed by the COVID crisis, we are hopeful that there is greater attention paid to the impact of financial well-being on community health. We know that returning home from incarceration presents a financial struggle to hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Typically, people are released from incarceration with almost nonexistent support: anywhere from $0 to a few hundred dollars in “gate money.” Most returning citizens are ineligible for many safety-net programs or face disparate barriers to accessing them. During COVID, these challenges were compounded by employer layoffs and strained social safety nets. 

CEO worked to meet the increased immediate needs for people returning home by setting up something new—an ambitious cash transfer program that ultimately distributed more than $24 million to over 10,000 people. Recipients received amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,750 in their first few months post-release, which provided a substantially enhanced safety net to support their reentry. CEO envisions a future where this kind of cash assistance is a permanent feature of people’s reentry, and we are advocating for legislation toward that goal. We feel strongly that giving people the right resources promotes autonomy, economic resilience, and healthier communities.

What thoughts would you share with Unite Us leadership as they look out on the next 10 years?

As technology continues to advance and create economic growth, it’s important that disadvantaged community members are not excluded from these gains. Low-skilled workers often are less likely to prioritize building new skills and learning new technologies as they juggle other priorities with limited support– this is especially important given the rapid evolution of generative AI. It has been essential for CEO’s program to emphasize digital skills that help CEO participants catch up on the rapid technological changes that occurred during their incarceration. Even someone who serves a short sentence will come home to significant shifts in technology. And for those who serve longer sentences, these adjustments to technology can be even more jarring. We believe this is a signal and call to action to revitalize how we connect justice-impacted workers to the jobs of the future. We will also need to listen to directly impacted people about economic barriers they face due to automation, artificial intelligence, and other technological disruptions. We look forward to partnering with Unite Us in this mission over the next decade.

Learn more about the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO).

Interested in learning more about how to bring Unite Us to your organization?

Get in Touch

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Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Reduces Postpartum-Related Readmissions https://uniteus.com/flyer/smhcs-reduces-postpartum-related-readmissions/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:02:14 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=5242 The post Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Reduces Postpartum-Related Readmissions appeared first on uniteus.com.

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Better Together: How Health Alliance for the Uninsured is Safeguarding the Health and Well-Being of Uninsured Patients https://uniteus.com/blog/better-together-health-alliance-for-the-uninsured/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:42:00 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=5234 The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners here and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential …

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The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners here and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential of your community.

Health Alliance for the Uninsured is a community collaborative that makes quality health care available to Oklahoma’s underserved, uninsured, and under-insured populations. Partners include physicians, safety-net clinics, hospitals, and other public and private partners. The HAU Healthcare Services Navigation Program uses Unite Us for patient referrals, both within their free and charitable clinic network and with other community agencies that meet basic needs. The Navigation Program has seen a significant increase in referrals over the past several months following a recent partnership with a local hospital system. They are leveraging these recent successes to expand partnerships with other local hospital systems.

One Client’s Story

Transportation is always a challenge for HAU’s patients, but the organization has found a great solution. The Navigation Team has recently started using Uber Health to ensure patients can get to partner clinics for their appointments. They now offer free rides for any new patients in need of transportation to access care. This transportation assistance removes a major barrier to health care for so many struggling Oklahomans.

The following patient story highlights how Unite Us is instrumental in all HAU programs, with every HAU client. The HAU Bi-Lingual Navigator, Diego, recently received a call from an individual who learned about HAU from their booth at a health fair. The patient needed primary care services and hadn’t seen a provider in a very long time.

After speaking to Diego and providing their consent, the patient was referred to a clinic through Unite Us. When the patient arrived at the clinic, Diego happened to be there assisting with HAU’s Prescription Assistance Program. The patient spoke only Spanish and didn’t have an interpreter, so they needed assistance communicating with the provider.

Diego quickly stepped up to translate the patient’s healthcare needs and, in turn, translate the provider’s findings, recommendations, and treatment plans. During the appointment, the provider recommended that the patient see a specialist. Diego helped the patient complete an application for a Care Connection specialty referral in Spanish.

