We know that coordinated care teams can help improve community health outcomes by addressing health from every angle. Our technology facilitates the journey, starting from a client’s first interaction with a care provider. Onboarding organizations into our software is simple, but engaging those organizations to become active and collaborative partners is much more complicated. Building effective community partnerships requires a personal connection that takes time to build. While technology can help streamline the process of building patient-centered networks of care, a human touch is still essential.

Recently, Unite Us hosted a webinar, The Secret to Provider Engagement. This allowed a group of our network leaders to share their best practices, learn from other community experts, and inspire dialogue around the importance of engaging your community’s service providers. The conversation included over 35 of our network leaders, several of whom spoke up about their experiences working with their partners and clients daily.

As a Customer Success Account Manager, I work hand-in-hand with network leaders to build and maintain high-quality networks through active partner engagement. Here are five proven methods for building effective community partnerships.

1. Understand where a service provider lies on the engagement continuum before you interact with them.

You shouldn’t approach every community partner in the same way. It is crucial to know your audience and tailor your communications to fit their lens. As said by Nicole R. French, Psy.D., of Veterans Bridge Home, “It is important to understand what an organization’s mission is. What tools they use to support their mission; to understand their workflows.” When approaching service providers, there are always different variables at play, so remember to keep their context in mind. Knowing as much as you can about each partner will help you understand their pain points and the needs of their organization. This information prepares you to address them appropriately and deliver the value proposition. Service provider engagement depends on understanding the relationship between that partner, the network, and the community.

2. Be personal—in real life and online.

People appreciate authenticity. Use the right language! Say “we” or “us,” not “you” or “them.” Be conscious of your tone and word choice. This goes along with method number one; you’re going to want to know a little about each provider in order to form that genuine connection. Find out what each provider needs, and if you don’t know, ask. Ask open-ended questions. Get to know their stories. Don’t hold back from sending personalized emails. Whether it’s welcome emails, informational emails, invitations to community events, a simple message takes a few minutes to write but could mean the world to someone who feels disconnected.

3. Build trust by using all the tools available to you and solving people’s problems before they know they exist.

Leverage the tools at your disposal. All service providers in our networks are equipped with the software, the information, and perhaps most importantly, the data that they should need to show potential partners the network’s value. Aggregate, real-time data is tremendously powerful, so be prepared to use it. These numbers can help you address any objection a prospective partner may have and elicit the value collaboration brings to your organization. Always leave people with something to remember you by. A pamphlet, a flyer, or even a business card is a tangible reminder that can both educate your partners and remind them that you’re there. Share personal anecdotes to relate to your audience. If you continue to act as a reliable source of information, personalized support, and effective solutions, people will see the value in your network. Use your tools.

4. Set expectations early on to make communication smooth throughout the whole process.

Make your ask clear and follow through. When building a relationship with your community partners be sure to relay what you expect of them and what they can expect from you. During the Unite & Learn webinar, Brandon Wilson of the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry spoke about how he breaks providers into groups based on the number of referrals they send. This helps him easily survey providers to see where they stand. If they aren’t reaching benchmarks, he knows to reach out. Keeping an eye on partner progress will help to gauge network success. By establishing a common set of standards in the beginning and following through on these standards throughout, you ensure the foundation for lasting engagement.

5. Hang in there—building effective community partnerships takes time.

Formulate a plan and stick to it. Network building is a gradual process and there’s no good way to rush it. As put perfectly by Paul Berry, USO of North Carolina, “You have to be where they’re at. If I get five minutes with my provider it has to be the most impactful five minutes of my day.” Spend time with your partners. Offer to walk them through their onboarding and registration processes. Invite them to In-Progress Reviews, weekly calls, and in-person meetings. Assess their progress and share what you know. When it comes to keeping your partners engaged, consistency is key.

Each of these strategies can be used differently depending on your partners’ unique needs. At Unite Us, we strive to share the lessons we learn with each community we work in. We know that technology and effective community partnerships are decisive in building healthier communities. The tools we’ve built can help your community shape thriving, scalable, and sustainable networks of service providers working together to help every client that walks through their doors.

A special thanks to our partners at The Institute for Veterans and Military Families, NCServes, and all who have contributed to our work in building healthier communities together.

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

Get in Touch

The post 5 Tips for Building Effective Community Partnerships appeared first on uniteus.com.

