Humana Partners with Leading Ohio Nonprofits to Address Food Insecurity and Housing

Originally published on Humana.com

Initiative designed to meet pressing social and health needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Health and well-being company Humana Incopens new window. (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 initiativeopens new window 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 peopleopens new window 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:

“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 homelessopens new window. 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 Cincinnatiopens new window 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.

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