- $1.9 million grant by United Health
Foundation helps CHC expand staff of community health workers that
help people access vital health services
Seven new full-time community health workers will improve
coordination of local, culturally competent primary care for
lower-income, underserved residents in Wyandotte County.
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Kansas City Kan. Mayor Mark Holland
addresses attendees at a community event Aug. 10 during which the
Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, in partnership with
Kansas City CARE Clinic, was awarded a $1.9 million grant from
United Health Foundation to support its recently launched Community
Health Worker Collaborative. As part of the program, community
health workers provide one-on-one services to address social and
health needs, helping individuals and families access community
resources for food or housing; apply for and utilize health
benefits; find affordable health care and medications; attend
doctor appointments; and get motivated to set and reach health
goals (Photo: Adri Guyer, Fuller Creative, LLC).
The Community Health Council of Wyandotte County has partnered
with Kansas City CARE Clinic to train and manage the community
health workers, who provide one-on-one services to address social
and health needs. They help individuals and families access
community resources for food or housing; apply for and utilize
health benefits; find affordable health care and medications;
attend doctor appointments; and get motivated to set and reach
health goals.
Those served by the community health workers include Wyandotte
County’s African-American, Latino, refugee and white populations,
and individuals are referred to the program by clinical and
community partner organizations, and can also self-refer.
The initiative, funded by a $1.9 million grant by United Health
Foundation, is part of CHC’s Community Health Worker Collaborative.
The Collaborative creates and strengthens partnerships with local
organizations addressing health care needs in Wyandotte County;
provides streamlined, individualized and patient-centered care at
the community level; improves health outcomes; and lowers
costs.
Through the CHC’s partnership with United Health Foundation, the
initiative will increase over the next three years the number of
community-based caregivers who are able to conduct outreach and
reduce barriers to care for Wyandotte County residents most in need
of enhanced care coordination.
“With this initiative, we have the opportunity to enhance how
health services are received by the people who need them and how
they are delivered by medical providers,” said Jerry Jones, CHC
executive director. “By putting collaboration, discovery-driven
learning and integrated decision-making into practice, this
partnership with Community Health Council, KC CARE Clinic and
United Health Foundation is improving the quality of health care
for Wyandotte County residents and inspiring innovation for a
better health care system.”
“I am blessed to have the opportunity to serve my community and
witness the impact we have in people’s lives,” said Carolina Biagi,
a community health worker serving Wyandotte County’s English-,
Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking populations. “Our underserved
community faces many challenges, so it is beautiful to be there to
help families connect with resources and be by their side through
the process.”
A Community in Need, A Collaborative Solution
The community health workers’ outreach will give residents
access to high-quality health care and local, affordable primary
care. Focusing on people with lower incomes and diverse
populations, including many immigrants and refugees, the community
health workers’ goal is to reach more than 10,000 people in need of
care across Wyandotte County.
United Health Foundation supports innovative and evidence-based
ideas that help the health system work better, and invests in the
development of a 21st century workforce that is primary care-based
and meeting the needs of patients. The foundation supports
partnerships nationwide, like the Community Health Worker
Collaborative, that improve care coordination, address critical
public health needs and expand access to patient-centered care in
local communities.
“Breaking down the barriers to quality health care that many of
our low-income residents face is one of the most critical tasks our
community must undertake,” said Kansas City Kansas Mayor Mark
Holland. “I am very pleased to see the Community Health Council of
Wyandotte County lead this initiative with support from United
Health Foundation and give our residents the opportunity to improve
their health through better care coordination.”
“One of the ways we help build healthier communities is by
partnering with local organizations to make it easier for people to
access health care services,” said Tim Spilker, CEO,
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kansas. “These community health
workers are already proving what a tremendous impact their work can
have in providing care to help Wyandotte County residents live
healthier lives.”
The grant was announced at a community event at the CHC offices
where Mayor Holland joined community leaders, including Wyandotte
County commissioners, local community health workers, project
partners and Wyandotte County residents to celebrate the new
funding and first year of the program.
“This intensive, community-based approach has been successful in
improving the health of communities across the globe and in the
Kansas City region for many years,” said Dennis Dunmyer, vice
president of Behavioral Health and Community Programs, Kansas City
CARE Clinic. “United Health Foundation’s support presents a great
opportunity for KC CARE to expand its work in this arena, and we
are honored to be chosen by the Community Health Council to partner
on this initiative in Wyandotte County.”
About Community Health Council of Wyandotte CountyThe
mission of the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, Inc.
(CHC) is to improve health and health care in Wyandotte County by
bringing a community perspective and identifying resources for
collaboration, planning and implementation of effective community
initiatives. The CHC, formed in 2002, is a not-for-profit,
public/private collaborative, which exists to improve access to
healthcare for the uninsured and the underinsured, to enhance
health maintenance and prevention of health problems, and to
facilitate coordination of community health services and health
education initiatives.
About Kansas City CARE ClinicThe Kansas City CARE Clinic
is one of the oldest and largest charitable care clinics in the
nation. Founded in 1971, Clinic’s clinical services include adult
general primary care, HIV primary care, pediatric care, oral
healthcare, and behavioral health and prevention services. With a
staff of nearly 150 and more than 900 dedicated volunteers, the
Clinic provides healthcare, education, and support for more than
9,000 individuals annually with nearly 18,000 clinical patient
appointments and more than 45,000 case management, education &
prevention and testing encounters. The mission of the Kansas City
CARE Clinic is to promote health and wellness by providing quality
care, access, research and education to the underserved and all
people in our community.
About United Health FoundationThrough collaboration with
community partners, grants and outreach efforts, United Health
Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and
dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local
communities. United Health Foundation was established by
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private
foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date,
United Health Foundation has committed more than $300 million to
programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn
more at www.unitedhealthfoundation.org or follow @UHGGives on
Twitter or Facebook.com/UHGGives.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160810006126/en/
United Health FoundationJessica Kostner,
952-979-5869jessica_kostner@uhc.comorCommunity Health Council of
Wyandotte CountyLucia Jones,
913-371-9298ljones@wycohealth.com
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