United Health Foundation Donates $500,000 to University of Chicago Medicine to Support Expanded COVID-19 Testing in Underserv...
April 28 2020 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
- Funding will support University of Chicago Medicine’s efforts
to test 1,000 residents a day on the South Side of Chicago
- Five ZIP codes in the University of Chicago Medicine’s South
Side service area have among the highest confirmed rates of
COVID-19 in Chicago
- Donation is part of UnitedHealth Group’s initial $70 million
effort to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities
The United Health Foundation is donating $500,000 to the
University of Chicago Medicine to support expanded COVID-19 testing
for underserved communities. The financial support will allow
UChicago Medicine and the South Side Healthcare Collaborative
community health partners to expand testing to up to 1,000
residents a day on the South Side of Chicago, one of the hardest
hit areas in the city. The effort is part of UnitedHealth Group’s
(NYSE: UNH) initial $70 million commitment to fight COVID-19 and
support impacted communities.
“Rigorous testing remains an essential tool in the fight against
COVID-19, yet some communities continue to face barriers to
accessing testing and other health care needs,” said Dr. Ana
Fuentevilla, chief medical officer, Population Health Solutions at
Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company. “By partnering with a renowned
health care organization like the UChicago Medicine and its South
Side Healthcare Collaborative, we are working to address health
care equity and ensure access to care for underserved communities
in the city of Chicago.”
The United Health Foundation funding will support:
- Testing at South Side Healthcare Collaborative (SSHC) clinics
and community hospitals.
- Training SSHC clinical staff in COVID-19 guidelines and
protocols for testing, as well as treating patients who test
positive for COVID-19.
- Training SSHC clinical staff to conduct contact tracing.
- Personal protective equipment and supplies to support increased
testing.
- Temporary housing for patients who test positive for
COVID-19.
Patients’ insurance plans will be billed for the cost of the
test, and the health system will waive copays so there is no
out-of-pocket cost to patients. People without insurance also will
not face any financial obligations for the test.
The South Side of Chicago suffers some of the worst economic,
health, social and violence disparities in the United States.
Residents also have significantly higher rates of chronic disease
such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, obesity and HIV. Because of
these factors, five of the ZIP codes in UChicago Medicine’s service
area have among the highest confirmed rates of COVID-19 in the
city. They include 60617, 60619, 60620, 60628 and 60643.
“We are grateful to the United Health Foundation for its support
of our efforts to provide much needed care to communities
disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 emergency,” said Brenda
Battle, vice president of UChicago Medicine’s Urban Health
Initiative and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “The
financial support will allow South Side health care providers to
ramp up staff and supplies needed to make testing more widely
available to those most at risk in the community, which is critical
to our efforts to prevent further spread of COVID-19.”
UnitedHealth Group has committed an initial $70 million to fight
COVID-19 and support impacted communities including health care
workers, hard-hit states and localities, seniors and those
experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
UnitedHealth Group, including UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and
its affiliated companies, have a long history of addressing health
disparities, including many programs to improve access to care and
address key determinants of health such as food insecurity,
transportation, housing and more. Additionally, the United Health
Foundation’s Diverse Scholars Initiative works to create a more
relevant and diverse health workforce, particularly in underserved
communities, by increasing the number of primary care health
providers ready to meet future health care needs. Since the
inception of the Diverse Scholars Initiative in 2007, the United
Health Foundation has provided more than $23 million in funding in
support of nearly 3,000 scholarships.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care
company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and
helping to make the health system work better for everyone.
UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services
through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides
health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which
provides information and technology-enabled health services. For
more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at
www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on
Twitter.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005325/en/
Tony Marusic, UnitedHealthcare Communications
tony_marusic@uhc.com (312) 348-3825
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