We started this podcast to learn how other leaders develop, innovate, inspire, and lead to drive change. From our guests who are driving the for-profit sector, to the CEOs of nonprofits, and everything in between, this first season has taught us so much.

Welcome to this episode of What Unites Us, a podcast about building businesses meant to last. We aim to answer some of the toughest questions about branding, leadership, and success while talking to business trailblazers about their biggest lessons learned.

Today, we discuss what we’ve learned throughout this season, our favorite stories that our guests have shared, and how many seasons Esther hopes to host. We also ask that you leave us any feedback so we can continue to learn how to make our podcast better. We plan to be back for season 2!

In this episode, you will learn:

• Our favorite episodes of this season (0:50)
• The big themes of this season (4:24)
• What we’ve learned (7:34)
• We talk about our guests’ stories (9:54)
• Taylor talks about his challenges (14:19)

Let’s Connect:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter 
• Instagram
• Facebook

Want to learn more about Unite Us? Our newsletter comes out the first Wednesday of every month. It includes our latest happenings, network news, announcements, and ways to get involved with our movement to connect health and social care. Sign up here. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and share your thoughts with us by emailing podcast@uniteus.com. 

Share this podcast!

Episode Credits:
Produced by Ginni Media and Unite Us
Original music by Starling Studios

Copyright ©UniteUs2023 all rights reserved
All opinions expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the guest and do not reflect the opinions of Unite Us.

The post Scrappy, Heartfelt, and Coming Back for More: Our Wrap of Season One appeared first on uniteus.com.

Growing up, most Americans were taught that the best way to earn a liveable wage was to go to college. But is education really the best determiner of a good employee? Our guest today disagrees.  

Welcome to this episode of What Unites Us, a podcast about building businesses meant to last. We aim to answer some of the toughest questions about branding, leadership, and success while talking to business trailblazers about their biggest lessons learned. 

Today, we welcome Maurice Jones. Maurice is the former CEO of OneTen, a coalition of businesses that are aiming to employ one million African Americans by the end of the decade. He shares what the Rhodes Scholarship is, his career journey, and why OneTen is dedicated to changing the mindset of the workforce. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• Maurice’s origin story (2:02)
• What the Rhodes Scholarship is (5:40)
• Maurice’s journey from being an attorney to working in the Treasury (11:36)
• The mentality of an attorney (15:19)
• What LISC is (19:21)
• How OneTen is revolutionizing the workforce with their ‘skills first’ initiative (22:00)
• Maurice answers ‘what makes a company last?’ (31:32)

Connect with Maurice Jones::
LinkedIn

Want to learn more about Unite Us? Our newsletter comes out the first Wednesday of every month. It includes our latest happenings, network news, announcements, and ways to get involved with our movement to connect health and social care. Sign up here. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and share your thoughts with us by emailing podcast@uniteus.com. 

Share this podcast!

Episode Credits:
Produced by Ginni Media and Unite Us
Original music by Starling Studios

Copyright ©UniteUs2023 all rights reserved
All opinions expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the guest and do not reflect the opinions of Unite Us.

The post Skills as the Recipe to Opportunity: A Conversation With Maurice Jones appeared first on uniteus.com.

As we continue to grow, we’re so excited to announce that we have been vetted and awarded as an official Purpose Certified company by Purpose Jobs.

Purpose Jobs is the largest community for purpose-driven professionals. Founded in Detroit and working with companies in the Midwest and beyond, Purpose Jobs brings together people who prioritize purpose and culture, helping them find meaningful, rewarding work. We are thrilled to be a part of the community.

What Does It Mean to Be Purpose Certified?

Our new Purpose Certification validates what we’ve been doing all along: putting our mission and our people first. Improving the health and well-being of communities across the country is only possible if we start at home with our own community here at Unite Us. “Finding meaningful work for myself, but also being able to bring that opportunity to others, is deeply personal to me. When I became a military spouse, I learned that over 90% of working military spouses are underemployed. This means, due to geography or opportunity, they are working in low-paying jobs or below their skill and education levels. The fact that Unite Us is mission driven, takes care of its employees, and empowers us to do our best work every day—from a variety of geographic locations—has given me a purposeful career,” said Jessica Paddock, Senior Director, Recruiting. 

We’ve built a team of passionate and purpose-driven people who are changing the way sectors collaborate to improve lives.

