Press Release: $2 Million Investment from Cambia Health Solutions will Bolster Behavioral Health in Rural Communities
/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Feb. 09, 2021, 2:00 p.m. PST
CONTACT:
Kim Brinkmann, Director of Communications & Operations
Better Health Together ACH
509.381.5563 • kim@betterhealthtogether.org
Washington’s Accountable Communities of Health Will Bolster Behavioral Health in Rural Communities Through $2 Million Investment from Cambia Health Solutions
SPOKANE, Wash. – Washington’s nine Accountable Communities of Health (ACHs) have received $2 million from Cambia Health Solutions to address the urgent mental and behavioral health needs in rural communities intensified by COVID-19. The funds will be distributed across the ACHs, and each organization will disperse the dollars based on the needs in their region.
“We’re honored to support the ACHs as they tackle the rising need for mental and behavioral health services across our communities,” said Peggy Maguire, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at Cambia Health Solutions. “ACHs are trusted community-driven organizations and Cambia sees them as key partners to promote equity, foster resiliency and lift up community voice. We’re confident these investments will help break down the stigma surrounding mental health, improve access to behavioral support services, and support people in crisis or emotional distress.”
Each ACH will use the funding for initiatives tailored to address needs in their rural communities. For example, Better Health Together ACH will use the funds to support an expansion of mental health services via telehealth to youth at rural school districts, and to build the capacity for tele-health visits to impact the access to, safety, and quality of behavioral health services for tribal members. Greater Columbia ACH will use the funds for a region-wide resiliency campaign focusing on youth. The Olympic Community of Health will focus on reducing stigma relating to substance use disorders. At North Sound ACH, Cambia’s support will help fund improving broadband coverage, training to strengthen telehealth, and bolstering the behavioral health workforce in rural areas.
“Cambia’s support will help the ACHs address the behavioral health crisis in rural Washington,” said Alison Poulsen, Executive Director of Better Health Together, the ACH for Spokane County and six other Eastern Washington counties. “While the nine ACHs are unique, we share a commitment to community-driven, multi-sector solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of communities across Washington. We’ll work to ensure these dollars support our rural communities at a critical time.”
Cambia’s investment is part of a larger $11.5 million commitment to address rural mental health needs across Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
About Washington’s Accountable Communities of Health
AHCs are local partnerships that bring together health care payers and providers, public health institutions, social services, community-based organizations, the justice system, schools, tribal partners, community members, and local government leaders to address health. ACHs seek to improve care, lower costs, and strengthen communities.
ACHs are an integral part of Washington’s Medicaid transformation efforts. There are nine ACHs across the state, each serving a distinct region. Over the past four years, ACHs led efforts to transform local health care systems by connecting health care and social services, developing plans to support health across sectors, and investing millions of dollars with providers and community partners. For more information, please visit www.washingtonach.org.
About Cambia Health Solutions
Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is dedicated to transforming health care. They put people at the heart of everything they do to make the health care system more economically sustainable and efficient for people and their families. The company reaches millions of Americans nationwide, including more than 3.1 million people in the Pacific Northwest enrolled in their regional health plans. To learn more about Cambia Health Solutions, visit CambiaHealth.com or Twitter.com/Cambia.
About Better Health Together
Better Health Together tackles health inequities throughout eastern Washington. We believe everyone deserves a fair shot at being healthy. To make this happen, we work with more than 100 organizations across seven counties to promote practical solutions to meet the needs of the people and communities we serve. BHT was founded on the principle that when we step back and let the local community lead, we find the best and most sustainable solutions to complex problems.
We advocate for policies centered on accountability, accessibility, and affordability. We disrupt the status quo by facilitating conversations and partnerships to level the playing field for community health in our region.
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