UnitedHealthCare Services Inc.
09/18/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Health equity challenge inspires innovation in Michigan
Addressing the disparities impacting the health of communities across the nation could be most effective when the solutions come from those who call those places home.
To help address health disparities in Michigan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Michigan and Science Policy Network Detroit conducted a Health Equity Challenge. This was an opportunity for individuals or organizations to submit their ideas for unique, innovative programs they believed could help improve health outcomes within the state. Anyone with an idea could submit a proposal but were required to partner with a community-based organization for implementation.
"We wanted to launch this because there was no opportunity to work with community-based organizations and highlight the community's voices when we know they are doing great work. We wanted them to have a think tank," said Emily Williams, director of population health for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Michigan.
Two projects were selected as Health Equity Champions in 2024, each receiving a $50,000 grant to implement their program:
The "Lead Safe Homes: Informing Michigan Families on Childhood Universal Lead Testing" project was designed to provide education about the importance of lead testing, as well as identify communities where a significant percentage of children have been affected by lead poisoning.
The "Equitable Aging in Place for Adults with Chronic Illnesses" project connects older residents with chronic conditions with college students to provide an opportunity for social engagement and support, facilitated by an organization called Lori's Hands.
One of the specific challenges for Michigan identified in the America's Health Rankings Report was a high prevalence of multiple chronic conditions,1 a disparity addressed by Lori's Hands.
"What we liked about Lori's Hands was that they had a way to solve to not only aging in place for adults with chronic illnesses, but also fostering relationships between a younger generation and an older generation to solve for social isolation," Emily said. "There's a stigma, and we have seen within society that younger individuals do not always interact with older generations."
Submissions were evaluated by a diverse panel and scored on criteria including:
the application itself
if a health equity disparity was being clearly addressed
the feasibility of the proposed solution
whether the outcomes would be measurable
A sustainability plan was also required for all submissions.
The Health Equity Challenge helps identify creative, innovative ways to address the disparities within the state - while empowering the entire community to participate and push for improved outcomes.
"We were wanting to do something out of the box," Emily said. "And we wanted to be the first ones to do it."