Funding to Strengthen Community Care and Enhance Health Equity Across Central New York

(PRUnderground) June 17th, 2024

The Inclusive Alliance, an Independent Practice Association of health and human service nonprofit agencies serving the counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego and beyond, was selected as one of 20 grantees for USAging’s Center of Excellence to Align Health and Social Care (COE). With the funding received through the COE, we will be able to better support the infrastructure of our growing network of community-based organizations. The COE is supported by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) and will support community care hubs in their work to assess and address individuals’ health-related social needs and promote whole-person care.

The intent of these awards is to provide infrastructure funding to the selected CCHs like Inclusive Alliance in support of their contracting efforts with health care organizations for coordinated access to and delivery of social care programs and services (including support for hospital-to-home care transition programs) that assess and address health-related social needs and improve health equity and inclusion for individuals, families, and/or caregivers. These efforts will also enhance New York’s No Wrong Door access systems and coordinate with local and/or state public health departments.

“This funding represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide better care for our community across Central New York,” said Lauren Wetterhahn, Executive Director of Inclusive Alliance. “With this support, we will be able to strengthen our network and ensure that individuals and families have access to the inclusive, comprehensive services they need. Together, we are building a future where everyone in our community can get access to the services they need to thrive.”

“USAging is thrilled to award grants to these 20 outstanding Community Care Hubs,” said USAging CEO Sandy Markwood. “CCHs provide critical administrative and operational supports for networks of Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and other community-based organizations providing services addressing the health-related social needs of individuals with complex care needs and their caregivers. This funding will bolster the vital work CCHs do in their communities every day to align health and social care to meet people’s needs.” Markwood continued.

“Health care providers and plans are increasingly prioritizing screening for health-related social needs such as food insecurity, housing instability, unaffordable utilities and lack of transportation, and the aging and disability networks are critical partners in connecting people to the services and programs needed to address them,” said Alison Barkoff, who leads ACL. “It has been truly amazing to see the speed at which this work has advanced, thanks in large part to our network’s creation of community care hubs, which are establishing partnerships and contracts between community-based organizations and health care organizations across the nation. ACL looks forward to ongoing collaboration with the Center of Excellence to continue growing community care hubs across the entire country.”

About Inclusive Alliance IPA Inc

Inclusive Alliance is an Independent Practice Association of community-based organizations of varying sizes and scopes of services across Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties and beyond. The mission of the Inclusive Alliance is to advance the growth and quality of cost effective and inclusive services for children and adults through innovation, collaboration and coordination. The Inclusive Alliance’s purpose is to prepare members for managed care and value-based payment. Learn more at inclusivealliance.org.

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Original Press Release.