Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) and the Humana Foundation are investing in the University of Louisville’s Health Equity Innovation Hub to advance health equity and improve health outcomes for marginalized populations in Louisville and beyond.
The Hub is funded by a potential total investment of $25 million, including $10 million from UofL, $1.5 million from Humana and up to $13.5 million from the Humana Foundation. The foundation’s investment is contingent upon progress against the collaboration’s objectives and achievement of established milestones.
The Hub will focus on research, talent development, entrepreneurship and innovation, with a deliberate focus on health equity, social determinants of health and digital health and analytics.
“Humana is committed to improving health equity and we will be intentional about addressing the underlying societal and structural factors that impede good and fair health, especially for people in communities that have been historically marginalized and made vulnerable,” said Nwando Olayiwola, M.D., M.P.H., chief health equity officer and senior vice president at Humana, in a statement. “This unique collaboration with the University of Louisville and the Humana Foundation to create the Health Equity Innovation Hub is an exciting opportunity for Humana to partner with a leading research institution in our founding city where so many health disparities exist. We will establish shared goals and drive positive change beginning in local communities.”
The Hub will seek to develop solutions that include the up-skilling and re-skilling of community members who have been underserved to provide a talent pipeline for Louisville’s significant concentration of major healthcare companies, thereby creating a pathway for family-sustaining jobs. The Hub will also conduct dedicated outcomes-based research on population and social health issues to derive a wide range of insights on how to mitigate health inequities and the adverse impacts of health-related social needs. In addition, the Hub will support diverse creators, innovators and entrepreneurs whose ideas can positively impact populations around the world that have historically been marginalized and underserved.
“UofL is a research powerhouse dedicated to making a positive impact on our world and addressing the challenges affecting the human condition,” said UofL Interim President Lori Gonzalez, in a statement. “We are proud to work with Humana and the Humana Foundation to further health equity for all through this new Hub. Together, we can have a tangible impact that benefits our shared community and far, far beyond."
At UofL, the Hub is led by Dr. Monica Wendel, Dr.P.H., a public health researcher with expertise in health equity. A national search is currently underway to fill the role of executive director. The Hub’s leadership team also includes Deputy Director Ben Reno-Weber, a tech entrepreneur who previously led the Microsoft Future of Work Initiative; Director of Community Engagement Ivory Rollins Cross, a Louisville native and community champion; and Director of Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Natalia Bishop, who founded prominent Louisville co-working brand, Story Louisville.
The Hub also will create and collaborate with advisory boards, including national thought leaders, community organizations and local community residents who are passionate about improving social and health equity in their neighborhoods, as well as local business leaders and mentors from a diverse cross-section of the health equity ecosystem.
Humana said the Hub’s mission also is well-aligned with Humana’s “Bold Goal of advancing the health of the communities it serves by addressing social determinants of health and the health-related social needs for its members and communities.
