Latest news with #Homeward
Business Wire
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Homeward and Meijer Launch Rural Health Partnership to Expand Care Access for Michiganders
SAN MATEO, Calif. & GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Homeward®, a technology-enabled rural health platform dedicated to expanding access to quality healthcare in rural America, today announced a strategic partnership with Meijer, a privately owned, family-operated Midwest retailer, to improve healthcare access and care coordination for Medicare-eligible residents across the state. Rural Michiganders face significant health and economic disparities compared to those living in urban areas, with lower median household incomes, fewer primary care providers, and higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes. The lack of reliable broadband access may limit their ability to participate in virtual care, while higher levels of food insecurity and reduced access to specialized services underscore the need for improved healthcare solutions in rural communities. To address these needs, Homeward and Meijer are partnering to make healthcare more accessible for seniors across Michigan. Through this partnership, eligible Meijer pharmacy customers will gain access to comprehensive health management support, including help with coordinating preventive care, simplifying medication access, and addressing social factors that impact their overall well-being. The Homeward Navigation™ platform will leverage advanced analytics to connect eligible seniors to the right care and local resources, with the goal of effectively addressing social determinants of health and improving holistic health outcomes. Research shows Medicare beneficiaries visit the pharmacy nearly twice as often as they visit their primary care physician, building on research supporting the benefits of integrating pharmacists into care teams. With Homeward members in Michigan already frequenting Meijer pharmacies, the partnership leverages Meijer's strong presence across the state, particularly in rural areas, to make healthcare more accessible. In addition to Meijer's established footprint in rural counties of the Upper Peninsula, all 43 Lower Peninsula counties served by Homeward have a Meijer pharmacy either within the county or in an adjacent county. 'We are proud to partner with Meijer, a trusted, family-owned retailer deeply rooted in the communities we serve. Grocers and pharmacies are among the most frequented and trusted places in rural areas, and our partnership will make care delivery and support more convenient and accessible across rural Michigan,' said Co-Founder and CEO of Homeward, Dr. Jennifer Schneider. 'This partnership underscores Homeward's commitment to meeting the unique needs of each community by building tailored care models that make it easier for people to access the quality care they need to get and stay healthy.' By meeting people where they live and shop, this collaboration helps bridge critical gaps in care, ensuring rural Michiganders receive the support they need to lead healthier lives. 'At Meijer, we are committed to delivering services and products that enhance the well-being of our customers and communities. This includes rural areas that experience limited access to healthcare and healthy foods,' said Jackie Morse, Group Vice President for Meijer Pharmacy & Health. 'Through our partnership with Homeward, we are enhancing care coordination for rural Michiganders, helping them navigate healthcare services, access the support they need, and address key social determinants of health. By fostering better collaboration between patients and healthcare providers, this partnership ensures patients receive high quality, coordinated care.' For more information about Homeward, its services in Michigan, and eligibility, visit For more information about Meijer and a list of locations, visit About Meijer Meijer is a privately owned, family-operated retailer that serves customers at more than 500 supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets, and express locations throughout the Midwest. As the pioneer of the one-stop shopping concept, more than 70,000 Meijer team members work hard to deliver a friendly, seamless in-store and online shopping experience featuring an assortment of fresh foods, high-quality apparel, household essentials, and health and wellness products and services. Meijer is consistently recognized as a Great Place to Work and annually donates at least 6 percent of its profit to strengthen its communities. Additional information on the company can be found by visiting About Homeward Homeward is rearchitecting rural healthcare by pairing AI-native infrastructure with deeply human services. As the only AI-native platform built specifically for rural populations, we partner with payers and providers to extend clinical capacity, close care gaps, and deliver population-level outcomes at scale—improving health, reducing costs, and restoring trust in care where it's needed most. As a public benefit corporation and B Corp™ certified company, Homeward's mission and business model are aligned to address the healthcare, economic, and demographic challenges that make it harder for rural Americans to stay healthy. For more information, please visit
Axios
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Status of $9 million grant to help Richmond's homeless unclear
Advocates worry a $9 million federal grant earmarked to help the Richmond region address homelessness could be under threat as a result of the Trump administration's ongoing federal government cuts. Why it matters: The number of people currently experiencing homelessness in the region is "essentially unchanged" from the 9-year high recorded last year. That's according to the just-released count of the region's homeless population from Richmond-based nonprofit Homeward. State of play: In January, Homeward announced that the region was awarded $9.39 million by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to address homelessness in the region. At least 10 local agencies were set to get a portion of the funding, which would ultimately provide housing assistance to more than 1,500 people in the Richmond region, per Homeward's news release. The money allocated for Richmond was just a slice of the $3.6 billion HUD announced in January to help 6,700 homelessness programs nationwide, Bloomberg reported. The grants were announced on Jan. 17, before the new administration took office and DOGE started hacking away at federal spending. The latest: There have been no updates from HUD, which is unusual, Homeward's executive director Kelly King Horne tells Axios this week. The lack of communication came amid reports that $120 million in HUD contracts were under review by DOGE and as service providers across the country told Bloomberg they too weren't receiving updates. Yes, but: A spokesperson for HUD responded to an Axios inquiry about the grant status Tuesday evening and said the agency's homelessness services programs "will go forward." "Grantee letters will go out this week or next. The program will go forward," HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said in an emailed statement to Axios. By the numbers: 660 people were experiencing homelessness in the Richmond region in January, according to Homeward's twice-annual point-in-time count, released last week. 517 people were living in shelters, including 80 children. 