“I’m energized every time I hear a story about a person or a family being connected to the services they need. It reminds me that the work we do is meaningful and powerful; we’re truly helping to improve and change lives,” said Sucheta Lakhani, Regional Vice President, Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes. 

From our sales and marketing teams to our engineers and product managers and everyone in between, all of our departments are united in the goal to help people live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

If you want to learn more about our purpose-first approach to culture and hiring, check out our careers today.

Explore Our Careers

The post Our Commitment to Our People: Purpose Certified appeared first on uniteus.com.

What values can you learn in sports that transition well to adulthood and your career? And what role do professional sports organizations have in shaping the values of their communities and our society? 

Welcome to this episode of What Unites Us, a podcast about building businesses meant to last. We aim to answer some of the toughest questions about branding, leadership, and success while talking to business trailblazers about their biggest lessons learned. 

Today, we are talking with Lindsay Barenz, President of Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul. Lindsay pivoted from being an attorney to working in politics then to working in sports. She shares with us the hardships that come from building a professional sports team, the potential women’s soccer has, and how to lead from a position of integrity, authenticity, and values.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Building a professional sports team with values, and the hardships that come with that (3:22)
• What the White House Fellowship is (6:52)
• Lindsay shares her career origin story (8:29)
• The potential of women’s soccer in 2022 (12:24)
• How to start being an active person at any age (16:42)
• Lindsay talks about her childhood (18:00)
• What makes the longevity of an organization (18:59)

Connect with Lindsay Barenz:
LinkedIn

Want to learn more about Unite Us? Our newsletter comes out on the first Wednesday of every month. It includes our latest happenings, network news, announcements, and ways to get involved with our movement to connect health and social care. Sign up here. Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and share your thoughts with us by emailing podcast@uniteus.com. 

Episode Credits:
Produced by Ginni Media and Unite Us
Original music by Starling Studios

Copyright ©UniteUs2023 all rights reserved
All opinions expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the guest and do not reflect the opinions of Unite Us.

The post Value in Our Values with Lindsay Barenz, Oakland Roots appeared first on uniteus.com.

Academy Award Winning actor, New York Times best-selling author and Impact Investor, Matthew McConaughey chats with Dan Brillman and Taylor Justice, CEO and President of Unite Us, about the importance of investing in social care to reduce health disparities.

A dedicated investor in Unite Us, Matthew shares our belief that every American deserves to access the help they need with dignityand respect. He and his wife Camila founded the just keep livin Foundation, which is dedicated to helping teenagers lead active lives and make healthy choices to become great men and women.

The virtual town hall took place on November 1, 2021, featuring an opening conversation with Matthew McConaughey, Dan Brillman, and Taylor Justice and four breakout panels with leaders in the world of SDoH. See below for details about each breakout session.

Watch the Town Hall

Social Care Has Arrived

Social care has become its own industry, and the market has demonstrated readiness to invest in the future of health and community well-being. In this session, hear from market investment leaders blazing this path as they outline the rationale behind their investments, expected outcomes, and trends they are keeping their eyes on. This session, moderated by Unite Us chief strategy officer Esther Farkas, features market investment leaders with their finger on the pulse of the future of health. Panelists include:

	Caroline Xie General Partner, Iconiq		Sarah Pinto Partner and Senior Director for Venture Investing, Emerson Collective
	Claudine Emeott Vice President and Partner, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund		Joel Krikston Managing Director for Venture Investments and Vice President and Head of Strategic Innovation Alliances, Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund, LLC

It Starts with Community

Improved community health through social care delivery is only possible with deep community partnerships. In this session, learn how you can best support community efforts, drive progress with data and insights, and increase health equity at the local level. Hear about the latest resources for clients in need from innovative leaders in the SDoH space. Moderated by Unite Us’ chief solutions officer Kelly Binder, the panel discussion features:

	Mark Belanger Chief Executive Officer, Integration Sciences		Hector Gutierrez Strategic Initiatives Specialist and Special Projects Director, First 5 Kern
	Jim Zenner Mental Health Clinical Program Manager III, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