Through the Unite Us Platform and Diego’s help, the patient got connected to the basic and specialty care they needed—what a success! This story shows the continuity of care HAU’s patients receive, and their dedication to closing the loop. They will always go above and beyond to help their patients.

For this series, we asked the HAU team about our work together and their vision of how cross-sector collaboration creates lasting change for pregnant and parenting people.

As we reflect on a decade bringing sectors together through technology to ensure people’s needs are met, what do you think has changed the most for your organization since the start of our partnership?

Unite Us has enabled HAU to track the outcomes and progress of patients receiving services from HAU and our free and charitable partner clinics. This has been a critical turning point for our Healthcare Services Navigation Program. Using the closed-loop referral system has allowed our navigators to ensure every individual who requests services is tracked until a successful outcome has been achieved.  We can also quickly provide comprehensive data reports and statistics to our supporters and financial partners.

How does HAU think about or approach collaboration with other sectors? What are the benefits to your patients?

At its core, HAU is a convener—connecting organizations, programs, and people with similar missions to maximize impact within central Oklahoma’s healthcare safety-net network. Our work creates opportunities for partnerships that benefit our entire community, especially those citizens who are most at risk and facing difficult circumstances. Most recently, we are working alongside the Regional Food Bank to help free and charitable clinics create food distribution programs so that no children go hungry during the summer months. Additionally, the Regional Food Bank is now including information about HAU and the services we offer in each of the food boxes they distribute, which increases awareness of HAU programs among the populations that need our services the most.

Are there any upcoming programs or initiatives related to drivers of health and community health at HAU that you are excited about?

This year, over 300,000 Oklahomans are expected to lose their Medicaid coverage (OHCA) due to the expiration of the COVID public health emergency (PHE). The increased burden on our healthcare safety net will be massive, and HAU is working closely with state and local healthcare leaders—and our clinic network—to prepare for the surge in demand. HAU Navigators have already seen a major uptick in calls from newly uninsured Oklahomans seeking healthcare services, and the Unite Us system is enabling us to ensure that every new client can find a new primary care home at one of our clinic partners.

Looking another 10 years into the future, what is your biggest hope for cross-sector collaboration to improve community health?

The challenges of our time—health care, education, poverty—are complex; each challenge impacts and intensifies the others. It is increasingly evident that these drivers of health are intertwined, and we need to address these challenges utilizing holistic strategies and solutions. Successfully meeting the needs of marginalized individuals will happen not with piecemeal solutions, but through a coordinated, intentional effort made by multiple stakeholders who share a common vision. Public-private partnerships will be critical to successfully relieving the suffering of those who are living on the edges of society and improving the health of the next generation of Oklahomans.  

A great example of this holistic approach is our effort to connect our clients with other services and organizations that address drivers of health. HAU currently has two embedded community health workers who use Unite Us to facilitate referrals for clients who need help with food, housing, child care, and other basic needs. Unite Us enables us to make these referrals seamlessly and track the outcomes of those referrals. For instance, we had one patient whose daughter and granddaughter had both recently moved in with her. After meeting our client’s healthcare needs, we were able to connect her daughter with a food pantry and secure a backpack and school supplies for her granddaughter. 

What thoughts would you share with Unite Us leadership as they look out on the next 10 years?

As alliances between nonprofit, government, philanthropic, and business sectors work together to address critical issues, we hope our shared approach upholds the dignity of the individuals we serve. We are proud to be a Unite Us champion, and we consistently encourage other organizations in our safety net community to join Unite Us so that we can achieve our shared goals.

“I believe we are setting a high standard nationally on how to utilize Unite Us for connecting individuals to healthcare first, and then other resources as needed. We are so grateful for our partnership with Unite Us as we work together to positively transform our community.” – Jeanean Yanish Jones, PhD(c), MA, CFRE Executive Director, HAU

Learn more about Health Alliance for the Uninsured.

Interested in learning more about how to bring Unite Us to your organization?

