LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of the company’s efforts to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves, Humana announced today that Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston are now Bold Goal communities, bringing its total to 14 communities.
In 2015, Humana announced its Bold Goal, a population health strategy to improve the health of the communities the company serves by 20% by 2020. Humana will be taking its Bold Goal beyond 2020 through an integrated approach designed to encompass community, clinical and business aspects.
Humana reports its Bold Goal learnings and results across specific conditions and social determinants of health, such as loneliness, social isolation and food insecurity. The company uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health-related quality of life measurement known as Healthy Days to report progress. Healthy Days takes into account the whole person by measuring self-reported mentally and physically Unhealthy Days over a 30-day period.
Caraline Coats, Vice President, Bold Goal and Population Health Strategy, who leads the company’s efforts to advance the Bold Goal, believes that the key for helping Humana’s three new Bold Goal communities will necessitate strong local partnerships in the respective communities that can address both physical and mental health.
“Humana is proud to add Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston to the Bold Goal family, all of whom are communities where Humana has built strong foundations to improve Healthy Days,” said Coats. “We all know that health happens in the local community. A key element of the holistic approach to care is to form partnerships with local organizations who can address the social determinants of health, which are affecting our Medicare Advantage members.”
Taking a customized, localized approach to health
Listed below is a brief synopsis of how Humana is going to engage each of these respective new Bold Goal communities:
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ATLANTA: Atlanta represents a unique opportunity for Humana to help individuals improve their physical and behavioral health. Recently, Matthew Moore, Humana South Region Medicare President, spoke to the Atlanta
Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), a growing coalition of public, private and nonprofit organizations committed to improving the Atlanta region’s health. For the first few months, the Humana Atlanta Bold Goal team will focus on building and expanding partnerships with local community organizations as it begins to design its population health strategic approach for the market.
“While Humana has had the privilege of serving our Atlanta members for years, the designation of Atlanta as a Bold Goal community represents a unique opportunity for us to dive into the local communities and address the health issues impacting our members,” said Moore. ”We’re looking forward to working with ARCHI and other local organizations on our journey.”
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CHARLOTTE: Humana is addressing the impact of social determinants of health on its Medicare Advantage membership in Charlotte market. Humana is collaborating with Atrium Health to screen seniors and others for loneliness and social isolation, providing a telephonic coaching intervention and referring to community resources. Humana Medicare sales agents were trained and received certificates in Mental Health First Aid with facilitators from Atrium Health Community Engagement & Corporate Responsibility so they can provide support and community resources to address loneliness and social isolation for Humana Medicare Advantage members.
“During the last few years, we have been focused on addressing how social determinants of health such as loneliness and social isolation are tearing at the fabric of the health of Charlotte,” said Neil Steffens, Mid-Atlantic Medicare President and Bold Goal lead for Charlotte. “Designating Charlotte as a Bold Goal community is a key step as we look to collaborate with our local community partners to help the people in Charlotte achieve their optimal health and well-being.”
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HOUSTON: Humana and the University of Houston are working together to prepare the next generation of physicians and clinicians in population health. In August of last year, Humana and the University of Houston launched a strategic partnership to create the Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute at the University of Houston, which unites the university’s new College of Medicine, as well as the existing colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Optometry. The partnership focuses on improving health outcomes with a focus in underserved communities, and expanding the practice of value-based care.
Also, the Texas team looked to bring senior-focused primary care to the Houston market to help address social determinants of health that impact our Medicare Advantage members. Thanks to the team’s efforts, Humana Medicare Advantage members have additional access to high-impact, relationship-based primary care through six Iora Primary Care practices and five Partners in Primary Care practices. The high-touch level of care at these primary care practices provided by the doctors and care teams combined with Humana’s strong Medicare capabilities puts the focus on whole-person health care to ensure our members have access to the care and community resources they need to get and stay healthy.
“Humana’s partnership with the University of Houston is going to significantly help physicians and clinicians address the importance of social determinants of health at an earlier phase in a person’s life and how it plays into population health,” said Bill White, Texas Medicare President, who leads Humana’s Bold Goal engagement in Houston. “We also have an opportunity to leverage the community organizations, and local government agencies, to help undeserved communities address how social determinants of health such as food insecurity are negatively impacting community health.”
Humana’s Bold Goal and relevant information
Humana currently has 11 Bold Goal communities, which include: Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Broward County, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Jacksonville, Florida; Kansas City, Kansas; Knoxville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Richmond, Virginia; San Antonio, Texas; and Tampa Bay, Florida.
Humana tracks populations through lines of business such as Medicare Advantage, Group and Medicaid. Earlier this year, Humana unveiled its annual Bold Goal Progress Report, which found that Medicare Advantage members living in the company’s original seven Bold Goal communities have seen a 2.7 percent reduction in their Unhealthy Days since 2015.
Please visit www.humana.com/boldgoal for additional information on Humana’s efforts or learn how to get involved in one of the community Health Advisory Boards.
About Humana
Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.
To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes health care easier to navigate and more effective.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:
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Annual reports to stockholders
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Securities and Exchange Commission filings
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Most recent investor conference presentations
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Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
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Calendar of events
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Corporate Governance information
