UnitedHealthcare Awards $5.2 Million in Grants to California Nonprofits – $897,240 to On Lok Lifeways of San Francisco
UnitedHealthcare
On Lok Lifeways has been awarded a $897,240 grant from UnitedHealthcare to help strengthen its health information technology system and delivery of care to San Francisco Bay area seniors through electronic medical records initiatives.
The grant is part of $5.2 million UnitedHealthcare is awarding to nine health care organizations to support nonprofit clinics, hospitals and health care organizations that improve health care services for underserved communities statewide.
Founded in 1972, On Lok Lifeways in San Francisco is one of the nation’s leading providers of health services including long-term care and support services to seniors. On Lok Lifeways’ pioneering efforts in the Bay Area created “PACE” (the Program of All- inclusive Care for the Elderly), a model of care delivery that has been replicated in 91 organizations in 30 states.
The UnitedHealthcare grant will help On Lok Lifeways strengthen its “PACELink” program, which uses health information technology and electronic medical records to improve care and coordination for seniors served by a network of 10 health care and wellness centers in the Bay Area. Specifically, the grant will fund software improvements, technology investments and training that will provide greater efficiencies in the coordination of care through the automation of scheduling, clinic appointments, transportation, home-visit reporting, medication distribution and pharmacy prescriptions.
The grant was announced during a volunteer day at On Lok’s Gee Senior Center, 1333 Bush St. in downtown San Francisco, where UnitedHealthcare employees joined community leaders to help On Lok Lifeways seniors plant a vegetable garden, plant flowers in hand-painted pots and make flower arrangements, among other activities.
The volunteer event was part of UnitedHealthcare’s ongoing commitment to On Lok Lifeways and its mission of serving Bay Area seniors. In 2009, UnitedHealthcare also provided a $250,000 grant to On Lok to launch an electronic medical records initiative.
“We can’t thank UnitedHealthcare enough for this grant and the important improvements to our programs and services that will benefit the seniors who rely on On Lok Lifeways for care,” said Robert E. Edmondson, CEO and executive director, On Lok. “UnitedHealthcare and its employees continue to be longstanding supporters of On Lok, and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment to our mission and the many families we serve.”
“On Lok Lifeways does important work in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area to support seniors,” said Eric Mar, supervisor, city and county of San Francisco. “I applaud UnitedHealthcare and its employees for their continued support of On Lok and this grant, which will help strengthen the services and quality of care for the seniors who benefit from On Lok Lifeways.”
Since 2008, UnitedHealthcare has provided more than $30 million in grants to 53 nonprofits statewide. Nine of them are in the San Francisco Bay Area, receiving $3.1 million.
In addition to these grants, UnitedHealthcare’s California Health Care Investment Program has provided $269 million in total investments to 46 health care organizations throughout the state to help underserved, low-income and underinsured communities and populations. This includes $17.5 million to construct the new Institute on Aging facility in San Francisco; $4.6 million to build a new La Clinica de La Raza medical center in Concord; and $6.5 million to help construct the new Petaluma Medical Center.
“On Lok Lifeways is an invaluable health care resource in the San Francisco Bay area, helping seniors with an array of health services and programs,” said Greg Wright, West Region president, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. “UnitedHealthcare appreciates the opportunity to provide this grant and work together to strengthen On Lok’s programs and services for seniors.”
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, serves more than 2.4 million Californians with a care provider network of 320 hospitals and more than 57,000 physicians statewide.
For more than 40 years, On Lok has provided comprehensive medical and social services to frail seniors enabling them to live at home as long as possible. On Lok’s health care plan, known as On Lok Lifeways, covers the entire continuum of care for seniors including medical, hospital, home care, transportation, rehabilitation, prescription drugs, and much more. Seniors with full Medicare and Medi-Cal do not have any payments or co-pays for On Lok Lifeways services. For more information about On Lok Lifeways, please visit or call 1-888-886-6565.
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 780,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.