Washington, DC (Akiit.com) – UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) announces new initiatives resulting from an ongoing collaboration with African-American colleges and academic physicians designed to develop new, innovative health care solutions, in response to the documented disparities in health care status experienced by African Americans.
During the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education’s (NAFEO’s) 32nd National Conference on Blacks in Higher Education, new models of health care for employees, students and communities of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will be explored. Specifically, representatives of the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools Inc. will work with their college and university counterparts to create new models that are relevant to promoting high-quality health care and disease management that address the special challenges faced by the thousands of students and employees of these vital American institutions.Â
“NAFEO is delighted to again partner with UnitedHealth Group to assist our members in establishing cultures of wellness on their campuses and their service communities,” said Dr. Lezli Baskerville, president and CEO of NAFEO. “Our members are leading in conducting research, designing and directing research-based programs and services to address health disparities that disproportionately plague the African-American community, such as cancer, obesity, HIV-AIDS, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“UnitedHealth Group’s sponsorship and convening of the health colloquia during this year’s conference will help put a greater national spotlight on these issues that are vital to the survival and progress of not only our institutions, but the African-American community and, indeed, the national economy,” Dr. Baskerville added.
The conference, titled “America’s Black Colleges and Universities: Expanding Access, Ensuring Success, Fostering Global Competitiveness,” will take place March 14-17, 2007, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. It is open to the public for a conference registration fee. For more information about the conference, call (202) 552-3343 or visit www.nafeo.org
“UnitedHealth Group is pleased to serve as a catalyst to bring together the extraordinary intellectual resources represented by NAFEO and the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools in service to this important national priority,” said Reed Tuckson, M.D., UnitedHealth Group’s executive vice president and chief of Medical Affairs. “We are also pleased to contribute the experience we have gained through our innovative Generations of Wellness program, which today assists thousands of minority consumers with tools that support enhanced health care outcomes.”
Phyllis Champion, CEO of the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools, said, “We appreciate this opportunity to provide our expertise to our sister colleges and present a unique opportunity to create a tangible difference in helping to improve the overall health and wellness and quality of life for African Americans.”
UnitedHealthcare’s Generations of Wellness has coordinated the expertise of luminaries such as Dr. John Maupin, president of Morehouse School of Medicine, and other representatives from the African-American medical community to work with their counterparts who manage health services for HBCUs. By collaborating with AV International, Inc. (AVI) and North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance (NCM), this unique initiative offers medical, vision, dental, life, disability, and behavioral health plans that are integral parts of an affordable, comprehensive benefits plan geared to meet the specific needs of the HBCUs.
Additionally, Ovations, another UnitedHealth Group company, is providing its expertise to enhance innovations in nursing to close the gap in health care disparities. Experts such as Millicent Gorham, president of the National Association of Black Nurses; Patricia Ford-Roegner, CEO of the American Academy of Nursing; Mamie Montague, Ph.D., associate professor, Howard School of Nursing; and Anne Pohnert, chief operating officer of Minute Clinics will lead in this activity. The panel will be moderated by Ludmilla Scott, legislative assistant for Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.).
More information about UnitedHealthcare’s Generations of Wellness is available at www.uhcgenerations.com