University Hospitals health system and Health Leads partners to address patient’s social needs

Cleveland-based University Hospitals health system (UH) and social enterprise Health Leads has announced their multi-year partnership to enhance patient health by addressing social needs.

The initial phase of the partnership will involve providing in-clinic social needs services in the pediatric and women’s health clinics at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital (UH Rainbow) and University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital (UH MacDonald) which treats more than 150 patients every day.

Health Leads will equip the facilities with its tools, technology and on-site direct services to provide an access of the local resources like food, utilities, transportation and insurance benefits to the patients.

The companies aim to integrate the social needs strategy across the institutions to innovate technology and tools, programme evaluation, clinician and staff education and new models of social needs service delivery.

UH Rainbow and UH MacDonald president Patti DePompei said: "Our strategic alliance with Health Leads gives us not only the tools and insights to deliver a comprehensive social needs programme, but also the leadership and innovation to continually strengthen our commitment to keep our communities healthy."

The programme is supported by a group of dedicated social needs team, including a veteran programme manager, 24 dedicated student advocates from Case Western Reserve University, and a community associate acquainted with local neighborhoods, cultures, languages and resources.

The team will identify the social needs of the patients, allow them access to the local resources and follow up with the proceedings.

The team will leverage on the Health Leads REACH, a cloud-based solution to manage workflow, patient screening, case and community resource management, communication and reporting.

Health Leads had a prior investment in the UH Rainbow and UH MacDonald facilities for developing new services and programmes designed with a focus on prevention, total health and wellness including Healthy Harvest, Centering Pregnancy and the Rainbow dental clinic.