Optum is one of the leading value-based care delivery organizations in the country, serving two million patients in California. It is also passionately local, providing community-based care to diverse patient populations across the state.
Over the last 18 months, Optum has partnered with its communities in myriad ways. Its teams have worked tirelessly at vaccine clinics, providing underserved populations with a vital line of defense against COVID-19. Optum has partnered with multiple community organizations and donated over $1 million to support those who have been most impacted by the pandemic. Optum also partnered with Wider Circle, delivering 75,000 meals healthy meals to community members who wouldn’t have access to food otherwise.
Providing high-quality care to underserved communities is a key focus in Optum’s work to improve health equity. One such example is the Optum–Hemet Primary Care and Community Center, which is located in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area. To meet the needs of residents, Optum opened a one-stop shop: a clinic, pharmacy, on-site lab, and radiology services that provide patients with exceptional care, plus a gym and community center for everyone. Additionally, a social worker is available to help connect those in need with food banks, transportation, and other community services.
“We wanted to make it easier for people to access the health care and social support they need,” said Dr. Amar Desai, president and CEO, Optum California. “By bringing together multiple health care services under one roof we hope to improve the health and wellness of the Hemet community.”
To ensure care that is culturally relevant and effective, Optum is intentional in ensuring its physicians and care teams reflect the communities they serve, recently bringing on several physicians who not only share the language but also the cultural background of patients in the downtown Los Angeles clinic in one such effort.
To further improve health equity, Optum recently launched the first accredited and publicly available educational series to help health care professionals better care for members of the LGBTQ+ community. This series is designed to reduce health disparities by addressing the unique challenges members of this community face, including social stigma, discrimination, and poor access to health services.
“LGBTQ+ people face a number of unique challenges and barriers when it comes to their health and wellbeing. Many of these barriers are rooted in simple lack of awareness and understanding,” Dr. Desai said.
Optum’s work is driven by its team. Optum employees contributed nearly 149,000 volunteer hours to causes that mattered to them over the last year. Through matching donation programs, Optum helped contribute more than $7.3 million to local food shelters, animal hospitals, schools, and universities across Southern California. The organization is grateful for the compassion and dedication of its team members for their determined efforts to keep their neighbors and friends healthy.
Optum knows good health starts at the community-level and is proud to use the size and scale of its organization to make an impact on combatting health disparities at the local level. In doing so, the organization is helping people live healthier lives and helping the health system to work better for everyone.
For more information on Optum California, please visit optum.com/california.