Person-Centered and Secure

Care coordination leads to improved health outcomes and sustainable health equity. Leaders across public health sectors agree that to best meet the needs of people and communities, the social care software and systems we use must be person-centered. The benefits of interoperability go beyond ease of use and efficiency, setting a standard for the industry that prioritizes client confidentiality and secure referral technology. This panel, moderated by Unite Us vice president and regulatory counsel Carlos Uriarte, covers the latest developments in care coordination software and how networks are implementing a client-centered approach to meeting social care needs. Panelists include:

	Libby Bunzli Director of Health System Transformation, State of Rhode Island		Jesse Bailey Executive Director, Pathways Shelter for the Homeless
	Nazleen H. Bharmal, MD, PhD, MPP Associate Chief of Community Health and Partnerships, Cleveland Clinic Community Care and Population Health

Scalable Solutions Built to Last

With federal and state policies aligning on the need for increased social care funding to address SDoH, the potential for scaling regional and national solutions has never been greater. Local-level social care data can be analyzed to inform interventions that lead to large-scale systems transformation. Hear from panelists across state and federal government, national healthcare enterprises, and social care non-profits on the importance of innovating and scaling social care approaches. Moderated by Eric Beane, vice president of regulatory and government affairs at Unite Us, the panel features:

	Duke Storen Commissioner, Virginia Department of Social Services		Michelle (Hinton) Ford Director of Impact, Population Health and Well-Being at the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
	Alex Billioux Vice President for Social Determinants of Health for UnitedHealthcare Government Programs

Watch the Town Hall

The post Unite Us Town Hall: Health Lives Here appeared first on uniteus.com.

“In order for a client, or resident in my case, to get the highest level of care necessary, there needs to be solid communication and interconnectedness between resources. Down to a town level in Laconia, we are unfortunately suffering from an extremely terrible mental health and drug epidemic. So, allowing that communication and interconnectedness — really creating a 360 approach for all my residents — it’s necessary. It has to happen.” – Adam Moulton, Director, Reverence House

Adam Moulton joins Mark Belanger, Founder and CEO of Integration Sciences as well as Daisy Pierce, Executive Director, Navigating Recovery, and Corey Gately, Director of Substance Use Services, Concord Hospital – Laconia/Franklin, in this discussion on their partnership with Unite Us.

Learn more about how to bring Unite Us to your organization:

Get in Touch

The post New Hampshire Community Partners: In Their Own Words appeared first on uniteus.com.

“As a recruiting team, our first priority when launching in a new area is to hire locally. Not only is that talent pool best equipped to serve, understand, and support their neighbors, but this philosophy also attracts ‘A-players’ to our team. ‘A-players’ are high-performing candidates who want to make a broader impact in their next role. Working at Unite Us provides that opportunity to all of us. We can see how our work is impacting the community–our community–and that’s what keeps us dedicated to the mission and our work–no matter the role,” shared Jessica Paddock, Director of Recruiting at Unite Us.

We’re excited to introduce you to some of our new team members from across the country. Meet Kristin Hunter, Raj Madhure, and Gracious Gamiao!

Kristin Hunter, Network Director, Central Region

Kristin started her career in advertising and eventually realized that was not the work to which she wanted to dedicate her time. “I just was not fulfilled. I learned a ton but I was feeling like I was moving away from my internal knowing,” says Kristin. She moved on to roles at Girl Scouts, as well as Susan G Komen Great Plains. Kristin is now the Unite Us Network Director, Central Region. “Helping to build community is my passion, that’s what brings me to life, and that’s the role in which I want to invest my life,” she adds.

Raj Madhure, VP Network Development, Western US

Raj has worked in the healthcare industry for over 20 years holding titles at both Optum and Kaiser Permanente. He is now the Vice President of Network Development, Western US at Unite Us. “What I loved about Unite Us and what really drew me here was the fact that it’s an organization that is a startup environment, is a technology environment, is related to healthcare but has a social mission,” says Raj.

Gracious Gamiao, Community Engagement Manager, Washington

Gracious pursued her Masters in Public Health from the University of Washington, with a focus on community engagement and program evaluation. “I have a background in the nonprofit sector working on community health worker programs, specifically, in my community and the South King County area where there are primarily immigrants, refugees, and people-of-color. For me, it’s really important to be rooted in the work that you do. It carries a lot more weight when I meet with community based organizations because I’m like, ‘I’m your neighbor and I have a vested interest in improving our community together,’” says Gracious.

What/who motivates you to succeed in your role?

