Molina launching innovation hub targeting the social determinants of health
Molina Healthcare is launching an innovation center that aims to drive the insurer’s national strategy around the social determinants of health.
The National Molina Healthcare Social Determinants of Health Innovation Center will be located in Columbus, Ohio, and spearhead several initiatives to better integrate the social determinants into the payer’s existing care models.
Jason Dees, M.D., Molina’s chief health officer, told FierceHealthcare that the center’s work will build on existing programs to target members’ social concerns. That will include partnerships with local food banks, job placement programs and Molina Closet locations, which offer food, personal care items and other supplies to members in need.
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“The Molina Innovation Center will help design models and identify best practices that can be leveraged at the local level to best meet our members’ needs,” Dees said. “We want to ensure that we don’t just focus on one aspect of the social determinants, but rather take a holistic approach to best serve all our members nationwide.”
We are excited to announce the launch of the National Molina Healthcare Social Determinants of Health Innovation Center in Columbus! The Innovation Center will expand engagement with our members through the creation of programs that will address #SDOH. https://t.co/Z3luu23bfP
— Molina Healthcare (@molinahealth) January 30, 2020
The innovation center is already planning several initiatives, such as gathering and analyzing data on members’ needs and building a database of outcomes for Molina members related to the social determinants of health.
The center also plans to be a central hub for tracking and documenting local initiatives addressing the social determinants and will find partners both nationally and locally for such programs.
With these tools in place, the goal is to launch national solutions to boost outcomes associated with social needs, Molina said. Dees said Molina would provide additional details on specific issues the innovation center will target first in the coming weeks once key leadership is in place.