Shelly Asbury
United Healthcare provides $11.1 million in grants to tackle Social Detriments of health issues.
UnitedHealthcare tapped 66 not-for-profit organizations spread over 12 states to receive grant funding to help expand access to care.
The $11.1 million in grant funding, which falls under UnitedHealthcare’s Empowering Health program, aims to help improve the healthcare options of individuals living in underserved communities by addressing the social determinants of health, the insurance giant said. Specifically, it’ll target food insecurity, social isolation, behavioral health issues and health literacy efforts.
Some of the organizations to receive funds include the Upstate Foundation in Syracuse, New York, CHRIS 180 in Atlanta and Trellis in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Olivia Jefferson, vice president of social responsibility at UnitedHealthcare, said in a press release that the health plan “is dedicated to addressing social and economic factors that impact people’s ability to achieve and maintain good health. As a healthcare company, we see significant and ongoing inequities that exist in various communities across the country, particularly along racial lines.”
The Upstate Foundation, overseen by Upstate Medical University, runs the She/We Matter Program, providing outreach to Black and Latino women. Linda Veit, assistant vice president of community relations with the university, certainly appreciates the boost the grant will give to the She/We Matter Program. “The impact that this funding from UnitedHealthcare will have on our local Syracuse community will be significant,” Veit said in the press release. “Because of this grant, She Matters outreach team will be able to continue the vital work of educating and empowering underserved women to make breast cancer screening a priority allowing for early detection and quicker treatment.”