Unite Us Partners with HOPE for a Drug-Free Stephens and HealtHIE Georgia to Address Social Health Needs

TOCCOA, Ga., June 27, 2023 — Unite Us, the nation’s leading software company enabling cross-sector collaboration to improve people’s health and well-being, is partnering with HOPE for a Drug-Free Stephens, a nonprofit for opioid awareness, and HealtHIE Georgia, a network of rural Georgia hospitals and their physician communities working to improve patient care through health information and technology. This partnership will connect Georgia patients with community-based services, proactively screen patients for social needs, refer patients to social care providers, and maximize Unite Us’ coordinated care network, Unite Georgia.

Together, HOPE for a Drug-Free Stephens, HealtHIE Georgia, and Unite Us will securely connect people in need throughout Northeast Georgia with community-based resources that can otherwise be difficult to navigate. The network provides a central point of contact where health and social services providers can securely access and refer people to needed services while monitoring progress and measuring outcomes.

“The ability to assess the needs of underserved populations in Northeast Georgia and connect them to resources to meet their health and social needs once seemed impossible,” said Kathy Whitmire, Executive Director at HOPE for a Drug-Free Stephens. “Now, thanks to our collaboration with HealtHIE Georgia and Unite Us, what seemed impossible is now a reality. Residents of Northeast Georgia can now access harm-reduction resources through their own community and other means of care that will significantly improve their lives.”

HOPE for a Drug-Free Stephens was launched in 2019 to inform and educate the community about the risk associated with the use of drugs and alcohol and to develop treatment and recovery solutions.

In Georgia, Unite Us connects people to much-needed resources and services, such as assistance with housing, harm reduction, and employment. Partners in Unite Georgia are connected through Unite Us’ shared technology platform, which enables them to send and receive secure electronic referrals, address people’s social needs, and improve health across communities.

“Our collective collaboration with HOPE for a Drug-Free Stephens and HealtHIE Georgia will improve equitable access to care for all residents regardless of circumstance,” said Anthony Fulton, Georgia Community and Customer Success Director at Unite Us. “The focus of this partnership is to connect residents to harm reduction and behavioral and mental health services, along with other drivers of health needs that will enable them to flourish and live the lives they deserve.”

Nonprofits, community-based organizations, and other providers who want to connect their clients and patients to resources within Unite Georgia’s network can reach out to uniteus.com/contact/.