Initiative designed to meet pressing social and health needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic
COLUMBUS, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Health and well-being company Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) today announced partnerships with several of Ohio’s leading community service organizations to address social factors that can significantly impact individual and community health, including food insecurity and housing insecurity. Both of these social determinants of health are even more acute today in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic downturn.
These latest community investments total nearly $500,000 and build on an earlier Humana initiative to provide more than $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief and recovery assistance in Ohio.
Food Insecurity
In Ohio, more than 1.6 million people are struggling with hunger, including nearly 500,000 children. With that in mind, Humana has made an initial investment to support three major local food banks:
- The Foodbank, a Dayton-area organization serving the Miami Valley.
- The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio.
- The Mid-Ohio Food Collective in the Columbus area provides enough food for more than 170,000 meals every day to people across 20 central and eastern Ohio counties.
“We are incredibly grateful to be working in partnership with Humana to strengthen access to nutritious food for our neighbors who are struggling in rural and/or Appalachian areas of our footprint,” said Matt Habash, President and CEO of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. “Partnerships with health care companies like Humana will go a long way toward improving health outcomes and supporting our food-based health care work, including our ‘Farmacy’ initiatives, here in Ohio. We appreciate the extraordinary leadership and generous investment by Humana to ensure that all in our communities can thrive.”
Housing
On any given day, more than 10,000 Ohioans are homeless. To help foster reliable housing for those in need, Humana is involved in two local, affordable housing initiatives:
- Humana is providing funding, as well as health care and research expertise, to Columbus-based Move to PROSPER, a collaboration to determine how safer, more prosperous and higher resourced neighborhoods can change the trajectory of a person’s life. Move to PROSPER is expanding its pilot to a 100 household project, to provide 100 local families with vital financial assistance and personal development resources during these challenging times.
- Humana is supporting the newly-developed Harper’s Pointe in Cuyahoga County, created to provide rent-subsidized, permanent housing, as well as support services, for individuals who on average have spent 600 or more days homeless. Co-developed by Cleveland-based CHN Housing Partners, Harper’s Pointe is part of the broader Housing First Initiative to end long-term homelessness. Humana will cover a funding gap for operational staff, who assist residents in finding mental, physical and social services, while serving as critical intervention support for those with severe mental illness.
“At CHN, we partner with organizations that are willing to tackle the advancement of health equity at the community level, which is not an easy task,” said Kevin J. Nowak, Executive Director of CHN Housing Partners. “Humana came to the table and is contributing to the stability of Cuyahoga County, by ensuring we have continuing operations for those experiencing long-term homelessness and chronic conditions.”
“Healthy bodies and minds require nutritious meals and reliable housing,” said Humana’s Regional Vice President of Health Services Nisha Patel, M.D., who is based in the Columbus area. “Humana is committed to co-creating solutions with community-based partners to address social determinants of health and the health-related social needs of our health plan members and our communities.”
Humana is recognized as a leader in addressing social determinants of health through its Bold Goal program. The Bold Goal is Humana’s population health strategy to improve the health of the communities it serves, and in 2020, Humana named Cincinnati as one of its latest Bold Goal communities.
Humana is proud to have served Ohio for more than 25 years. Nearly 568,000 Ohioans have health coverage through Humana Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare prescription drug plans, and commercial group health plans; and the TRICARE military health care program as administered by Humana.
About Humana
Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) 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:
- Annual reports to stockholders
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings
- Most recent investor conference presentations
- Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
- Calendar of events
- Corporate Governance information
Contacts
Alissa Krinsky
Humana Corporate Communications
akrinsky@humana.com
