United Health Foundation helps community health centers in four of the poorest communities in the United States increase access to and, most importantly, improve the quality of health care. The Community Health Centers of Excellence initiative partners with established community clinics, working to address major health care concerns. Centers were selected based on the high prevalence of health problems linked to known racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities. The initiative emphasizes preventive care, coordination of care and the use of nationally-recognized

Click here to view the news segment on
St. Cecilia's in New Orleans

standards of treatment, tailored to the unique needs of each community, in collaboration with local academic health centers who best understand these needs. Our partnerships include:

Congress Heights/Anacostia, Washington, D.C. – Partnered with Unity Health Care, Inc., D.C.’s largest non-profit provider of primary care, to launch the Congress Heights center, which serves a predominantly low-income, African-American community. (Since 2003)

South Bronx, New York City – Partnered with The Children’s Health Fund to expand care in the South Bronx, known for a high prevalence of asthma and diabetes. (Since 2004)

Overtown, Miami – Partnered with the University of Miami School of Medicine to support the Jefferson Reaves, Sr. Health Center, which serves a large, multi-cultural, low-income population in the historic black neighborhood of Overtown. The grants enable the center to offer services, such as nutrition, diabetes education and mental health. (Since 2004)

New Orleans – Partnered with EXCELth’s Daughters of Charity – St. Cecilia’s clinic, to provide health services to New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The clinic, along with other centers in New Orleans, fills the void left by the now defunct, public Charity Hospital, which remains closed since Katrina. (Since 2006)

Impact A study of the quality of care at these community health centers released by George Washington University Medical Center found that, based upon national standards, they provided care at or above that available in the private sector. The measures used in the evaluation included screening for cervical cancer and tobacco use; the quality of care furnished to persons with diabetes and asthma; the frequency of prenatal care HIV screening; and patient satisfaction levels.

Read the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management article.
Review the latest report.

Click here to find out more about the history of community health centers and the important role these clinics play in our nation’s health care system.

Innovation Our centers are solving problems in their communities through innovative programs.

In Overtown, a doctor has developed a cooking competition with low-income, often Creole-speaking, African-American high school students to teach them healthy ways to cook ethnic meals. A bilingual nutritionist is also offering healthy eating habits to members of the Spanish community.

In New Orleans, our funding makes possible positions like a nurse care manager, patient care coordinator and behavioral health consultant which may not be present in a traditional community clinic.

In the South Bronx, homeless families find care at local shelters through a mobile medical unit, which not only provides care, but also keeps electronic medical records so that families who move from shelter to shelter can receive consistent care.

In Anacostia, the Foundation's funding provides for a community health promoter to visit patients, some of whom are homebound, to check their blood pressure, blood sugar, and other vitals, to ensure the patients are taking their medication properly and to educate patients about health.

	“Right now this is the only clinic that I can afford. I make a decent income but it’s really not enough for me to afford health care... So right now the clinics are a big, positive thing for people who are still struggling and trying to make it.” - Patient, St. Cecilia clinic, New Orleans
	“It’s been a blessing for the community, to find a doctor who knows you by your name and who actually, genuinely cares. It's the greatest thing, because you're not just a number. And that's hard to find.” - Patient, South Bronx health center

 
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