Get in Touch

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Better Together: Andy Slavitt’s Reflection on Radical Collaboration https://uniteus.com/blog/andy-slavitts-reflection-on-radical-collaboration/ Sat, 10 Jun 2023 03:31:26 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=5051 The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential of …

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The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential of your community.

Andy SlavittAndy Slavitt was President Biden’s White House Senior Advisor for the COVID-19 response. He is currently a member of a President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) working group on public health. He’s led many of the nation’s most important healthcare initiatives, serving as President Obama’s head of Medicare and Medicaid and overseeing the turnaround, implementation, and defense of the Affordable Care Act. Slavitt is the “outsider’s insider,” serving in leading private and nonprofit roles in addition to his government services. He is founder and Board Chair Emeritus of United States of Care, a national, nonprofit health advocacy organization, and he’s a founding partner of Town Hall Ventures, a healthcare firm that invests in underrepresented communities. 

In 2019, Andy became an investor to Unite Us through Town Hall Ventures. As Town Hall Ventures explained, “Unite Us represents a rare opportunity to invest in a high-quality network asset that is well-positioned to address the unmet social determinants of health at scale through vertical integration of healthcare, government, and social service organizations.”

For this series, we asked Andy about our work together and his vision of how cross-sector collaboration creates lasting change for our country.

As we reflect on a decade bringing sectors together through technology to ensure people’s needs are met, what do you think has changed the most for public health in that time?

Ten years ago, there was no public health technology to speak of. Electronic medical records (EMRs) were just getting rolled out, and there were certainly no standards to communicate. Fax machines and paper checks and what information people had sat on hard drives. Today we have a playing field. We have the Cloud, we have fintech and smartphones, we have virtual visits and remote patient monitoring, and we have companies like Unite Us stitching things together so that we can finally add value to people’s lives.

What do you think about collaboration with other sectors to impact health outcomes?

Most companies want to come into healthcare and “disrupt” when really what they need to come in and do is radically collaborate. Too many companies draw a picture of the healthcare system with themselves at the center and everybody else revolving around them. If you did it the right way and if the person actually was in the center of their healthcare needs, we would build a support structure, common goals, and resources around them. People should be the reason we use to get out of our silos.

What impact are you most hopeful for as a result of our partnership?

Everywhere I look, people would benefit from Unite Us. They don’t always know it. But they know the problem they have. Coordinating services, building networks, and tapping into how people live instead of just their healthcare needs is the solution. I have seen states, service organizations, health systems, and entire communities transformed when Unite Us becomes part of their world.

What programs or initiatives related to drivers of health and community health are you most excited about? What’s on the cutting edge that you think will have the greatest impact in the next decade?

It’s clear that we need to house people in a stable way so that they have a chance at building meaningful pathways to a happy life, and that includes their health. Allowing people to accumulate savings and get a little breathing room is the number one thing we can do for people—particularly those who come from generations of poverty and whose families never had the chance to own a home and escape poverty. Put some money in the pockets of people who don’t have much, and it will do wonders for their health.

What is your biggest hope for cross-sector collaboration to improve community health?

We have an excellent evidence base for even the most complex illnesses. Medication-assisted treatment, long lasting injectables, continuous glucose monitors, mammograms. The hard part has always been engaging people up front to understand their needs and make services and resources available to them in a manner that shows them we understand how they live and the issues present in their daily life. It takes the proverbial village—connecting to people where they work, where they live, and where they play. The good news is there are resources and answers out there. The challenge is to have them reach people whenever and wherever that need identifies itself.

What thoughts would you share with Unite Us leadership as they look out on the next 10 years?

You’ve accomplished so much. You’ve taught the world what’s possible and yet we know you’re only scratching the surface. In many ways, that’s an ideal place to sit. Knowing you’re on the right track and seeing all the potential for more. It won’t be easy. Transforming things never is. But the payoff is huge. Think of one person who didn’t have to suffer, and then you can get a good night’s sleep knowing the world worked just a little bit better for them on that day thanks to Unite Us. Now imagine that happening every minute of every day. All over the country. 

