UnitedHealthcare Donates $500,000 to Nonprofits in Oklahoma

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is awarding $500,000 in Empowering Health grants to three community-based organizations in Oklahoma to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.

In total, UnitedHealthcare is donating $11 million in grants through its Empowering Health program across 11 states. The grants will assist individuals and families experiencing challenges from food insecurity, social isolation and behavioral health issues, and support local health promotion and health literacy efforts.

Grant recipients in Oklahoma include:

• Mental Health Association Oklahoma, Oklahoma City – $225,000 to support the Lottie House Peer-Run Drop-In Center where individuals impacted by mental illness, homelessness, substance abuse and justice system can seek help, including peer recovery support, street outreach programs, mobile medical services and navigation assistance in securing other basic services such as housing, physical/mental health care and social supports.
• Sunbeam Family Services, Oklahoma City – $200,000 to support a new resource center with a mental health hub in an underserved area, including a navigator, well-being activity supplies and other materials.
• Give 5, Oklahoma City – $75,000 to implement a program that increases social connectedness by engaging older adults in volunteerism with local community-based organizations.

“Social and economic factors have a profound impact on achieving and maintaining good health,” said Scott Flannery, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma. “Through our Empowering Health grants and local outreach efforts from UnitedHealthcare, we’re working with local organizations in the state to provide Oklahoma residents with an interconnected system of clinical and social services that can produce better health outcomes and make the health system work better for everyone.”

According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, approximately 80% of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused additional social and economic challenges that continue to affect healthy behaviors and exacerbate health disparities.

More than a third of members screened by UnitedHealthcare for social-related needs experience at least one social determinant of health. UnitedHealthcare leverages the company’s data to identify health disparities according to race, ethnicity, gender, geography and education level.