Kristin and Gracious are on our Customer Success team, and Raj is on the Network Development team.

Kristin: When you are going through difficulties in your life, you are naturally fatigued because its emotionally draining, and the more you get shuffled around, the more you lose the empowerment to take care of yourself holistically, so helping my community members not fall through the cracks is what motivates me.

Raj: I take very seriously the idea that the whole concept of sales is we want to get more people to use the product. That’s what is exciting to me: how do we get people to want to work with us?

Gracious: Your commitment to the community is crucial to the Community Engagement Manager role, and that’s where it goes back to hiring locally. If you’re from that community, you have a vested interest improving and building on its priorities and the strengths. For me, I’m guided by the work that we do because I know, ultimately, it benefits the larger community that I consider myself a part of, and so I’m driven to respond to emails, to reach out to organizations, and to build these relationships because I know that it can have that long-term impact.

What is your connection to the community you work in?

Kristen’s connection to the Great Plains is pivotal as we support Unite Nebraska. In Washington and California, Unite Us powers networks that are growing daily.

Kristin: In my role at Komen, I covered South Dakota as well as Nebraska and then I lived in Des Moines for seven years, so I know these communities, I’ve lived in them, I’m entrenched in them. Like most communities, having a local footprint is especially important to the Midwest. We want to feel like we’re understood by our neighbors and I think it’s so great that Unite Us is hiring people in local communities because you have a better understanding of the needs that are specific to that community from someone who lives there.

Raj: I have lived in Southern California since I was four years-old. I’ve lived in every different part of Los Angeles, so I very much have had the opportunity to see the disparity within Southern California. I am extremely aware of how the disparities that we have within our neighborhoods look. When I think about what Unite Us does in terms of social services, I’ve had relatives who have needed access to services and fell through the cracks, so I can see how if this had been there 20 years ago, my uncle may not have passed away from all of the healthcare issues he had from being homeless.

Gracious: These are the places that I grocery shop; these are the places where I live and work. This is where my family and I walk; it’s all the social determinants of health and that’s my environment. When I think about Unite Washington, Unite Us, and the role I do, I don’t think about it short-term. I think about it as this very long-term vision because to connect to a community, you can’t do it in a short stint. These relationships take time to grow, to flourish, to cultivate.

How does health equity influence your approach to work with Unite Us?

Unite Us has never been more committed and dedicated than we are right now to fight against injustice, racism, and health disparities that have long impacted communities across the country.

Kristin: We have forgotten members of society and this solution seeks to level the playing field so that no matter your situation you feel like you are seen, you are heard, and you matter.

Raj: The challenge in California sometimes is that we’re so big and there are so many different resources that it’s so easy for people to fall through the cracks. I think something like what we do at Unite Us is all the more critical because it’s even sadder to me if the resources are out there but you’re not getting people to those resources.

Gracious: When I think about health equity, I think about any person based on the intersection of their identities and their communities: could they get access, could they get resources, and be connected in the same way as somebody that has all the privilege? That is the part of our solution and the part of a Community Engagement Manager’s role that intersects with health equity.

At Unite Us, we are so fortunate to have employees that are committed to the communities where they not only work, but live as well. As our partner Dr. Betsey Tilson, Chief Medical Officer for NC Department of Health and Human Services, shared, “What set Unite Us apart was their understanding that technology is just technology and it’s not of value if people don’t actually use it. Unite Us has a deep understanding of and commitment to working with the community.” For us, it’s about working together with members of the community to make a lasting impact and, ultimately, that is why hiring locally matters.

Looking to join a mission-driven, community-led team?

Explore Careers at Unite Us

The post Why Hiring Locally Matters appeared first on uniteus.com.

As we said farewell to 2019, we had no idea what lay ahead – six months into the new year, 2020 has pulled no punches. We find ourselves in the middle of an unprecedented time, all of us collectively navigating this pandemic that has taken far too many lives and left countless people in desperate need of help. At the same time, we’re grieving the racial injustice and pain that Black Americans have faced for decades. Our work today takes on new meaning and urgency as we continue to build upon our model and create solutions that will facilitate care delivery in the most seamless, effective way possible. Unite Us has never been more committed and dedicated than we are right now to fight against injustice, racism, and health disparities that have long impacted communities across the country.

