How public-private partnerships can help eliminate US healthcare gaps on a local level

• Different factors, such as food security, affect the health of a community.
• Collaborative partnerships and anonymous data sharing can identify needs and improve outcomes.

For decades, a lack of affordable housing has plagued low-income residents of Hawaii, especially in Honolulu.

But a deep dive into available data showed an even greater problem that's negatively affecting the health of many Hawaiians: food insecurity.

Access to affordable housing and food are examples of social determinants of health, the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life risks and outcomes. A study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that 80% of a person's health was determined by what happened outside a doctor's office.

Because these social determinants of health, and many others, can cause significant problems for millions of Americans, identifying specific needs within a particular city or neighborhood can inform public-health decisions that lead to better outcomes for its residents.

"A significant amount of the challenges standing in the way of health and health equity are tied to unique issues within each community," said Catherine Anderson, the senior vice president of policy and strategy at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. "Without a data-informed approach, you're throwing resources at challenges that may not be the right ones for that community."

By applying state-of-the-art data collection and analytics tools to its members' anonymized health data, and informed by community insights, UnitedHealthcare — one of the nation's leading health-benefits providers — is working with select partners in more than two dozen communities to close gaps in healthcare and address health-equity challenges.

Collecting data leads to better health outcomes

The program, launched earlier in 2021, is called UnitedHealthcare Catalyst, and it's designed to expand access to healthcare to address each community's needs. As Anderson said when the program launched, its goal is "to bring the right partners together to align primary and behavioral health with social needs, creating initiatives that improve health outcomes and provide equitable care for all."

A Catalyst partner is the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, a nonprofit organization working to preserve and improve public and affordable housing. Anderson said analysis of UnitedHealthcare claims and other data showed that residents of publicly assisted housing were often among the most difficult to reach and serve regarding health needs.

"Tens of thousands of our members live in public housing, so CLPHA has been a key partner for us," Anderson said. "But public-housing authorities don't have access to public-health data. Working together, we can understand what is happening to the people who live in their units, and what can be done to improve their lives."

Local partnerships make community care more effective

Research shows that increasing well visits and screenings, while vitally important to improving health outcomes, doesn't eliminate all health-equity gaps. Thus, it's essential to create approaches that are rooted in data and reflect the perspectives of the people who live and work in the community.

That's why, in addition to CLPHA, UnitedHealthcare has forged partnerships with a multitude of other organizations, including public-housing agencies, federally qualified health centers, and community-based organizations. Each alliance is customized to address that community's social-determinants-of-health challenges, which can include such factors as poor access to transportation, food insecurity, low incomes, inadequate housing, and a lack of education.

To date, UnitedHealthcare Catalyst has rolled out in 22 cities or counties in Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Another 15 Catalyst partnerships are expected to launch in 2022.

UnitedHealthcare Catalyst builds on and complements other UnitedHealthcare initiatives focused on helping improve health equity, promoting better health outcomes, and expanding health access for all people. Other UnitedHealthcare investments are supporting programs — and partnerships — that address food, transportation, and social-isolation issues, including $80 million to help minority populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

"I believe Catalyst and these other programs show the power of communities and partnerships to best serve the needs of all citizens," Anderson said.

Learn more about UnitedHealthcare's community-focused partnerships here.

This post was created by Insider Studios with UnitedHealthcare.