Ohio’s Medicaid managed care plans have reinvested $6.9 million in grants into communities throughout Ohio. This reinvestment focuses on delivering health care closer to where people live and work. These reinvestments are not associated with the Community Reinvestment Collaborative Plan.
This reinvestment focuses on delivering health care closer to where people live and work.
For this round of reinvestments, each managed care plan submitted potential projects. Plans scored each project based on common criteria, including:
- Sustainability
- Scalability
- Alignment with ODM’s population health and quality strategies
- Ability to address health inequities and disparities
- Coordination with an organization that can leverage their trusted relationship within their community
Based on the scoring, the managed care plans reached a consensus on which projects to fund.
Funding was award to several projects
Statewide Doula Initiative ($850,000)
Works with doula education and support programs in four regions of the state to provide education and support for doulas, particularly for women of color and in Appalachia. Support from a doula has been shown to provide better birth outcomes and postnatal health for mothers and babies.
Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Program ($1.4 million)
Four separate grants support food programs in southeast Ohio including a school-based food pantry, food as medicine, outreach to seniors on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and home delivery of healthy food to people with limited mobility.
Intensive Home-Based Treatment ($400,000)
Works with local northwest Ohio groups to expand the availability of in-home treatment for substance use disorder.
Ohio State Parks Foundation ($400,000)
Supports playground development across the state, including equipment accessible to people with disabilities.
Harm Reduction Ohio ($400,000)
Provides comprehensive expanded access to fentanyl test strips and overdose prevention packets, including a mobile unit to serve areas with low access to harm reduction materials.
Nurse Navigators ($250,000)
Ohio University’s program provides full-time nurses and a manager to help pregnant and postpartum women get medical and social services to help reduce the risk factors that influence birth outcomes.
Project ECHO ($250,000)
Through teleconferencing, the Project Extension for Community Health Outcomes, in partnership with the Weitzman Institute, connects local healthcare providers, often in rural areas, with medical specialists who share their expertise to enhance the quality of care the local providers can give.
Statewide Lead Testing Initiative with Meridian Health ($250,000)
Provides LeadCare II analyzers and blood testing kits to community-based organizations, day care facilities and other selected providers for point-of-service testing.
Asian Services in Action ($250,000)
The agency operates two federally qualified health centers specializing in linguistically and culturally competent care as well as wraparound services for immigrants and refugees.
Birthing Beautiful Communities ($235,000)
This northeast Ohio doula program focuses on improving quality of life for Black expectant mothers, babies, and families.
Star House ($150,000)
To expand and replicate in Toledo a Columbus-based 24/7 drop-in center for youth ages 14-24 who are experiencing homelessness. It offers stabilizing resources, an on-site medical clinic, employment, and education assistance, and more. There are also several studio apartments for those ages 18-24, with on-site access to services and support.
Passion Works Studio ($100,000)
A one-time payment to support ongoing operations of a program that fosters social integration and economic stability for people with developmental differences and other disadvantaged groups through collaborative creation of art.
Rising Suns Pharmacy ($95,000)
A free pharmacy that serves uninsured or underinsured residents of southeast Ohio.
Last Mile Food Rescue ($86,969)
Using app technology, Last Mile deploys volunteers to pick up excess fresh/perishable food and deliver it within 60 minutes to nonprofit and human service agencies serving those who are food insecure.
Ghetto Therapy ($72,000)
Provides mental health education and connection to licensed, culturally competent therapists for people in Cleveland’s Black community.
Greater Cleveland Food Bank ($60,000)
Supports the food bank’s new Community Resource Center that provides help with legal needs, education, health care, and housing in addition to food aid.
School-Based Health Projects with Cleveland Metropolitan School and Nelsonville York School Districts
Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) are actively collaborating with these two school districts to test interventions to improve utilization of preventative care including dental, vision and primary care along with behavioral health care in school-based clinics. These programs will include evaluating ways to address social determinants of health such as transportation, all with the goal of improving outcomes and achieving greater health literacy for students, school staff and the community. The intervention plans will be finalized by year's end and funded through the community reinvestment program.
Ohio’s Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) are Aetna OhioRISE, AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio, Inc., Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Buckeye Community Health Plan, CareSource Ohio, Inc., Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Inc. and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, Inc.
