First Social Care Network in State Will Launch in Fall, Called Unite Hawaiʻi

Technology company Unite Us has partnered with Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi and the nonprofit AlohaCare to create Unite Hawaiʻi, the first coordinated care network throughout the state that connects local communities to critical health and social services.

As social services such as food, employment and housing continue to be strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unite Hawaiʻi will bridge the care gap statewide for individuals in need by enabling real-time service delivery for communities, and secure trackable social service referrals focused on improving long-term health results.

Hawaiʻi consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation, with residents of the state living longer than people living on the mainland, due in large part to its near-universal health insurance system. But the pandemic has created healthcare problems, according to a Unite Us news release.

“Like many communities nationwide, Hawaiʻi is still experiencing unprecedented needs for social services during this recovery phase, and the Unite Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi.

The Unite Hawaiʻi 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 fulfillment of services.

“Connecting vulnerable populations to the health resources needed is an important part of providing quality care,” said Greg Christian, Hawaiʻi Market President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. “Unite Hawaiʻi 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.”

The Unite Us digital infrastructure platform will be available for Hawaiʻi providers statewide by the end of this year. AlohaCare is already sending referrals for their Oʻahu 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 Hawaiʻi. Local organizations interested in joining the network can learn more by visiting https://hawaii.uniteus.com/.