What You Need To Know About United Health Foundations $100,000,000 Commitment To Health Equity & A Diverse Workforce
The entire goal of the United Health Foundation’s $100,000,000 investment is to eliminate
health disparities as much as possible. It is, of course, the largest philanthropic
commitment ever made by any group. Its focus is on building an ethnically and racially
diverse health workforce. This funding will provide several scholarships to support
as many as 10,000 individuals who have thus far been grossly under-represented.
These individuals are all expected to be future clinic personnel and healthcare
professionals who will have the opportunity to obtain degrees and establish their
professional credentials. Many of these individuals are expected to pursue careers in
mental health, medicine, nursing, midwifery, or other specialized health career paths.
Why the Investment is Being Made
Officials at United Health Foundation have stated that there are far too many
obstacles to obtaining good healthcare in this country. It is even more
challenging for low-income individuals, people of color, and other groups
on the fringes of society. The organization hopes to begin a mass movement that will
correct this situation and provide the tools and resources to break down
those barriers in the future. Thus, people of all backgrounds will be able to live
healthier and experience the same kind of good health that currently only higher-class
individuals might.
Other Initiatives by United Health Foundation
United Health Foundation has a long-standing commitment to helping those who have
been marginalized in society. Since 2017, the organization has provided more than
$10,000,000 to traditional black universities and schools in order to help train under-
represented classes of individuals. This was seen as a top priority due to the fact that
only 7.1% of the total biological/biomedical workforce included blacks, Native
Americans, and Hispanics. The investment was initiated to increase the
percentage to represent society in general.
Since 2007, United Health Foundation's Diverse Scholars Initiative has provided more
than 3,000 scholarships to diverse students in the United States. Partnering with nine
organizations to accomplish this, United Health Foundation has increased the
number of primary care providers so that under-served communities can receive the
personalized care needed by culturally diverse patients. An issue as simple as
the language barrier can be overcome by having more culturally diverse healthcare
personnel available in communities.
The mission of the United Health Foundation
This organization is committed to improving healthcare for all ethnic groups. United
Health Foundation’s goal is to work with community partners to collaborate on outreach
efforts and obtain grants. They aim to enhance the quality of life for all ethnic
communities and build a diverse health workforce to help accomplish that. United
Health Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1999 for the sole
purpose of improving health and healthcare. Since its founding, the organization has
committed roughly $700,000,000 to various programs and communities worldwide.