Humana and Volunteers of America Determined Health Program announced at Community Health Fair
Humana, Volunteers of America (VOA) and community partners and leaders announced details of “Determined Health” at a Community Health Fair kick-off event on July 16. The “Determined Health” initiative will support Community Health Workers (CHWs) as they provide grassroots outreach, connecting West Louisville residents with high-quality, accessible health care services, as well as a trusted social service referral platform. While the program is primarily targeted at Humana Health Plan members, the entire West Louisville community will benefit from the outreach and services of the CHWs. Among other things, the program will focus on hypertension, diabetes, and those with maternal and child health needs.
The kickoff took place at the community-based offices of Volunteers of America Mid-States at 4303 West Broadway. The event showcased the partnership between Humana and Volunteers of America Mid-States alongside a health fair that included additional community partners and offered free COVID-19 vaccinations and diabetes and cancer screenings to attendees. Watch clips of the event from local media:
“VOA is thrilled to be a partner in this innovative and life-changing campaign, and we’re so grateful to Humana for their leadership and commitment. Our goal is providing education and access that lead to improved health outcomes for residents of West Louisville. Our trained Community Health Workers are ready to answer questions, connect people to care, support the people we serve and make sure we are helping people stay healthy,” said Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Mid-States.
Keisha Smith, Humana’s Associate Director of Health Equity and Population Health Strategy, was a key speaker at the community kickoff. Smith spoke about the Determined Health program saying Humana’s focus is to advocate for health equity in West Louisville and provide workforce development opportunities to the area. Smith also explained Humana’s objectives to both financially invest in the health of the community and establish partnerships between local health officials and community-based organizations to confront the health disparities facing West Louisville so that “everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.”
Determined Health is an aspect of a broader commitment Humana has made to West Louisville. Earlier this year Humana launched Louisville Community of Opportunity, a collaboration with new and existing partners to focus on addressing health equity in West Louisville through community, clinical and business integration. Additionally in 2020, Humana and The Humana Foundation invested more than $23M in Louisville-area nonprofits and community organizations and Louisville-area Humana associates and Black Achievers Interns volunteered more than 32,000 hours last year, supporting the community through board and committee service and other skills-based volunteerism.
In addition to the Community of Opportunity partners, Humana collaborates with several other key organizations in the Louisville area to help make our headquarters hometown more inclusive, equitable, and healthier for all. Significant investments in 2020 include $6.5 million to the Louisville Urban League’s Sports and Learning Complex, $1M to Evolve502 to fund scholarships that make two years of tuition-free postsecondary education available for JCPS graduates and other investments. Learn more here.
Each of these initiatives are part of Humana’s goal to promote and ensure that health equity is fully integrated into the design and development of Humana clinical programs, products, services and all member interactions and communications. This enables Humana to provide human care to our members and communities by working collaboratively with our partners to advance health equity.