Unite Us, the enterprise technology company providing the digital infrastructure to power integrated health and social care ecosystems, on June 30 announced partnerships with Kaiser Permanente, a leading healthcare provider, and AlohaCare, a nonprofit health plan in Hawaii, to implement the first-ever coordinated care network throughout the state: Unite Hawaii.
As social services such as food, employment, and housing continue to be strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unite Hawaii will bridge the care gap statewide for individuals in need, enabling real-time service delivery for communities, and secure, trackable social service referrals.
The Unite Hawaii network is available to all community-based organizations at no cost to them, offering features that allow providers and care coordinators to connect members to participating organizations and receive real-time data on fulfillment of services.
Hawaii consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation. Hawaii residents live longer than their counterparts on the mainland, due in large part to its near-universal health insurance system. Still, the pandemic has made its mark.
“Like many communities nationwide, Hawaii is still experiencing unprecedented needs for social services during this recovery phase, and the Unite Hawaii network will make an already good system even better,” said Taylor Justice, co-founder and president of Unite Us.
“Connecting vulnerable populations to the health resources needed is an important part of providing quality care,” said Greg Christian, Hawaii market president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. “Unite Hawaii is an in-depth, innovative digital network for providers to connect and secure such resources outside of the clinic or hospital setting. We are delighted to partner and implement these wonderful tools.”
“AlohaCare has always connected our members to community services by referring them to local nonprofit organizations; the Unite Us Platform, will provide transparency into utilization and outcomes of these services,” said Francoise Culley-Trotman, chief executive officer of AlohaCare.
The Unite Us Platform will be available for Hawaii providers statewide by the end of this year. AlohaCare is already sending referrals for their Oahu members, and neighbor island referrals will commence this fall when additional social service providers join the network. Kaiser Permanente will send referrals on behalf of their plan members statewide later this year or early next year.
There is no cost for nonprofits and community-based organizations to participate in Unite Hawaii. Local organizations interested in joining the network can learn more by visiting https://hawaii.uniteus.com/.