UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Missouri Awards $500,000 to Address Health Equity

Funding community organizations focused on serving underserved communities by expanding access to care and addressing the social determinants of health

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, has awarded $500,000 in grants to community-based organizations in Missouri to expand access to care, support maternal and child health and address the social determinants of health for individuals and underserved communities.

"We're honored to be supporting local organizations that offer essential resources to address social and economic factors that have a profound impact on people's health," said Jamie Bruce, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Missouri. "These organizations play a vital role in providing greater access to care and essential services in high-risk and high-need communities throughout Missouri.”

Grant recipients in Missouri include:

• North East Community Action Corporation — $75,000 to support Healthy Homes, a program serving Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Shelby, St. Charles and Warren, counties that provides new air conditioning and roofing, and addresses other housing needs that can affect health conditions such as COPD and asthma.
• Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition — $50,000 to further the organization’s ability to provide support services, emergency housing, education and advocacy to survivors of human sex and labor trafficking in central Missouri.
• Harmony House — $45,000 to provide resources to address domestic violence, such as family advocacy, support groups and life skills classes, transportation assistance, legal assistance and outreach programming. Harmony House serves people in Greene County.
• Kanbe's Markets — $75,000 to distribute and expand access to fresh, affordable and healthy foods to people experiencing food insecurity in Jackson County.
• Generate Health — $50,000 to launch FLOURISH, an initiative in St. Louis aimed at reducing infant mortality with a network of neighborhood and community groups. Funding will also support a partnership with the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank to provide local moms and babies access to diapers.
• Lafayette House — $45,000 to provide essential services to individuals in Southwest Missouri affected by substance abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault.
• Whole Kids Outreach — $40,000 to support children and families in southern Missouri through the Maternal-Child Nursing program that provides in-home visits and a safety net for families in under-resourced communities.
• Jordan Valley Community Health Center — $35,000 for a shoe voucher initiative that provides kids with new shoes for back to school after completing dental and well-child visits in Greene County.
• Show-Me School-Based Health Alliance of Missouri — $60,000 to provide school-based health services for children in high-risk and isolated communities in rural Southeast Missouri.
• Community Health Center of Central Missouri — $25,000 to purchase telehealth resources to provide health services such as doctor exams, screenings and behavioral health services in schools in Callaway and Cole counties.

“We are very grateful to have received this grant from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Missouri to offer needed services and resources to individuals and families in our community,” said Brooks Miller, chief executive officer of Jordan Valley Community Health Center. “This grant enables us to further our shared mission of expanding access to care to Missourians in under-resourced communities.”

Good health encompasses more than visiting a doctor’s office. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 80% of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. For so many, the global pandemic has caused additional social and economic challenges that continue to affect healthy behaviors and exacerbate health disparities.

These grants are part of several initiatives that UnitedHealthcare, along with its parent company UnitedHealth Group, have launched to address health equity and maternal health outcomes throughout the United States. Initiatives include $14 million in recent philanthropic grants to support maternal health and $2.85 million in support to March of Dimes for a public-private partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services that aims to reduce the Black-white disparity gap and improve maternal health outcomes. The company is also investing in programs and partnerships focused on food, housing, transportation and social isolation, including $500 million for affordable housing in underserved areas and $80 million to fight the pandemic and support vulnerable minority populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

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