Still, in the midst of the chaos, Unite Us was ready and up for the challenge. By the third week of March, our entire team had seamlessly transitioned to working remotely. We pivoted to align with our partners’ needs in the face of COVID-19.Within a week, we had a COVID-19 strategic plan in place. We were working around the clock to support our existing partners and networks – while simultaneously bringing new ones on board – to help their communities cope with the devastating effects of the virus. Since January, we have launched and starting building new networks in Cleveland, Louisiana, Florida, California, West Virginia, Nebraska, and New York (in both NYC and Syracuse)and began new collaborations with partners that share our visions and values like Lyft, CVS’ Guardian Angels initiative, and Salesforce.

We’ve seen our core values – Think Big, Always Collaborate, Own It and Be A Good Human – exemplified in so many ways during the time our team has been sheltering-in-place. Our parents have become full-time teachers, childcare providers, cooks, and housekeepers while hitting deadlines and never missing a Zoom meeting. Some of our colleagues have donned masks and gloves and headed out into their communities to deliver much-needed food and supplies. Others have contributed through financial donations to the social care organizations on the frontlines every day. We’ve found ways to offer emotional support to each other, through daily check-ins and one-on-one calls, leadership office hours, and amazing team happy hours hosted by our inventive, creative People Ops team.

Unite Us keeps growing and we’ve brought on critical team members who make us stronger and better. 62 new team members have joined the company since January, including Christina Mainelli as Chief Operating Officer and Eric Beane as Vice President, Regulatory and Government Affairs.

As a company, we are humbled and grateful to be able to grow and thrive, even as we see the pandemic’s economic effects on the country. Knowing that advanced data capabilities would benefit our partners and networks, and strengthen our ability to help communities, we’ve recently acquired a SDoH data analytics company,Staple Health. Since 2013, we have been focused on a data standard that does not simply consider searches for resources, referrals defined as printouts of resources, or users that are only individuals searching a directory. Instead, our data illustrates actual service delivery between organizations who are engaged and part of a trusted network, and thus, electronically coordinating services together around shared clients and outcomes.

At Unite Us, we are driven by our mission to help people – it’s baked into everything we do. As we shared in TEDMED, “Imagine a world where people have access to quality care and services, regardless of socioeconomics, race, or zip code. In that world, everyone would have the opportunity to not only survive, but thrive.” We have a reason to wake up each morning and get to work, knowing that we are helping people most of us will never meet – but it gives us purpose every single day.

Well before and since COVID-19, the industry was interested in what our leaders had to say about the future of health. Our President, Taylor Justice, was asked to share his expert insight for the New York City Healthcare Venture Capital Report. Since the pandemic struck, our CEO, Dan Brillman, offered a roadmap in HLTH for the industry navigating health and social care service delivery through the pandemic and beyond. Dan and Taylor shared their insights on addressing both community-based and cost-of-care outcomes as well as scaling assistance on a community level in this Covid-19 era in the Outcomes Rocket podcast.

At Unite Us, we always believed that health equity was an integral part of our work, we just didn’t talk about it enough. You’ll be hearing more from us in the weeks and months to come. Know this: we stand with communities of color and will work even harder to ensure that zip codes no longer dictate health outcomes.

We were built for this – and we’re ready for whatever else 2020 has in store. Together, we are stronger. Together, we continue to serve our communities across the country. Regardless of what the world throws at us, we’ll keep building healthier, more equitable communities.

Request a Demo

The post Taking a Moment to Look Back, and Plan for the Road Ahead appeared first on uniteus.com.

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What drew you to Unite Us?

Parker: I found that Unite Us’ corporate mission aligned with my own personal philosophy on healthcare: the best form of healthcare is that which not only meets an individual’s medical needs but all their other needs as well.

Wayne: My mother was a social worker for over 30 years and dedicated her life to helping people access resources and opportunities in order to build better lives. Unite Us is a company with many of the values I grew up admiring in her.

Gracyn: Unite Us has a company culture that goes above and beyond what a normal work environment should be. Surrounding myself with people that are so focused on constant improvement and bettering health makes me feel like a part of something important.

Sal: I read a blog post from Steve Strauss, the Head of Network Development at Unite Us and my interviewer. He explained the impacts of the social determinants of health, which I read plenty of related literature in my classes. His nuanced explanation of it and how Unite Us fits in it all gave me an insight into the company. The idea seemed so simple, but the execution has been almost perfected here.

