Centene Corporation, a healthcare insurer that focuses on managed care for the uninsured, underinsured, and low-income individuals, has announced it is working with Samsung Electronics America to expand access to telehealth and virtual healthcare.
According to the statement, Centene and Samsung will deploy 13,000 Galaxy A10e smartphones, with 90 days of free wireless service, to federally qualified health centers and other providers. The organizations will determine which of their patients need the devices and distribute them accordingly.
“We believe telehealth solutions will significantly improve access to care and are pleased that we can help give providers the telehealth infrastructure they need to take care of underserved communities across the nation,” said Michael F. Neidorff, chairman, president and CEO of Centene.
“With one billion telehealth visits expected to take place by the end of 2020, Samsung is committed to supporting healthcare institutions with solutions that transform the patient experience remotely and help doctors and nurses work more efficiently,” said Taher Behbehani, general manager and head of mobile B2B business at Samsung Electronics America.
In partnership with Livingston Community Health, a Merced County clinic that serves mostly Hispanic communities regardless of ability to pay, researchers at the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society & the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at the University of California launched a program to bring telehealth services to underserved residents.
“The patients we’re serving with ACTIVATE are some of the most vulnerable members of society,” said Dr. Katherine Kim, associate professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and the School of Medicine at the University of California, Davis. “Many are low-income, undocumented, Latinx agricultural workers – these communities have the least access to quality health care services.”
Accountability, Coordination, and Telehealth in the Valley to Achieve Transformation and Equity (ACTIVATE) aims to reach vulnerable populations with the technology, skills, and connections they need to access health care services.
ACTIVATE is co-led by Dr. David Lindeman, director of CITRIS Health, and Dr. Kim. The network also includes technology distributors, community organizations, and government agencies. The new public-private partnership will be evaluated by experts from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Merced.
“Telehealth represents a safe and effective way for many populations, including rural and low-income communities, to access necessary health care services – especially during a pandemic,” said Dr. David Lubarsky, Vice-Chancellor of Human Health Sciences and CEO of UC Davis Health. “UC Davis Health is committed to using our expertise to improve the health of those who live and work in our state.”
CITRIS’s UC experts have years of experience working on issues related to health care access and digital inclusion.
“The patients we serve are too often left out by traditional models,” said Livingston Community Health CEO Leslie Abasta-Cummings. “They live in rural areas and face financial, cultural, and legal barriers when it comes to accessing health care services. Working with these communities to embed and encourage the use of telehealth technology will empower patients to manage their own health and experience greater health outcomes.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been tasked with…
Brown and Caldwell, a leading environmental engineering and construction firm,…
Humboldt State University, one of four campuses within the California…
