United Health Foundation, Partnership for Strong Communities to Expand Program Connecting Health Services & Housing for Peopl...
June 29 2016 - 2:59PM
Business Wire
- $300,000 grant by United Health
Foundation to help Partnership for Strong Communities expand the
Opening Doors-CT Hospital Initiative, coordinating a network of
Community Care Teams in Connecticut
- CCTs focus on identifying people
with complex health and social issues who are frequent users of
hospital emergency department services, and connecting them to
housing and other services
- 40 percent of frequent visitors to
emergency rooms in Connecticut are homeless or suffering from
housing insecurity
United Health Foundation today donated $300,000 to help
Partnership for Strong Communities (PSC) expand the Opening
Doors-CT Hospital Initiative, coordinating a network of Community
Care Teams (CCTs) in five additional Connecticut hospitals by the
end of 2017.
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Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy speaks
during a forum on homelessness where United Health Foundation
announced a $300,000 grant to Partnership for Strong Communities to
expand the Opening Doors-CT Hospital Initiative, which connects
people experiencing homelessness who are frequent users of hospital
emergency departments with housing and other services. L to R: Gov.
Malloy; Tina Brown-Stevenson, United Health Foundation board
member; Alicia Woodsby, executive director, Partnership for Strong
Communities; Terri DiPietro, CCT member, director, Outpatient
Behavioral Health at Middlesex Hospital; and Steve Farrell, CEO,
UnitedHealthcare of New England (Photo: Alan Grant).
The grant supports the Opening Doors-CT Hospital Initiative,
which works to connect people experiencing homelessness who are
frequent users of hospital emergency departments with housing and
other services. An early study by the Initiative showed that 40
percent of frequent visitors to emergency departments are homeless
or struggle with housing insecurity. Though homelessness in
Connecticut has decreased in recent years, in 2015 there were
nearly 11,000 people struggling with homelessness throughout the
state, according to the Connecticut Homelessness Management
Information System (HMIS).
The Initiative assists in coordinating CCTs, which are teams of
health care, housing and social service providers who work together
to identify people with complex health and social issues who
frequently use hospital emergency departments in order to access
primary health care services. CCTs connect people to housing and
other much-needed services, help care providers create flexible and
individualized care plans for clients, and enhance ownership of
patient care by hospital staff.
The Opening Doors-CT Hospital Initiative, led by PSC and the
Connecticut Hospital Association, began in 2014 with four CCTs
operating in five hospitals across the state. A core component of
the expansion will include establishing a Learning Collaborative
with key partners to share best practices, developing online
resources, and a qualitative and quantitative program analysis.
Terri DiPietro, a CCT member at Middlesex Hospital, sees
firsthand the difference they are making in their community. “All
of us, from hospital staff and housing providers to mental health
professionals, are able to coordinate and make sure a patient is
getting services and not falling through the cracks of the system.
By meeting regularly to discuss cases and communicating vital
health data in a timely manner, we can work together to make sure a
client has everything he or she needs to recover.”
The grant announcement was made during the final forum in PSC’s
annual IForum series, sponsored by United Health Foundation. The
final forum brought together approximately 150 community leaders,
including Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, homeless advocates and
health care professionals to discuss innovative ways to increase
access to care.
“Through the work of so many community-based organizations and
partners like United Health Foundation, we are working to bring
more care and support to people who need it most,” said Gov.
Malloy. “We’ve set high goals to end homelessness, and it is
through programs and partnerships like this that we are delivering
real progress.”
“Stable housing is a key component to reducing the number of
emergency department visits, because without a safe, secure home to
go to after hospitalization or treatment, people cannot recover and
get back on their feet,” said Alicia Woodsby, executive director,
Partnership for Strong Communities. “This initiative, supported
through the generosity of partners like United Health Foundation,
will provide valuable resources to expand the reach of CCTs and
improve the care for our most vulnerable populations.”
“Expanding this program with the help of the Opening Doors-CT
Hospital Initiative will help provide care for the thousands of men
and women throughout Connecticut who are struggling with
homelessness and health care,” said Tina Brown-Stevenson, United
Health Foundation board member. “United Health Foundation is
grateful for the opportunity to support area hospitals and the
networks of people and services throughout Connecticut who are
helping to care for our most vulnerable.”
About Partnership for Strong CommunitiesThe Partnership
for Strong Communities is a statewide nonprofit policy and advocacy
organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness,
expanding the creation of affordable housing, and building strong
communities in Connecticut. Learn more at
www.pschousing.org.
About United Health FoundationThrough 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 or follow @UHGGives on
Twitter or Facebook.com/UHGGives.
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Partnership for Strong CommunitiesWendy Kohn,
860-244-0066wendy@pschousing.orgorUnited Health
FoundationL.D. Platt, 202-654-8830LD_Platt@uhg.com
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