Unite Us Partners with AlohaCare and Kaiser Permanente to Launch First Social Care Network in Hawaii

Unite Hawaii network will transform care delivery by connecting local communities to critical health and social services

Honolulu, June 30, 2021, 10:10 a.m. ET — Unite Us, the enterprise technology company providing the digital infrastructure to power integrated health and social care ecosystems, today announced partnerships with Kaiser Permanente, a leading healthcare provider, and AlohaCare, a nonprofit health plan in Hawaii, to implement the first-ever coordinated care network throughout the state: Unite Hawaii. As social services such as food, employment, and housing continue to be strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unite Hawaii will bridge the care gap statewide for individuals in need, enabling real-time service delivery for communities, and secure, trackable social service referrals focused on improving long-term health outcomes.

Hawaii consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation. People here live longer than their counterparts on the mainland, due in large part to its near-universal health insurance system. Still, the pandemic has made its mark. “Like many communities nationwide, Hawaii is still experiencing unprecedented needs for social services during this recovery phase, and the Unite Hawaii network will make an already good system even better,” said Taylor Justice, Co-founder and President of Unite Us. “We’re thrilled that Kaiser Permanente and AlohaCare have chosen to partner with Unite Us and see the value in this proven, collaborative and accountable solution. We’re honored to serve this community and to work with our partners towards health equity in the state.” 

Research continues to reinforce the importance of social determinants of health and their impact on individual health outcomes. With up to 80% of a person’s overall health affected by circumstances outside of clinical services, Unite Us, Kaiser Permanente, and AlohaCare will prioritize the essential needs of communities in Hawaii. The Unite Hawaii network is available to all community-based organizations at no cost to them, offering features that allow providers and care coordinators to connect members to participating organizations and receive real-time data on fulfilment of services. 

“Connecting vulnerable populations to the health resources needed is an important part of providing quality care,” said Greg Christian, Hawaii Market President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. “Unite Hawaii is an in-depth, innovative digital network for providers to connect and secure such resources outside of the clinic or hospital setting. We are delighted to partner and implement these wonderful tools.”

“AlohaCare has always connected our members to community services by referring them to local nonprofit organizations; the Unite Us Platform, will provide transparency into utilization and outcomes of these services,” said Francoise Culley-Trotman, Chief Executive Officer of AlohaCare. “By employing a more holistic approach to health-related data, we’ll be one step closer to achieving whole person care for our members.”

Trust and transparency are the cornerstones of the Unite Us Platform. Unite Us has implemented a robust, person-centric, and health equity-driven process. Community partners, health systems, plans, and governments across the country rely on Unite Us’ secure and HIPAA-compliant platform to coordinate care. With robust protections and certifications aligned with industry-leading privacy and security frameworks such as HITRUST, Unite Us makes it possible for providers to improve the health of their clients and community while maintaining privacy and trust. 

The Unite Us Platform will be available for Hawaii providers statewide by the end of this year. AlohaCare is already sending referrals for their Oahu members, and neighbor island referrals will commence this fall when additional social service providers join the network. Kaiser Permanente will send referrals on behalf of their plan members statewide later this year or early next year. There is no cost for nonprofits and community-based organizations to participate in Unite Hawaii. Local organizations interested in joining the network can learn more by visiting https://hawaii.uniteus.com/. 

About AlohaCare:

AlohaCare is a community-led, nonprofit health plan founded in 1994 by Hawaii’s community health centers and is solely dedicated to serving those eligible for Hawaii’s QUEST Integration Medicaid and Medicare program. The nonprofit serves over 75,000 Hawaii members and is the state’s second largest Medicaid/Medicare health plan. For more information, visit alohacare.org.

About Kaiser Permanente: 

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve approximately 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. 

Media Contact:
AlohaCare c/o MVNP
Kashmira Reid
808-389-3771 (mobile)
kreid@mvnp.com

Media Contact:
Kaiser Permanente
Laura Lott
808-343-2406 (mobile)
laura.m.lott@kp.org