Funds have been given to school health provider Goodside Health, who will provide integrated physical and behavioral health visits, non-medical drivers of health screenings, and referrals

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas has announced a $1 million investment in school-based health care provider Goodside Health to conduct EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment) wellness events in 200 schools located throughout Texas.

Known as Texas Health Steps in the state, EPSDT’s purpose is to discover and treat childhood health conditions before they become serious or disabling. Following the completion of each visit, Texas Health Steps-credentialed Goodside Health providers will assist students with any next steps to ensure any physical, behavioral and social needs are addressed. This may include coordination with the child’s insurance and primary care physician on the screening results and additional follow-up as needed. All students may participate in the wellness events regardless of health insurance status.

“Expanding access to essential health care services is imperative to ensure children have opportunities to achieve their fullest potential and thrive in their communities,” said Donald Langer, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas. “We are committed to helping students across Texas live healthier lives, and this requires a comprehensive approach that this partnership allows us to deliver.”

Health care has become a vital resource in schools alongside the familiar staples of reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition to physical health, positive mental health has an impact on children’s well-being and increases participation in learning, access to education and overall success in life. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly one in five children in the United States live in poverty, and youth from lower-income households are less likely to access health care and more likely to experience significant mental health symptoms.

“Undiagnosed or untreated health conditions typically have adverse impacts on school attendance, classroom behavior and overall academic performance,” said Brian White, Goodside Health CEO. “We are grateful for this partnership, which will allow us to bring integrated care to the children and promote their long-term success in life.”

Wellness events will be conducted across the state in 2024 and 2025, serving up to 200 K-12 students per event, depending on the size of the school. Counties where the schools are located include Tarrant, Harris, Hidalgo, Travis, Kaufman, Willacy, Collin, Dallas and Bexar.

UnitedHealthcare serves more than 4.7 million people in Texas enrolled in employer-sponsored, Medicare and Medicaid benefit plans, with a network of 757 hospitals, and about 146,500 physicians and other care providers statewide.

About Goodside Health

Goodside Health is advancing the delivery of pediatric care by partnering with communities to provide access to physical health, mental health, and telehealth services at school, at home, and in the clinic. Relentless advocates for expanding access to care and promoting health equity, Goodside Health leverages a Whole-Child Approach to care and lives our mission of closing gaps in children’s healthcare through innovation and execution. To learn more about Goodside Health, please visit www.goodsidehealth.com.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.6 million physicians and care professionals, and 8,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow UnitedHealthcare on LinkedIn.

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