New Partnership between United Way Association of South Carolina and Unite Us Creates a Model for Better Care Across the State

United Ways in South Carolina will join Unite South Carolina so that they–and all their member community-based organizations (CBOs)–are connected by Unite Us' technology solution within one, comprehensive, closed-loop referral network.

COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Way Association of South Carolina (UWASC) today announced a groundbreaking new partnership with Unite Us, the enterprise technology company connecting health and social care, through which United Ways across South Carolina will leverage Unite Us' technology to securely send and receive referrals, and track outcomes in a person-centered model.

This first-of-its kind partnership helps usher in an era of value-based care in South Carolina.  In collaboration with hospital systems, community health systems and healthcare agencies across the state, the partnership will connect the community support from United Ways across South Carolina with the reach and connection of the Unite Us Platform. It will also combine the SC 2-1-1 community and information referral systems with best-in-class technology, to enable medical providers to connect patients to community resources that support better health outcomes through services and support.

This model has far-reaching impact for multiple reasons:

• The two organizations will combine their operation, technology, and financial resources to build a sustainable, common ecosystem that includes the government, healthcare and community sectors
• Communities across the state will be able to identify gaps in care and funding, and address them through new partnerships and differentiated funding streams
• CBOs will have access to top-notch technology tools to show the impact of their work and real-time outcomes data

UWASC and Unite Us are aligned both in their missions and values, and see a tremendous opportunity to standardize a model that can be replicated around the country by other United Way agencies. The pairing of UWASC's deep understanding of local communities and their needs, with Unite Us' unparalleled technology to securely streamline service delivery across multiple sectors, creates a new precedent for the future of care delivery.

Even more exciting, some intrepid, innovative United Way agencies plan to use Unite Us' payments solution to track their investments in CBOs, and better understand the impact those dollars have on individuals and families around the state.

Nationally, the United Way dates back to 1918, and today is widely recognized as a convening organization that serves as the backbone of communities around the country, both as a source of funding and vital, local resources.

In South Carolina, United Way has a presence and partnerships in every community across the state, bringing more than $55M annually in community investments to the areas it is most needed.  Through its network, in 2022 alone, United Way was able to administer $11M in Housing Stability Services across South Carolina and supported more than 250,000 residents in finding resources in times of need.

"Solving for the connection between health outcomes and community supports has been a major challenge in South Carolina for many years. We're glad to be a part of this 'technology-connects-community' approach to improving health outcomes in the state, and to leverage the knowledge and work of those who endeavored on this task for many years to build a great system for all South Carolinians," Says Naomi Lett, President & CEO of United Way Association of South Carolina. "Unite Us brings best-in-class technology to our great state and we are excited to be partners."

Now serving communities in 44 states, Unite Us' success in connecting health and social care is deeply rooted in respect for the longstanding community partners who rely on its technology to modernize their processes and workflows in order to support even more people.

"The timing for this partnership couldn't be better, as community needs continue to escalate in this post-pandemic era. Our work with UWASC is a game-changer to sustainably scale and improve access to social care across South Carolina," said Taylor Justice, Co-Founder and President of Unite Us. "Our partnership is the realization of system transformation, and a model for how Unite Us and United Ways can work together elsewhere, supporting the agencies delivering services so they can focus on providing top-notch care." 

The Unite South Carolina network was initially launched in October 2021 and has already served hundreds of community members and providers – a number that increases weekly. One example of the network's impact includes facilitating produce prescriptions for South Carolinians living with diabetes facilitated from federally qualified health centers and free clinics to the Foodshare VeggieRx program. Now, to onboard new United Ways onto the platform, Unite Us' team is creating tailored training plans so agencies can easily dive in and connect South Carolinians to services in the network.

Several United Ways across the state have already joined the Unite South Carolina network. Ferlecia Cuthbertson, Chief Philanthropy Officer of United Way of Barnwell, Allendale, and Bamberg noted, "It is such a pleasure as a rural community to be included early in the engagement process for Unite Us. This platform will be a welcomed and very instrumental asset. It will allow our full-time staff, community partners who don't have websites, and other resources to all interconnect the needs of our community members to direct solutions! The ability to build the platform's participating partners to meet the dynamics and uniqueness of our area, free of charge, will be of immeasurable impact for generations to come!"

To learn more about this work and to join the network, please visit https://southcarolina.uniteus.com/team/ or contact [email protected] to get in touch.

About United Way Association of South Carolina:

United Way Association of South Carolina (UWASC) works to maximize the capacity and effectiveness of local United Ways and provide leadership on issues that impact the quality of life of South Carolina residents. Through a network of collective partnerships, UWASC is committed in its efforts to:

• Provide support and enhance capacity of local United Ways
• Coordinate and champion action on significant public policy issues; and
• Improve effectiveness and coordination of health and human services in South Carolina.

United Way fights for the Health, Education and Financial Stability of every person in our community. We go beyond temporary fixes to create lasting change in communities around the world. By bringing people and organizations together around innovative solutions, we impact millions of lives every year.

About Unite Us:

Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers. With Unite Us' end-to-end solution, providers across sectors identify social care needs, send and receive secure electronic referrals, report on tangible outcomes, and transform payment models within a secure and collaborative ecosystem. Unite Us' community engagement teams build sustainable partnerships with local organizations to ensure networks have solid foundations, launch successfully, and continue to grow and thrive. This HITRUST-certified social care infrastructure helps communities address social determinants of health and advance health equity. Follow Unite Us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Media Contact: 
Naomi Lett, President and CEO UWASC
[email protected]

SOURCE Unite Us