Taylor:The mission and values that the company has really drew me to Unite Us because they align with my values and made me want to be a part of Unite Us’ culture.

Sophie: I took a Community Psychology class this past semester where we mainly focused on how our country’s approach to health and healthcare is all too narrow. Often, the social determinants of health are forgotten, though they are some of the most important pieces to understand and fully resolve a person’s health issues. I was really excited when I learned about Unite Us because it is working to bridge that gap between healthcare and social care – looking at the person more wholly rather than a siloed perspective. The company’s mission aligned with what I had learned about in my class which only furthered my interest in Unite Us. I believe it will one day be an extremely pivotal company in the healthcare field, allowing people across the country to gain better and more efficient access to the resources they need.

What are you studying now?

Joemma: I am currently in a dual degree program pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration at Dartmouth and a Masters in Public Administration at Harvard focused on the business and policy of healthcare.

Parker: I am a dual-Masters’ student at the University of Oklahoma, pursuing an MBA and an MIT degree.

Gracyn: I am currently studying marketing and entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. Social media marketing is what interests me most in the field.

Sal: I’m halfway through a master’s in health administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Taylor: I just graduated from Clemson University where I studied Business Management and I found a passion for Human Resources.

Wayne: I’m a dual major pursuing a Masters in Business Administration and Management Information Technology from the University of Oklahoma.

Sophie: I’m studying Marketing and Psychology and I’m hoping to learn more about exactly how those fields intertwine.

What are you hoping to learn about while you’re here?

Gracyn: So far, I have learned so much about growth and how a company can start from an idea and prosper into something much larger than that. Coming into this, I knew little about the healthcare industry itself, but after only a few weeks I have come to understand the impact that Unite Us has and the importance of moving from a system based on volume to one based on value.

Parker: My time with Unite Us as the finance and legal intern has provided me lots of opportunities to learn more about the financial planning and legal thought process that goes into running a business. I am hoping to combine this understanding with more experience in performing data analysis and strategic planning.

Joemma: This summer, I am excited to deepen my understanding around the delivery of social determinants of health and how technology can help support the delivery of social care.

Sal: I’m hoping to learn how to conduct market research, how to deliver pitches to these organizations, and have a deeper understanding of how health systems address social determinants of health. Currently, I’ve learned plenty about the Massachusetts DSRIP program, which is trying to move accountable care organizations in the Massachusetts market to value based care in order to save on overall cost of care.

How do you plan to apply what you learn to your career?

Sal: I’m learning about how organizations tackle social determinants of health, which can be vital in reducing total cost of care over an entire patient population base. This is the future of American healthcare as we move towards a more value-based care system. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I plan to work in hospital administration. I’ll use what I learned at Unite Us to create programs to address those issues, and I’ll have a unique approach to it.

Joemma: I hope to continue to work in healthcare and technology after I graduate and I think the knowledge and skills I gain at Unite Us will be invaluable to achieving this goal.

Gracyn: Throughout this internship, I plan to learn about what factors lead to success in marketing and how to utilize different platforms to reach target populations. In doing so I can take what I have learned and use it to make a difference wherever I end up in my career.

Parker: Unite Us is in a stage of high growth and quick change, and through it all I have been encouraged to work hard, enjoy my time here, and think better. I believe these are three core values I can apply to my career no matter what industry or company I work in.

Taylor: This has been a hands on learning experience and everything that I have learned so far is so important. I will take my knowledge and new skills with me to continue and achieve success throughout my career path.

Sophie: I’m not sure what career path I intend to take, but Unite Us has given me invaluable experience working in a fun but hard-working environment where everyone shares the common goal of moving the company forward, and in turn, healthcare in general. I have learned how to adapt to an ever-changing agenda in order to meet our current needs, requiring quick thinking and versatility. I will absolutely take those values and skills with me wherever I end up later.

Wayne: No matter what sector of business I ultimately end up working in, success will be determined by business decisions. Watching a company go through a period of rapid growth and participation in important discussions is invaluable and a great opportunity to learn.

We’re so proud of this class of interns and how much they’ve already achieved in their short time here. We love watching you all learn and grow; we’ve learned a lot from you, too. We hope that each of you continues to follow your passions, surround yourself with people who support you, and accomplish all your personal and professional goals. Thank you for choosing Unite Us!

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