Aetna Foundation and the National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs Team up to Improve Community Health
December 08 2016 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Nearly 23 percent of overall health care spending in the United
States comes from just one percent of the population, with five
percent of the population responsible for 50 percent of spending.1
To help improve the health of the people who use health care
services most frequently, the Aetna Foundation today announced the
“Neighborhood Health Compass” collaboration with the National
Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, a new initiative of the
Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. The two organizations
will work together to help expand the use of integrated,
cross-sector data among health care providers to improve health
outcomes for individuals with complex health and social needs.
Analyzing a wide range of data from both clinical and
non-clinical sources was part of the “hot-spotting” technique used
by Jeffery Brenner, MD, the executive director of the Camden
Coalition. With this approach, Dr. Brenner was able to identify the
heaviest users of health care in Camden, New Jersey and improve
their care. He was honored with the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship
for his work in 2013.
“We know that cities and counties have the power to create a
long-term positive health impact throughout their communities by
addressing social determinants of health,” said Garth Graham, MD,
MPH, president of the Aetna Foundation. “Dr. Brenner’s approach has
improved the health of the residents of Camden, and we will work
collaboratively with the National Center for Complex Health and
Social Needs to expand this model for improving care for patients
with significant health care needs.”
With the grant, the National Center for Complex Health and
Social Needs will begin the planning and development of a national
program office that will identify communities that could benefit
from the same type of approach that has been used in Camden. Once
the communities are selected, the program office will also provide
technical assistance and support with the right methods for that
community to improve the health of patients facing the most complex
medical and social challenges.
“Our vision is to make Camden the first city in the country to
‘bend the cost curve’ while improving quality,” said Brenner.
“Using this grant, we can not only expand our ability to share our
learnings among health care providers, but also support the
development of similar models that will truly improve the health of
communities and neighborhoods across the country.”
Building Health through the CommunityThe Aetna Foundation
collaboration with the National Center for Complex Health and
Social Needs is part of the Aetna Foundation’s broader effort to
influence and improve the health of local communities. Since 2014,
the Aetna Foundation has awarded more than $18 million in grants
and sponsorships that support the Foundation’s overall commitment
to building a healthier world, community by community.
The Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, a partnership
between The Aetna Foundation, the American Public Health
Association (APHA) and the National Association of Counties (NACo),
in collaboration with CEOs for Cities, is designed to create
economically competitive, inclusive and equitable communities.
Launched in 2016, the Challenge will award $1.5 million in prizes
to small and mid-sized cities and counties that are able to show
measurable improvements in health outcomes over the course of
several years through cross-sector partnerships. The
HealthyCommunity50 – organizations from across the country
competing for the grand prize in the Challenge – was announced in
September.
The Aetna Foundation also awarded community grants to 23
nonprofit organizations in September as part of its Cultivating
Healthy Communities initiative. This program is designed to promote
healthy eating and active living, strengthen health equity and
advance innovations that make it possible for people to have more
healthy days. The projects will benefit communities by improving
health indicators such as access to healthy foods, increased
physical activity, reduced incidences of bullying, more spaces for
walking and biking safely and more.
About the Aetna FoundationThe Aetna Foundation is the
independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna (NYSE: AET).
Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed more
than $465 million in grants and sponsorships. As a national
health foundation, we promote wellness, health, and access to
high-quality health care for everyone. This work
is enhanced by the time and commitment of Aetna
employees, who have volunteered 3.8 million hours since
2003. For more information, visit www.aetnafoundation.org.
1 The National Institute for Healthcare Management, November
2014 -
http://www.nihcm.org/concentration-of-health-care-spending-chart-story
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AetnaMedia Contact:Ethan Slavin,
860-273-6095SlavinE@aetna.com
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