Aunt Bertha and Nebraska Health Network Partner to Launch Social Care Platform

Oct. 29, 2020

Aunt Bertha and Nebraska Health Network Partner to Launch Social Care Platform

 New platform empowers users to search for free & reduced-cost healthcare & social services

AUSTIN, TX  (October 29, 2020)  Aunt Bertha, America’s leading search and referral platform of social service organizations, announces its partnership with Nebraska Health Network (NHN), the Accountable Care Organization for Methodist Health System and Nebraska Medicine, to support NHN’s new social care platform, Community Relay.

Community Relay, powered by Aunt Bertha, is free to the public and can be used independently by users, or in conjunction with a health-care provider to search for local services and support across categories like food, housing, transit, employment, medical, goods, legal, childcare and more. In addition to the local listings, users have access to an additional 140,000+ programs across the nation.

Recognizing the growing prevalence of Social Determinants of Health and their profound impact on health outcomes, NHN sought a partner that could help them proactively address social determinants in the community. NHN selected Aunt Bertha because of their ability to:

  • Create a collaborative environment where providers, community benefit organizations and the community work together to coordinate assistance
  • Empower users to search for services and support independently or in conjunction with a health-care provider

Since its launch in April, more than 300 users have engaged with Community Relay. Amidst the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nebraskans, Community Relay is a valuable asset at a time when it’s most needed.

“Now more than ever, it’s critical that the public have access to resources across the continuum of care - Nebraska Health Network understands the importance for Nebraskans, and we’re proud to see the Community Relay platform growing with each passing day,” said Aunt Bertha CEO Erine Gray. “The growth to-date has been impressive, but we’re looking forward to supporting the expansion of Community Relay in the months ahead so that all Nebraskans can get the support they need, when they need it, with ease.”

Research shows that more than 80% of a patient’s clinical outcomes is tied to Social Determinants of Health. Yet, a study by the Annals of Family Medicine found that only 15 to 21% of patients wanted a clinician’s help addressing their socioeconomically-induced health condition.

“We recognize that patients’ needs extend beyond their clinical diagnoses and that to best serve them, we need to consider their clinical, physical and mental needs,” said Lee J. Handke, PharmD, MBA, NHN chief executive officer. “We also recognize that reaching out for help isn’t always easy and wanted to remove as many barriers as possible to help our patients and community members find the services and support they need.”

Users can search anonymously from anywhere, at any time, for more than 1,600 programs throughout Nebraska. If they choose to, they can create an account that enables them to save and share search results with family, friends or caregivers.

Individuals can access Community Relay through https://communityrelay.com/, though for more information Nebraska Health Network and the platform please visit the Community Relay section.

For more information on Aunt Bertha, please visit https://www.company.auntbertha.com.

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About Aunt Bertha

Aunt Bertha is the leading referral platform for social services in America, serving the biggest cities and smallest towns. It connects people seeking help and the verified social care providers that serve them, with dignity and ease. Aunt Bertha makes it easy for people to find social services in their communities, for nonprofits to coordinate their efforts, and for organizations to integrate social care into the work they already do. Aunt Bertha serves millions of users and its platform is used in a wide range of industries including education, government, housing, and healthcare.

  • About the NHN

    Formed in 2010, Nebraska Health Network is the accountable care organization for two leading health systems in Nebraska: Methodist Health System and Nebraska Medicine. We have more than 5,500 primary care and specialty physicians and advanced practice providers working throughout the Omaha metropolitan area, Fremont and western Iowa. Together, we work to transform health care and provide patients with the highest possible quality of care at the lowest cost. 

  • SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

    The NHN team welcomes the opportunity to speak with you on a number of industry topics including, but not limited to:

    • Value-based Care
    • Advanced Payment Models
    • Cost and Quality Initiatives
    • Medicare Shared Savings Program
    • Social Determinants of Health
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