ASU College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation Receives $700,000 Grant from UnitedHealthcare to Expand Health Care Services for Underserved Arizonans

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company, is providing a $700,000 grant for a health care van that will enable the Arizona State University (ASU) College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation to launch a mobile health initiative that will bring essential primary care health services to underserved communities throughout Arizona. The funding will also be used to start pediatric obesity and child-teen mental health programs for depression and anxiety disorders as part of a broader community health and wellness initiative by the ASU nursing college. The College will intensify its services in these areas to prevent devastating health consequences that can result, such as cardiovascular disease and suicide. The van and the other new health initiatives will be staffed by ASU nurse practitioners, faculty, and nursing and related health profession students, under the direction of the College. Specifically, the van will provide a broad range of preventive screening and primary care services, including treatment for mild to acute illness, management of chronic conditions, immunizations, wellness programs, and other services. In order to provide critical linkage between the mobile van services and other health care settings, the van will be equipped with state-of-the-art electronic health records and a computerized health data system that incorporates evidence-based clinical decision support software. The mobile health care van is available to serve any and all Arizonans and their children, uninsured or insured, regardless of benefit coverage or health plan affiliation. "We applaud UnitedHealthcare’s support of ASU services to address unmet clinical health challenges in underserved communities,” said Denise Link, DNSc, WHCNP, associate dean for Clinical Practice and Community Partnerships and clinical associate professor of the ASU College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation. "UnitedHealth Group clearly recognizes the important role that nurse practitioners play in expanding access to essential health care services. Not only will this grant help us provide much needed care, it will also assist ASU in advancing new models of cost-effective care delivery and opportunities to educate future health professionals to serve the citizens of our state.” "Arizona State University plays a critical and highly effective role in providing essential clinical services in Arizona, so we are pleased to support those vital efforts,” said Benton Davis, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Arizona. "We especially appreciate ASU’s leadership in encouraging and nurturing the planning for this project and supporting public/private partnerships that help improve access to health care for all Arizonans.” "UnitedHealthcare is a leader in Arizona and we deeply appreciate their support,” said Bernadette Melnyk, Ph.D., RN, CPNP/NNP and dean of the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation. "We look forward to a continuing partnership with UnitedHealthcare to extend these vital programs to improve the health of Arizonans in the future.” UnitedHealth Group offers health benefits, including commercial, Medicare and Medicaid health plans, to nearly 1.2 million Arizonans and contracts with about 7,400 physicians and 80 hospitals statewide. About ASU and the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation A comprehensive public metropolitan research university enrolling more than 64,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on four campuses, Arizona State University is a federation of unique colleges, schools, departments, and research institutes that comprise close-knit but diverse academic communities that are international in scope. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all 50 states and more than one hundred nations across the globe. Founded in 1957, the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (nursing.asu.edu) at Arizona State University has nearly 1,850 students and more than 8,000 alumni. It has been ranked 32nd out of 396, or in the top eight percent of graduate nursing programs in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report Rankings of Best Graduate Nursing School Programs. The college’s Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program was ranked 13th in the nation in the most recent peer group rankings. About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of more than 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 560,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,800 hospitals nationwide to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.