The Cigna Group Foundation Addresses Health Outcome Disparities in Hartford, Funds Mobile Health Services in Capital City
With a new $250,000, multiyear grant, The Cigna Group Foundation is expanding access to health care in Hartford through a partnership with Wheeler Health.
Wheeler will use the grant to staff and deploy a new mobile health van for community outreach and education, preventive health screenings, primary care, chronic disease management, and health insurance navigation to Hartford residents at dozens of locations throughout the city.
“With support from The Cigna Group Foundation, we are meeting the residents of Hartford where they are in their health, and where they are in the community,” said Sabrina Trocchi, PhD, MPA, Wheeler President/CEO and a Hartford native. “We’ll be there in parks, community centers, housing complexes, libraries, parking lots, or churches. This is truly community-based health care.”
Wheeler’s mobile health van will increase ease of access to services, enhance care coordination and linkages to additional specialty primary care and behavioral health services, and improve patients’ ability to navigate the health care system. This will reduce negative health outcomes, unnecessary hospitalizations, and gaps in care, and link patients to community health care providers, like Wheeler’s federally qualified health center at 43 Woodland Street, Hartford.
The van, funded through a Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Health Disparities and Prevention Grant, was delivered on October 31, 2024. It joins Wheeler’s larger Mobile Family Health & Wellness Center vehicle, which has served the central Connecticut region for more than two years and performs similar outreach at community nonprofits, public events, and homeless shelters.
Wheeler will staff the Hartford van with a Community Health Worker (CHW), Family Practice APRN, and Medical Assistant to provide high-quality, culturally responsive, linguistically appropriate, and holistic care. The CHW partners with the care team to link patients to additional services and conduct an evidence-based screening with each patient to identify and address social determinants of health and other barriers to care.
In addition to Wheeler staff, and following a model developed in 2016, Wheeler will also seek and utilize employee volunteers from The Cigna Group to assist at community events.
“To reduce health disparities and target the root causes, we need strong partnerships with local nonprofit organizations committed to ensuring positive health outcomes for all people, especially those who are underserved,” said Melissa Skottegaard, board chair, The Cigna Group Foundation. “This work includes expanding access to key resources, including transportation and culturally appropriate care. We are privileged to partner with Wheeler Health to enable their efforts to bring about equitable outcomes in the communities we both serve.”
Income and employment status often drive differences in health care access, the likelihood of getting recommended preventive screenings, the affordability of life-saving medicines, and the ability to purchase other goods/services, such as high-quality housing and nutritious food. Health-related challenges begin with access to care. Preventive care can counteract economic disadvantages, as a person’s health can be improved by addressing risk factors like hypertension and chronic stress early. Lack of affordable, accessible, and consistent medical care can lead to residents relying on expensive emergency room visits.
Both Wheeler and The Cigna Group believe data supports the grant’s purpose that access to care saves lives and meets unmet community needs.
People of color face greater rates and earlier onset of many chronic diseases and risk factors, particularly for those linked to socioeconomic status and access to resources. For example, diabetes is much more common among older adults than younger ones, yet middle-aged Black adults have higher diabetes rates than White seniors.
Access to transportation in Hartford affects health outcomes as well, driving the need to provide mobile services that meet patients in the community rather than rely on an office visit. CT DataHaven’s 2023 Hartford Equity Profile reports that while 19% of White residents in Hartford do not have access to a vehicle, 35% of Hispanic and 24% of Black residents lack vehicle access.
Throughout the spring of 2025, the van will outreach via regular educational and screening events and then begin full health center services starting the summer of 2025. The two-year goal is to treat 300 patients in the Hartford community.
About The Cigna Group
The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is a global health company committed to creating a better future built on the vitality of every individual and every community. We relentlessly challenge ourselves to partner and innovate solutions for better health. The Cigna Group includes products and services marketed under Cigna Healthcare, Evernorth Health Services and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group maintains sales capabilities in more than 30 countries and jurisdictions and has more than 186 million customer relationships around the world. Learn more at thecignagroup.com.
About The Cigna Group Foundation
The Cigna Group Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group Foundation aims to support, collaborate, and convene with nonprofit organizations addressing society’s greatest health challenges. In addition to increasing access to programs and care in geographies demonstrating significant need, the Foundation responds with humanitarian aid relief during critical times and strengthens colleagues’ support of causes through matching donations and volunteer rewards. To learn more, visit www.thecignagroup.com/community.
