MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) has been awarded a $2.5 million grant over three years by United Health Foundation to support HCMC’s innovative programs that provide services for patients with complex socioeconomic and health issues.
HCMC will use the grant to:
- assess its patient population through interviews to determine the barriers they face in moving the delivery of health care upstream, from the emergency room to the clinic, and ultimately to the patient’s home;
- design innovative models of care that address these barriers and shift the focus of care to health rather than disease; and
- analyze and evaluate the utilization rate and effectiveness of the new model(s).
The grant is part of the United Health Foundation “Helping Build Healthier Communities” program that is providing critical resources to nonprofit, community-based organizations across the country to improve communities’ health and well-being.
“We are thrilled to receive United Health Foundation’s support in helping us enhance and transform our community’s health and well-being,” said HCMC CEO Jon Pryor, M.D., MBA. “We’ve worked hard to address the challenges of caring for patients with complex socioeconomic and health issues, but with United Health Foundation’s resources and expertise, we will explore ways to improve our already successful programs.”
The announcement was made during HCMC’s Annual Meeting that brought together health experts, board members, community leaders and patients to report what has been happening at HCMC in the past year.
The funding comes at a critical time as Accountable Care Organizations are focused on population health, patient satisfaction and defining new approaches to delivering care.
“We are grateful to United Health Foundation for providing this grant to HCMC that will help improve the lives of people who rely on HCMC’s services and programs,” said Suzanne Begin, vice president of Philanthropy and Community Relations, HCMC and president, Hennepin Health Foundation. “This partnership will enable HCMC to expand its reach into underserved communities and focus on creative ways to improve health for people facing physical, mental and socioeconomic challenges.”
“United Health Foundation is supporting Hennepin County Medical Center’s efforts in bringing new, innovative approaches in care,” said Brett Edelson of UnitedHealthcare. “HCMC’s work in the community is showing significant results and helping improve people’s health and quality of life, particularly in underserved areas.”
Hennepin Health Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose sole purpose is to inspire community generosity to support HCMC. HCMC is a Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center and an academic center for numerous resident and other professional programs. Patients from Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and the entire state of Minnesota are seen at the downtown campus and 11 primary and specialty care clinics in Hennepin County. In 2013, HCMC had 22,236 discharges, 127,047 patient days, and 537,467 clinic visits. Given its academic culture and record of caring for a highly diverse patient population, HCMC is a perfect learning laboratory for innovations in healthcare.
About Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin
County Medical Center is a nationally recognized Level I Adult Trauma
Center and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center with the largest emergency
department in Minnesota. The comprehensive academic medical center and
public teaching hospital includes a 462-bed acute care hospital with
primary care and specialty clinics located in downtown Minneapolis and
throughout the Twin Cities area.
The mission of Hennepin County Medical Center is to “Partner with our community, our patients and their families to ensure access to outstanding care for everyone, while improving health and wellness through teaching, patient and community education, and research.”
About United Health Foundation
Through
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 $285 million to programs and
communities around the world. We invite you to learn more at www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.
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