PITTSBURGH , June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gateway Health Plan, Inc., ("Gateway Health"), a leading managed care organization dedicated to caring for the "total health" of its members, and the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health ("1889 JCPH") have partnered to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities for Gateway Health's expectant mothers living in Cambria and Somerset Counties.
The Community Care HUB was implemented by the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health and offers community-based care coordination for pregnant women who are eligible for, or currently receiving Medical Assistance, or who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The Community Care HUB follows the Pathways Community HUB model developed by Pathways Community HUB Institute. The HUB model aims to impact health outcomes by addressing risk factors associated with poor health outcomes.
Gateway Health members who are eligible for this free service are connected with a community health worker who identifies and addresses their specific health needs. Through face-to-face interactions, the community health worker works to improve maternal health outcomes by linking eligible members to various community resources that reduce both medical and social barriers to care, such as employment, housing, food access, and transportation needs.
"At Gateway Health, we believe in caring for the whole person in all communities where the need is greatest and we see a future where everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve their best health," said Regina Vercilla , Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Innovation, Gateway Health. "We are proud to partner with the Community Care HUB, an organization that shares our whole person care approach. Through this partnership, we aim to improve maternal health outcomes by meeting our members directly where they are."
In 2019, County Health Rankings showed Cambria County ranked 65 out of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania for health outcomes and Somerset County ranked 31. Both counties ranked among the least healthy when it came to health factors impacting the communities.
"We are grateful to collaborate with Gateway Health and connect community health workers with their at-risk pregnant members," said Jeannine McMillan , Executive Director, Community Care HUB. "There are so many amazing social and medical service providers in our region and the community health workers connecting individuals to these resources will have a significant impact on improving the health outcomes of those most vulnerable in our communities."
"We are proud to have Gateway Health as a partner on this important initiative. This is exactly the kind of innovative payor-provider partnerships we need to accelerate population health improvement," said Dr. Billy Oglesby , Interim Dean of the Jefferson College of Population Health.
Through its leading Medicaid and Medicare programs, Gateway Health is coordinating health care that goes beyond doctors and medicine to deliver whole person care to the communities it serves. Gateway Health's legacy of addressing the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), which refers to the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, can be traced back to the start of the company nearly 30 years ago.
To learn more about the Community Care HUB, visit www.1889jeffersoncenter.org/hub .
About Gateway Health
At Gateway Health, we believe in caring for the whole person in all communities where the need is greatest. We see a future in which everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their best health. Through our leading Medicaid and Medicare programs, Gateway Health is coordinating healthcare that goes beyond doctors and medicine that helps members achieve not just physical health, but also delivers whole person care. Our associates are helping to drive this new kind of healthcare in collaboration with a network of 29,000 primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and other ancillary providers. Gateway Health is also committed to supporting our neighbors through our many community outreach and engagement programs.
About 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health
The 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health was founded as a collaborative research and resource center focused on population health and disease prevention to benefit the citizens living in Cambria and Somerset Counties. The 1889 JCPH is a partnership between 1889 Foundation, located in Johnstown, PA and Jefferson College of Population Health of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
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SOURCE Gateway Health Plan