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Newswise — University Hospitals (UH) is unveiling a new partnership with Unite Us, an organization that enables UH to better connect patients to the services they need.
 
Often, the most important factors in overall well-being -- housing, food, transportation, and employment – are the hardest for some patients to secure. The collaboration by UH with Unite Us creates a coordinated care network of health and social care providers and brings together community-focused organizations to facilitate access to resources.
 
“We know that the majority of health outcomes depend on factors beyond the walls of a hospital – food insecurity, housing, and social isolation,” said Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, UH Chief Quality and Clinical Transformation Officer. “University Hospitals is excited for this partnership and opportunity to connect every patient to organizations that address these social determinants of health.”
 
By working together, UH and Unite Us are able to securely connect UH patients in need with community-based resources that can be difficult to navigate. Patients benefit from a secure, central point of contact where health care providers, social service organizations, and individuals can access and refer people to needed services while monitoring progress and measuring outcomes.
 
Unite Us services will be available in all Ohio counties where University Hospitals has a presence. However, UH Lake Health clinicians will not participate until 2023 when Lake Health caregivers will be technologically integrated into the UH system.
 
The network in Ohio is composed of community partners from local and regional businesses, community organizations, faith-based organizations, other local health care organizations, schools and more. 
 
“We are thrilled to partner with University Hospitals as we continue to expand the network to support individuals and connect them to much-needed resources. Our team works collaboratively to support and train network partners that coordinate care no matter where in the state people live. Our goal is to increase equitable access to care and services,” said Toni Cunningham, Unite Us State Network Director for Ohio.
 
To learn more about services offered through the network, visit .