This week is National Public Health Week and this year the American Public Health Association is asking, “Does public health have a return on investment?”
Here’s our take on it:
A few years ago, Central Health was experiencing an abundance of requests for its health care services. The growing needs presented challenges for the agency and those in need, so Central Health partnered with the UWATX Navigation Center in 2009 to eliminate barriers, increase accessibility and help more people.
200,000
Number of calls answered through this partnership
90,000
Number of appointments scheduled
Through this partnership, our in-house call center, made a meaningful commitment to further promote health care. Our call specialists perform over-the-phone eligibility screenings and appointment scheduling for callers to access the Medical Assistance Program (MAP), Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) in just a few minutes.
In 2011, we helped 70,000+ callers. In 2012, that number jumped to 110,000+ callers – that’s 40,000 more calls than the year before. Our Navigation Center made 76 percent of all Central Health appointments in 2012.
Despite the availability of services, too often, needs are not met because residents are unaware of the support available to them or simply do not have the time to research the best options and book appointments. This partnership seeks to solve that problem by decreasing these barriers and serving the customer directly.
So yes, we believe there is a return on investment with public health.