The more essential Unite Us becomes, the better off we are as a country.

For more information about Town Hall Ventures and Andy, visit https://www.townhallventures.com/andy-slavitt.

Interested in learning more about how to bring Unite Us to your organization?

Get in Touch 

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Better Together: Collaborating for Family Resilience with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System https://uniteus.com/blog/better-together-collaborating-for-family-resilience/ Mon, 08 May 2023 21:47:38 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=4799 The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners here and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential …

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The Better Together series highlights some of our most dynamic partnerships across Unite Us’ first decade. For over 10 years, we have been expanding what’s possible, bringing sectors together to achieve whole-person health for every member in our communities. Hear from those partners here and learn how you can join us to unlock the potential of your community.

The first 1,000 days of life are a critical period of rapid brain development that can influence a baby’s health over a lifetime. Drivers of health such as poverty, homelessness, substance use disorders, and race- and place-based inequities place added stress on children that increase the risk for poor health outcomes. 

First 1,000 Days Suncoast, a regional initiative spearheaded by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and led by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMHCS), was launched in 2018 to reduce systemic barriers to health for young families. It includes over 80 organizations that work together to support family resilience through cross-sector collaboration. 

One Client’s Story

“Lana,” a mother of two from Manatee County, had reached her breaking point. With an unstable living situation, no job, and no support, she did not know where to seek help. Thankfully, Lana met Tina Wilson, First 1,000 Days Navigator who sent referrals to appropriate services through Unite Us.

In a matter of months, Lana secured a job and received essential baby items for her children; assistance with transportation to doctors’ appointments for herself and her children; food; parenting education and support; and after a long road of unstable housing and homelessness, Lana now has a safe place she and her children can call home. Lana was extremely grateful for how First 1,000 Days, SMHCS, and Unite Us changed her life.

“I could just cry. I have come a long way and now my children are happier and more joyful.” – Lana, Mother of Two

(SMHCS) is a public community healthcare system with multiple campuses, clinics, and outpatient centers. Magnet-designated for the fourth time and among America’s 50 Best Hospitals, Sarasota Memorial offers a comprehensive level of care. Women and children’s services include: 

  • Childbirth education 
  • Labor and delivery unit:
    • High-risk antepartum patients 
    • Mother and baby unit 
    • Level III neonatal intensive care unit 
    • Maternal-neonatal transport
    • Pediatric unit 

SMHCS employs a small team that leads the operations of a regional initiative called First 1,000 Days Suncoast. Since 2020, SMHCS has partnered with Unite Us to provide resources and enhance care coordination for the community, resulting in support for families who urgently need it. After the initial implementation of Unite Us, Women and Children’s Services case managers reported an average time savings of four hours per week in coordinating services for families. This new efficiency could potentially equate to $7,000 in cost savings per case manager per year. 

For this series, we asked Sarasota Memorial’s Chelsea Arnold about our work together and their vision of how cross-sector collaboration creates lasting change for pregnant and parenting people.

As we reflect on a decade bringing sectors together through technology to ensure people’s needs are met, what do you think has changed the most for your organization since the start of our partnership in 2020?

Unite Us implementation began in SMHCS Women and Children’s Services through the First 1,000 Days Suncoast initiative. The positive results for this population prompted expansion throughout the entire healthcare system. SMHCS is dedicated to supporting the health of its community by connecting every patient with nonprofit, government, and healthcare partners. 

How does Sarasota Memorial think about or approach collaboration with other sectors? What are the benefits to the parents and families you serve and to your mission?

Serving the largest volume of underserved families and pregnant individuals in the Suncoast region and acting as the only public community healthcare system, SMHCS has the unique opportunity to ensure no one falls through the cracks in getting connected with care. Dedicated to supporting these families, SMHCS is the backbone organization of First 1,000 Days Suncoast. A devoted team within the Women and Children’s Division leads the operations of the initiative, which comprises over 80 partner organizations within the tri-county area. First 1,000 Days works collaboratively with government, healthcare, and nonprofit partners to address complex systemic issues, reduce persistent and pervasive disparities, and enhance preventative measures. 

