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United Health Foundation Awards $1 Million Partnership Grant to Circle the City

UNH | May 10, 2018

United Health Foundation Awards $1 Million Partnership Grant to Circle the City

Grant will fund health care services for the homeless at new downtown medical respite facility

United Health Foundation awarded a $1 million partnership grant to Circle the City to help the organization provide health care services in a new Medical Respite Center for the homeless at the Maricopa Human Services Campus.

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UnitedHealthcare Community & State CEO Heather Cianfrocco announces a $1 million partnership grant from United Health Foundation to fund operations at Circle the City’s new Medical Respite Center on the Maricopa Human Services Campus (Photo courtesy of Robert Farthing, Riester Public Relations).

The expanded physical, mental health and social services at the new location will enable Circle the City to continue to support patients in successful transitions from inpatient to outpatient settings, and implement key processes and analytics to triage frequent utilizers to appropriate levels of intervention within Circle the City’s services.

“Our mission is to compassionately address the health care needs of men, women and children facing homelessness,” said Brandon Clark, CEO of Circle the City. “Medical respite care is a national best practice in achieving this mission of holistic care for the most vulnerable in our community. We are grateful for the generosity of United Health Foundation for helping us expand this innovative model.”

The announcement was made during an event at Circle the City’s flagship Medical Respite Center in Phoenix. In attendance were Arizona Medicaid Director Tom Betlach; Circle the City CEO Brandon Clark, and founder and chief medical officer Sister Adele O’Sullivan, M.D.; UnitedHealthcare Community & State CEO Heather Cianfrocco; Circle the City staff and partners; UnitedHealthcare volunteers; and medical respite patients.

“We continuously strive to improve our state’s Medicaid system, and seek innovative ways to increase access to health care and improve outcomes for vulnerable people. Organizations like Circle the City and United Health Foundation are incredible partners that are making a difference for our program and more importantly for those we serve,” said Betlach.

“With homelessness on the rise statewide, this partnership will help people receive the vital health and social services they need and deserve,” said Cianfrocco. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Circle the City to help build healthier communities one person at a time, and especially for the homeless in Arizona.”

“The partnership between Circle the City and United Health Foundation will make a major difference for vulnerable populations across the Phoenix area. I appreciate United Health Foundation's support and its efforts to serve and invest in Arizona's communities," said Gov. Doug Ducey.

About Circle the City
Circle the City is an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit community health organization dedicated to providing high quality, holistic healthcare to men, women, and children facing homelessness in Maricopa County. The organization’s homeless continuum of care is one-of-a-kind in the state of Arizona and one of the only models of its kind in the nation. Patients benefit from several different models of care offered within Circle the City’s family of programs, including primary care services, integrative outpatient behavioral health and substance abuse services, mobile health outreach services, or medical respite services in one of Circle the City’s flagship respite care centers. For more information, please visit www.circlethecity.org or call (623) 900-2203.

About United Health Foundation
Through collaboration with community partners, grants and outreach efforts, United Health Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local communities. United Health Foundation was established by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date, United Health Foundation has committed nearly $358 million to programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn more at www.unitedhealthgroup.com/SocialResponsibility .

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

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