143 people in Richmond were living outside or in cars. Last year, Homeward recorded 681 locals experiencing homelessness, 206 of whom were living outdoors or in cars.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
USA TODAY's Women of the Year: Montana mayor faces affordability alongside her community
Andrea Davis is one of USA TODAY's Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this year's honorees at Leading a city she calls "a blue dot" in the Big Sky country of Montana, Andrea Davis understands the need to put people's needs above political ideology. And that's what drew the first-term mayor of Missoula from advocacy to an election in 2023, where voters picked her from a list of non-partisan candidates in part for her focus on an issue affecting her city, her state, and most of her country: housing affordability. Davis grew up in a working-class family from Kalispell, Montana, that always rented. She knows her parents were fortunate to find rentals that were quality homes, in good neighborhoods, and affordable. And she knows that isn't always the case today for many middle-income and low-income families pinched by the increasingly expensive and pinched housing market in the picturesque college town she's called home the past two decades -- which one study named one of the least affordable in the entire country last year. Davis's background in affordable housing, from counseling first-time homebuyers to leading an agency building thousands of housing units, came through the nonprofit Homeward, which under her watch expanded from Missoula to 14 other Montana communities. It's that broad view, encompassing a state with a variety of political views, she's taken to the mayor's office and can now share with communities facing the same issues. In he first year in office, Davis led in Missoula through a process to envision the community's future, in a way that matters to long-time residents, students at the University of Montana, businesses looking to hire and house new workers and to the builders trying to meet the demand for housing. The city's long-range development effort, coined "Our Missoula," adopted a new land-use plan in December after months of working collaboratively across many aisles in the community, finding common ground on wonky issues like zoning maps and permit requirements, just to name a few. Our Missoula hosted meetings across a variety of interest groups along a step-by-step process: asking specific questions on how to improve and what dreams for the future could look like; showing community members the data that helps guide decisions, like a "land equity" map; and promising reforms to land use policy as well as the permitting regulations required of builders in a way that complies with state law. She admits it may have been as important to individuals as it was to attorneys — but that breadth of involvement is what has made the effort meaningful. "When you engage with your growth plan, lean in heavy on engagement. Bring in people, go to them, because they are so much more engaged, and it affects their lives every day," Davis said, offering her advice to other leaders grappling with how to balance building with quality of life and include constituents in decision making. "...You can't have a conversation too early. Don't let this get out so far that you can't do anything about it." Personally, my parents paved the way by teaching me how to afford college when they couldn't pay for it themselves. Professionally, mentors took a chance on me — starting with the founding director of Homeword, Ren Essene, where I built a 22-year career in affordable housing. The board president who hired me as executive director, Ruth Reineking, later encouraged me to run for mayor. Alongside her, a dedicated group of self-proclaimed gray-haired women leveraged their networks and worked hard to help me win. I'm deeply grateful for their belief in me — without them, I wouldn't be here. 2024 USAT's Women of the Year: One of the Montana youth challenging the state to protect climate Proudest: My proudest moment was being elected mayor of Missoula. As a political newcomer, I was considered the 'black horse,' running a true grassroots, community-driven campaign. Winning the five-way primary by 15 points and the general election by 20 points was a testament to the hard work and dedication of so many people who believed in our vision. It was an incredible achievement — but stepping into office came with a dose of humility. Those first few months were a crash course in leadership, reminding me that winning was just the beginning of the real work ahead. Lowest: One of my toughest moments came during a heated debate over an ordinance on homelessness and urban camping. Working with the City Council, I helped shape a policy that was manageable. The community was deeply divided, and no decision of this scale comes without consequences. When the ordinance passed, I felt its weight — some saw progress, others a lack of compassion. But leadership isn't about pride; it's about listening. Community input made it clear that changes were needed, so we adjusted. Responsive government isn't about getting it right the first time — it's about adapting and doing better. Homelessness has no single solution. It requires trial, reflection, and course correction. This experience reinforced my belief that government must always be by the people, for the people — and true leadership means evolving with them. Courage is stepping up and acting, even when you feel unprepared or unsure. People often tell me, 'You're