Since the local Unite Us launch, SMHCS has seamlessly connected pregnant and postpartum individuals and pediatric patients with nonprofit partner agencies who can address social, medical, and mental health needs. Using lived experience and Unite Us data, First 1,000 Days Suncoast is working collaboratively with foundations and local leaders to address complex barriers to health and social care. 

This cross-sector collaboration has been a powerful way to come up with innovative solutions.  Using individual stories and marrying in the voices of families with their own lived experiences ensures we are building something that is effective, sustainable, and valuable.

Are there any upcoming programs or initiatives related to drivers of health and community health at Sarasota Memorial that you are excited about?

Multi-sector data, including Unite Us Insights Dashboards, have been used to identify community barriers, capacity concerns, and gaps in services—all with an emphasis on health for all. Understanding these system-wide issues has assisted with the allocation of resources and the development of innovative programs and interventions to assist high-risk families. 

In addition to screening all pregnant patients for drivers of health needs and postpartum follow-up wellness calls, many innovative community programs have been created through First 1,000 Days Suncoast. This includes the development of a Perinatal Mental Health Coordination Hub and Family Navigation program. Both programs support families outside of the hospital walls, connecting parents and caregivers with resources and providing support prior to a crisis.

Looking another ten years into the future, what is your biggest hope for cross-sector collaboration to improve community health?

Our hope is that by using a solution like Unite Us, coupled with lived experience and our robust partnerships, we can build effective and innovative programs to address barriers and location-based service needs.

What thoughts would you share with Unite Us leadership as they look out on the next 10 years?

Your organization has started a movement which will transform the way we look at healthcare.

Our current evaluation of drivers or health referrals sent through the Unite Us Platform and its impact on healthcare utilization will help healthcare systems understand return on investment in placing time, effort, and funding towards social care coordination infrastructure as a standard of care. Using this valuable data, leadership can also better dissect inequitable health outcomes, identify shifts in social service needs, partner with community agencies to address capacity concerns, and develop innovative projects and programs to improve community health.

About Dr. Chelsea Arnold, DNP, APRN, FNP-bc
Dr. Chelsea Arnold is Manager of First 1,000 Days Suncoast at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. Prior to her current role, Dr. Arnold worked as a nurse practitioner, where she saw firsthand the struggles families faced navigating services in the community. From her education and experience, she knows how important the early years are for a child’s development—and that connecting families with resources is key to foster resilience. She is currently conducting research with SMHCS and Unite Us leaders on the impact of social care coordination on healthcare utilization, parental stress, and familial protective factors. 

Watch our webinar, Meeting Mothers Where They Are: A Community and Person-Centered Approach to Care, to hear more from Dr. Chelsea Arnold on how Sarasota Memorial Health Care System and Unite Us are working together to meet mothers where they are when they need it most.

Interested in learning more about how to bring Unite Us to your organization?

Get in Touch

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The Evolving Behavioral Health Landscape https://uniteus.com/webinar/the-evolving-behavioral-health-landscape/ https://uniteus.com/webinar/the-evolving-behavioral-health-landscape/#respond Tue, 11 Apr 2023 14:51:29 +0000 https://uniteus.com/?p=4593 Today, there is an increasing demand for behavioral health services across the country and growing recognition that a holistic approach is needed to integrate behavioral health services with health and community services.  In this webinar, you’ll learn about: The evolving policy and regulatory landscape (recent proposed changes to 42 CFR part 2) Best practices for …

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Today, there is an increasing demand for behavioral health services across the country and growing recognition that a holistic approach is needed to integrate behavioral health services with health and community services. 

In this webinar, you’ll learn about:

  • The evolving policy and regulatory landscape (recent proposed changes to 42 CFR part 2)
  • Best practices for integrating behavioral health, health and community services, 
  • New innovations to empower communities and individuals across the country.

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