Cureatr and Unite Us Collaborate to Launch Program to Advance Health Equity for Patients

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cureatr, Inc., a new kind of clinical provider, using progressive healthcare data, technology, insights, and patient relationship-building to solve the complex medication management equation, and Unite Us, the cross-sector collaboration software company connecting health and social care, partner to launch a new program that'll advance health equity and support patients experiencing transitions of care.

The partnership with Unite Us has empowered Cureatr to more holistically care for patients and evolve the role of Cureatr's certified community health workers (CHWs). In addition to providing services that address medication access issues, the new health equity program allows CHWs to screen patients for social determinants of health (SDoH) insecurities related to food, transportation, housing, and health literacy and connect them to community resources in their area. The Unite Us closed-loop referral system streamlines service delivery across multiple regions to effectively address social needs and improve lives.

Cureatr initially launched its pilot health equity program with Unite Us in two state networks (Unite New York and Unite Missouri) after an introduction from a Missouri-based nonprofit attending a community information meeting. In Missouri, the network is built in partnership with CyncHealth, Freeman Health, Mercy, the United Way of Greater St. Louis, and United Healthcare, and in New York, the network is built in partnership with Healthy Alliance, AHI, and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Partners in both states are connected through Unite Us' shared technology platform, enabling them to send and receive secure, electronic referrals, address people's social needs, and improve community health.

After just one month of operation, the program successfully "closed the loop" for 83 percent of patients. The estimated value of each closed loop was about $1,000 of social assistance per patient. The impressive, life-changing results have motivated Cureatr to bring this transformative program to all patients the company serves in New York, Missouri, Ohio, Arizona, and North Carolina.

"Most programs designed to help people overcome SDoH and access the services they need are difficult to identify and navigate," said Cureatr's Director of Cureatr Clinic, Tram Thai, PharmD, BCACP, AE-C. "How can we expect people to get the help they need? To impact health, we must look at the whole person first. It's time we come together as a community and overcome these social factors. Our partnership with Unite Us and the launch of the health equity program is our way of making a difference in the lives of those individuals faced with significant SDoH barriers."

According to the World Health Organization, SDoH impacts roughly 80 percent of a person's quality and length of life. Cureatr and Unite Us are aligned in their missions to address SDoH. Both organizations recognize the importance and sense of urgency to make meaningful changes to the fragmented, siloed infrastructure of current SDoH programs.

"The collective goal of our partnership with Cureatr is to effectively increase equitable access to care for all residents regardless of circumstance," said Melissa Hutchison, Regional Network Director at Unite Us. "Cureatr and Unite Us will work together to redefine the quality, impact, and intersection of health and social care. Cureatr builds high levels of trust with the individuals they serve and, in that process, will uncover social needs that may not be uncovered elsewhere. Now they will be able to securely and efficiently connect those individuals to the right services at the right time and know that individuals got services," she added.

As part of its broader medication management services, Cureatr pharmacists are adept at helping patients better access medications and improve medication adherence. But patients' social drivers, such as food and housing insecurities or lack of transportation to get to medical appointments, add complexities that complicate delivering medication management services.

"As pharmacists, we are one of the most trusted healthcare professionals, and patients depend on us to help connect them to the right person or resource," said Cureatr's Vice President of Cureatr Clinic, Zarah Mayewski, PharmD, BCPPS. "When we encountered SDoH barriers as we provided medication management services, we weren't sure how to most effectively help these patients and worried that we would send them down a black hole of referrals. Through this program and partnership, our pharmacists now refer patients with such barriers to one of our CHWs using the Unite Us Platform to get them the social assistance they need."

Cureatr is the new breed of clinical, value-based provider: using expert clinical pharmacists, cutting-edge healthcare data, technology, insights, and patient relationship-building to solve the complex medication management equation, ultimately reducing the cost of care and improving patient outcomes. Cureatr's national medication management clinic is staffed by residency-trained and board-certified clinical pharmacists who work to combat suboptimal medication use, especially during those transitions of care where the most dangerous and costly mistakes are made. Learn more about Cureatr at cureatr.com.

Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers. With Unite Us, providers across sectors can send and receive secure electronic referrals, track every person's total health journey, and report on tangible outcomes across a full range of services in a centralized, cohesive, and collaborative ecosystem. Unite Us' dedicated team builds authentic, lasting partnerships with local organizations to ensure their networks have a solid foundation, launch successfully, and continue to grow and thrive. This HITRUST-certified social care infrastructure helps communities transform their ability to work together and measure impact at scale. Follow Unite Us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Cureatr Media Contact
Morgan Beschle
[email protected]

Unite Us Media Contact
Jaquetta Gooden
[email protected]
(808) 485-9086

SOURCE Cureatr