UnitedHealthcare Launches Program to Address Type 2 Diabetes in Owensboro Community

Collaboration with Audubon Area Community Care Clinic and Girls Inc. aims to educate people about diabetes, implement preventive strategies and enhance management of the disease

UnitedHealthcare Catalyst™, a community-based program that uses data to tackle the highest-priority health challenges in local communities, has just launched in Owensboro with a focus on type 2 diabetes. Together with Audubon Area Community Care Clinic and Girls Inc., the program aims to improve health outcomes in the community through promotion of healthy habits and management of individuals with prediabetes and uncontrolled type 2 diabetes as part of a multiyear collaboration.

“UnitedHealthcare is committed to supporting communities across the Commonwealth with resources to better manage their health,” said Krista Hensel, chief executive officer, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kentucky. “Each community has its own needs, and we believe this collaboration with Audubon Area Community Care Clinic and Girls Inc. will help multiple generations improve their health by preventing or controlling diabetes.”

Details of the program are as follows:

• Patients at Audubon Area Community Care Clinic diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes will be eligible to enter the UnitedHealthcare Catalyst program, regardless of their insurance carrier. Those who enroll will be assigned an accredited community health worker as a case manager, receive personalized nutrition education, have eye exams as needed for diabetic retinopathy, and be offered programming for health-related social needs support such as nutritious food.

• Girls Inc. will launch lifestyle educational programs tailored to individuals between the ages of 8 and 12. Programs will include educational materials on balanced nutrition and healthy snacks, workshops with guest speakers, and guidance to help participants track physical activity and progress over time.

“The impact of diabetes on the population we serve as a community health center is huge. Many of our patients are battling other social determinants of health that make accessibility to diabetic needs extremely difficult,” said Samantha Taylor-Kaai, clinic program director for Audubon Area Community Care Clinic. “By working together with UnitedHealthcare and Girls Inc., we aim to promote positive changes in our patients and transform their lives to help them meet their overall health goals.”

In the Audubon area, 16% of the adult population has diabetes, which is 5 and 7 percentage points higher than the county and national averages, respectively. While diabetes is a chronic condition, proper nutrition and management can help avoid disease progression, reduce unnecessary medical visits and improve quality of life. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and a healthy diet can help people with prediabetes prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.

“There are so many children in Owensboro and Daviess County who are at risk of developing diabetes and other health conditions,” said Tish Correa Osborne, chief executive officer of Girls Inc. “We are grateful to be in a position to help make a meaningful impact in our community by showing our children the connection between nutrition and physical activity with health and wellbeing.”

UnitedHealthcare Catalyst has created over 25 community-based programs across the country, collaborating with more than 100 community-level partners. These include public housing agencies, federally qualified health centers, faith-based organizations, academic institutions, community-based organizations and more. The programs combine analytic insights from UnitedHealthcare with the experience of working with and listening to community partners. With support from the UnitedHealthcare team, the partners identify health challenges to create coordinated, community-based solutions. The goal is to build on a community’s existing work and resources to make the most impact over time.

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 1.6 million physicians and care professionals, and 8,000 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 UnitedHealthcare on LinkedIn.

About Audubon Area Community Care Clinic

Audubon Area Community Care Clinic is a 330 and 330(h) HRSA-funded entity that provides primary medical care and behavioral health services to patients in the greater Owensboro, Kentucky area who are homeless, transiently housed, uninsured, underinsured and fall below the poverty line standards set by the federal government. The clinic provides various services for clients’ ages 2+ years old which include, but are not limited to: physical examinations, immunizations for adults and children, office and laboratory testing, chronic care management, care for acute and chronic health problems, substance use disorder counseling, treatment for depression/anxiety, primary care, anger management, trauma therapy, and a range of supportive services including case management and application assisting for insurance enrollment.

About Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. is a youth development organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Our comprehensive approach to whole girl development equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. These positive outcomes are achieved through three core elements: people — trained staff and volunteers who build lasting, mentoring relationships; environment — girls only, physically and emotionally safe, where there is a sisterhood of support, high expectations, and mutual respect; programming — research based, hands on, and minds on, age appropriate, meeting the needs of today’s girl. Informed by girls and their families, we also serve as advocates with and for girls to increase opportunities for all girls.

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