SCAN’s Homeless Medical Group Receives Innovation Award from National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation

LONG BEACH, Calif. — April. 14, 2022 — Adults 55 or older are the fastest-growing demographic of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County. Against this grim reality, SCAN Group, a mission-driven organization that is tackling some of the biggest issues in health care for older adults, launched Healthcare in Action (HIA), a street-based medical group that provides healthcare, substance use and mental health services to individuals experiencing homelessness. At their annual summit this week, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the US’s largest collaborative of not-for-profit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers, awarded HIA with its first-ever Innovation Award. The award honors programs that bridge key healthcare gaps, improve care equity, and cultivate an interdisciplinary approach to build a more inclusive, whole-person health system.

“We are honored to be recognized by NPHI for our work to bring sustainable, long-term healthcare to individuals experiencing homelessness in our communities,” said Kevin Kappel, chief operating officer of Healthcare in Action.

HIA’s “street medicine” model is designed to bring healthcare to individuals where they are, such as in encampments, freeway underpasses, etc., without them having to make appointments with providers or come into offices to receive treatment. HIA provides care through value-based managed care arrangements. Estimates indicate that well over half of those experiencing homelessness qualify for some form of health insurance.

“Having big ideas is important, but acting on them is what’s really special,” said NPHI Founder and CEO Tom Koutsoumpas. “I have great respect for the SCAN Group, and the work they’re doing within the Healthcare in Action program; on behalf of NPHI, we couldn’t imagine a more deserving recipient of our inaugural annual Innovation Award.”

About SCAN Group

SCAN Group is a mission-driven organization that is tackling some of the biggest issues in health care for older adults . SCAN Group operates SCAN Health Plan, one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans, serving more than 270,000 members in California. Independence at Home, a SCAN community service, provides vitally needed services and support to seniors and their caregivers regardless of plan membership. SCAN Group also invests in new companies to support healthier aging, offers education programs, community funding, volunteer opportunities, and other community services in support of its mission—keeping seniors healthy and independent. To learn more, visit scanhealthplan.com or follow us on Twitter @scanhealthplan.

About National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation

The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) is a collaborative of 80+ not-for-profit, community-integrated hospice and palliative care providers dedicated to ensuring patients and their families have access to care that reflects their individual goals, values and preferences. Representing providers from 31 states and the District of Columbia, NPHI and its members help design more innovative and effective models of care, advocate for comprehensive and community-integrated care customized to meet each person's unique needs, and build collaboration between national thought leaders, decision-makers, and other healthcare stakeholders to improve hospice care. www.nphi.info.