Unite Us, which seeks to use software to address social determinants of health, will help PVA's Veterans Career Program assist transitioning service members, veterans, military spouses and their caregivers connect with essential resources, like housing, transportation, mental health and more.

WHY THIS MATTERS

This population's immediate need is to address a lack of access to basic necessities, which are beyond the scope of the career program, according to PVA's announcement. 

PVA works to address the needs of veterans with catastrophic disabilities and paralyzed veterans. Serving veterans in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico from its 70 offices, the organization develops training and career services, works on accessibility in public buildings and spaces, and provides health and rehabilitation opportunities.

The new analytics-driven partnership helps its clients keep focused on job searches and allows it to help more veterans in new locations, PVA says.

"PVA's Veterans Career Program assists veterans across the country as they search for new careers, but our clients' immediate needs often fall outside the scope of career support and into more crucial support that impedes their professional goals," explains Charles McCaffrey, director of the veterans career program at PVA, in the statement.

"Partnering with a coordinated care network, like Unite Us, is a game changer," he said.

New York City-based Unite Us focuses on building equity in population health management through coordinated care networks of health and social service providers – the infrastructure of care. 

Within the HITRUST-certified ecosystem, providers across sectors identify social care needs, make and receive referrals, report on results, and manage payments from paid social care programs, government funding, grants, philanthropic investments and hospital community benefit dollars, according to the company's website.

THE LARGER TREND

Technology innovations and health equity policy are driving changes that aim to address SDOH, according to Dan Brillman, CEO, and Melissa Sherry, vice president of social-care integration at Unite Us.

Several states, including North Carolina, California, Massachusetts, Arizona and Oregon, have expanded application of Medicaid dollars to include community-based social services. This fundamental shift in allocating Medicaid dollars beyond clinical care alone, is one example of a paradigm shift that could overcome barriers to healthcare, they say. 

"While there is debate around whether funding community-based services should be healthcare's responsibility, there is strong evidence supporting the notion that healthcare payers and providers cannot achieve their quality, cost and equity-related objectives without addressing underlying determinants of health," she told Healthcare IT News.

ON THE RECORD

"As a veteran, I'm grateful to Paralyzed Veterans of America and the work they do to ensure our veteran community has full access to the resources they need to live healthy, fulfilling and independent lives," said Adrienne Sherk, senior director of community-based organization partnerships at Unite Us, in PVA's statement.

Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.