brave,' and I wonder what they mean. Is it because I stepped into leadership without political experience? Is it because I'm willing to serve as an elected official at a time when we are so divided? Is it because I take on complex challenges or have tough conversations? Sure, all of that takes courage. But so does admitting when you're wrong, apologizing, and learning from mistakes. My advice? Own it. That takes courage too. A guiding principle I strive to uphold is maintaining a growth mindset. Every day, I have the opportunity to learn and stay curious, even as I'm expected to have answers and make decisions. In all of it, I remind myself to be aware of both my intent and my impact. My mantras: I am enough. I am the eye of the storm. Because through chaos comes order. As a young girl, I looked up to my older sister — she worked her way through college, traveled, and even taught me to ski. She showed me independence and determination. As an adult, I admire women who lead with grace and compassion. Ruth Reineking, the board president I mentioned earlier, embodies that — she's smart, commanding, and deeply engaged in life. I aspire to live that way too. We only get one life, and I believe in making the most of it — growing, contributing, and creating good for our community. I overcome adversity by leaning on my community and creating space to reset — whether it's a two-minute breather or stepping outside to reconnect with nature. I turn to tools like journaling, reading, poetry, podcasts, and books that offer perspective and resilience strategies. Most importantly, I coach myself to shift my mindset—reframing challenges, considering different angles, and striving to understand others, knowing that their experiences shape their approach. Take care of yourself — your mind and body are the only ones you get. Remember, you can do anything you set your mind to. Seek joy, both in the expected and unexpected. Stay curious, explore freely. Move your body, quiet your mind — exercise and meditate more. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, make you laugh, and give you space to cry. Doing the work to build community is invaluable. This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Missoula mayor Andrea Davis a USA TODAY Women of the Year honoree
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
USA TODAY's Women of the Year: Montana mayor faces affordability alongside her community
Andrea Davis is one of USA TODAY's Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this year's honorees at Leading a city she calls "a blue dot" in the Big Sky country of Montana, Andrea Davis understands the need to put people's needs above political ideology. And that's what drew the first-term mayor of Missoula from advocacy to an election in 2023, where voters picked her from a list of non-partisan candidates in part for her focus on an issue affecting her city, her state, and most of her country: housing affordability. Davis grew up in a working-class family from Kalispell, Montana, that always rented. She knows her parents were fortunate to find rentals that were quality homes, in good neighborhoods, and affordable. And she knows that isn't always the case today for many middle-income and low-income families pinched by the increasingly expensive and pinched housing market in the picturesque college town she's called home the past two decades -- which one study named one of the least affordable in the entire country last year. Davis's background in affordable housing, from counseling first-time homebuyers to leading an agency building thousands of housing units, came through the nonprofit Homeward, which under her watch expanded from Missoula to 14 other Montana communities. It's that broad view, encompassing a state with a variety of political views, she's taken to the mayor's office and can now share with communities facing the same issues. In he first year in office, Davis led in Missoula through a process to envision the community's future, in a way that matters to long-time residents, students at the University of Montana, businesses looking to hire and house new workers and to the builders trying to meet the demand for housing. The city's long-range development effort, coined "Our Missoula," adopted a new land-use plan in December after months of working collaboratively across many aisles in the community, finding common ground on wonky issues like zoning maps and permit requirements, just to name a few. Our Missoula hosted meetings across a variety of interest groups along a step-by-step process: asking specific questions on how to improve and what dreams for the future could look like; showing community members the data that helps guide decisions, like a "land equity" map; and promising reforms to land use policy as well as the permitting regulations required of builders in a way that complies with state law. She admits it may have been as important to individuals as it was to attorneys — but that breadth of involvement is what has made the effort meaningful. "When you engage with your growth plan, lean in heavy on engagement. Bring in people, go to them, because they are so much more engaged, and it affects their lives every day," Davis said, offering her advice to other leaders grappling with how to balance building with quality of life and include constituents in decision making. "...You can't have a conversation too early. Don't let this get out so far that you can't do anything about it." Personally, my parents paved the way by teaching me how to afford college when they couldn't pay for it themselves. Professionally, mentors took a chance on me — starting with the founding director of Homeword, Ren Essene, where I built a 22-year career in affordable housing. The board president who hired me as executive director, Ruth Reineking, later encouraged me to run for mayor. Alongside her, a dedicated group of self-proclaimed gray-haired women leveraged their networks and worked hard to help me win. I'm deeply grateful for their belief in me — without them, I wouldn't be here. 2024 USAT's Women of the Year: One of the Montana youth challenging the state to protect climate Proudest: My proudest moment was being elected mayor of Missoula. As a political newcomer, I was considered the 'black horse,' running a true grassroots, community-driven campaign. Winning the five-way primary by 15 points and the general election by 20 points was a testament to the hard work and dedication of so many people who believed in our vision. It was an incredible