While the COVID-19 crisis has changed the ways in which people physically interact with one another, it hasn’t changed the compassion we feel for our members.
At UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, our goal is to support our members in living full, healthy lives and we focus on providing the support needed for the best outcomes. In the current health crisis, this means solutioning for issues like isolation — which can be just as detrimental to the health and wellbeing of our members.
When COVID-19 restrictions went into effect in Texas, more than 90 UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Nursing Facility Service Coordinators (NFSC’s), covering approximately 500 nursing facilities, were unable to meet members in person, since it wasn’t safe for members to leave the nursing facilities or receive visitors. Our NFSC’s help Medicaid members navigate the health care system, and they are an incredibly important part of our member’s care team – in addition to being a friendly face and providing social interaction. Given that the NFSC’s were unable to physically meet with members, they wanted to ensure they maintained contact and continued to make an impact on the lives of some of the most vulnerable members we serve.
"Since the crisis started it has really been a challenge to be part of our members lives… they are now isolated, confined to their rooms. It is an honor and a blessing to serve the ‘Greatest Generation’ – it is so important that we not forget these people who have given so much in the past."
Betty More, RN BSN NF/SC
To show their compassion for our members, the NFSC team began to put plans in place to reach out, both individually and collectively:
- Service coordinator Betty Moore and several others on the team created “Pandemic Sanity Baskets” full of items including word puzzles, coloring books, crayons, snacks, movies, blankets and dental kits. They also sent hand-written notes to nursing facility staff to thank them and show support.
- The NFSC team identified 14 nursing facilities with a high volume of UnitedHealthcare members. The team surprised these facilities with a gift card to Stacy’s Sensory Solutions and coordinated virtual meetings with the nursing facilities and Stacy Wright, owner of Stacy Sensory Solutions, to brainstorm innovative activities and games to keep residents entertained and their minds active.
- Service coordinator Chastity Saunders worked with her teammates and the leadership team at UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas to write letters to nursing facility residents. Chastity also recorded her middle school son, Johnathan, playing his trumpet. Chastity and Johnathan received many thank you notes from social workers and administrators on behalf of the residents showing gratitude for their kindness and compassion.
Our Texas NFSC team continues to demonstrate their passion and dedication to their work and the communities they serve.
We are incredibly proud of our team for developing these innovative ways to stay in contact and engaged with some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