achievement — but stepping into office came with a dose of humility. Those first few months were a crash course in leadership, reminding me that winning was just the beginning of the real work ahead. Lowest: One of my toughest moments came during a heated debate over an ordinance on homelessness and urban camping. Working with the City Council, I helped shape a policy that was manageable. The community was deeply divided, and no decision of this scale comes without consequences. When the ordinance passed, I felt its weight — some saw progress, others a lack of compassion. But leadership isn't about pride; it's about listening. Community input made it clear that changes were needed, so we adjusted. Responsive government isn't about getting it right the first time — it's about adapting and doing better. Homelessness has no single solution. It requires trial, reflection, and course correction. This experience reinforced my belief that government must always be by the people, for the people — and true leadership means evolving with them. Courage is stepping up and acting, even when you feel unprepared or unsure. People often tell me, 'You're brave,' and I wonder what they mean. Is it because I stepped into leadership without political experience? Is it because I'm willing to serve as an elected official at a time when we are so divided? Is it because I take on complex challenges or have tough conversations? Sure, all of that takes courage. But so does admitting when you're wrong, apologizing, and learning from mistakes. My advice? Own it. That takes courage too. A guiding principle I strive to uphold is maintaining a growth mindset. Every day, I have the opportunity to learn and stay curious, even as I'm expected to have answers and make decisions. In all of it, I remind myself to be aware of both my intent and my impact. My mantras: I am enough. I am the eye of the storm. Because through chaos comes order. As a young girl, I looked up to my older sister — she worked her way through college, traveled, and even taught me to ski. She showed me independence and determination. As an adult, I admire women who lead with grace and compassion. Ruth Reineking, the board president I mentioned earlier, embodies that — she's smart, commanding, and deeply engaged in life. I aspire to live that way too. We only get one life, and I believe in making the most of it — growing, contributing, and creating good for our community. I overcome adversity by leaning on my community and creating space to reset — whether it's a two-minute breather or stepping outside to reconnect with nature. I turn to tools like journaling, reading, poetry, podcasts, and books that offer perspective and resilience strategies. Most importantly, I coach myself to shift my mindset—reframing challenges, considering different angles, and striving to understand others, knowing that their experiences shape their approach. Take care of yourself — your mind and body are the only ones you get. Remember, you can do anything you set your mind to. Seek joy, both in the expected and unexpected. Stay curious, explore freely. Move your body, quiet your mind — exercise and meditate more. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, make you laugh, and give you space to cry. Doing the work to build community is invaluable. This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Missoula mayor Andrea Davis a USA TODAY Women of the Year honoree
Associated Press
12-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Homeward Selected to Receive Award for up to $12 Million from ARPA-H's PARADIGM Program
Homeward ®, a company committed to rearchitecting the delivery of health and care in partnership with communities everywhere, starting in rural America, today announced it has been awarded up to $12 million in research funding to serve as a lead performer for The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health ( ARPA-H) Platform Accelerating Rural Access to Distributed and InteGrated Medical Care (PARADIGM) program. The program is a 5-year project to develop a scalable mobile platform that can bring sophisticated medical services – including perinatal care, advanced wound care, and more – outside of a hospital setting to the doorstep of even the most remote, rural populations. 'Rural America faces some of the greatest healthcare challenges in our country, with higher mortality rates and limited access to essential care due to a shortage of hospitals, specialty clinics, and healthcare workers,' said Homeward Co-Founder and President Amar Kendale. 'At Homeward, our mission is to rearchitect the delivery of health and care in partnership with communities in rural America, and the PARADIGM program is a critical step in advancing this mission. With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and other health technologies, we have an opportunity to bring advanced medical services and specialty care directly to those who need it most – with the potential to leapfrog other markets – ensuring no community is left behind.' PARADIGM is funding part of Homeward's Advanced Research Program, a cornerstone effort to advance healthcare solutions for rural communities where access is limited. As AI and health technology continue to evolve, rural healthcare providers often face significant barriers to adoption due to lack of solutions designed for their unique needs. Homeward's new research and development initiative will bring technology that is specifically adapted to the needs of rural communities so that it will make a real difference in peoples' lives, in partnership with rural providers, academic centers and other community stakeholders. Research and development projects led through Homeward's Advanced Research Program are designed to make health technology more accessible, equitable and impactful for the millions of Americans living in rural areas. 'Solving the rural healthcare crisis requires new approaches and ideas designed with rural communities in mind, which is the driving force behind Homeward's Advanced Research Program,' said Vice President of Advanced Research Programs at Homeward Fred Barrigar. 'Through initiatives like PARADIGM, we're developing and testing solutions with partners in rural communities where traditional healthcare models fall short. From improving how treatments are delivered to advancing diagnostic tools, our goal is to create scalable innovations that improve care delivery and accessibility in rural communities.' The PARADIGM program anchors this initiative by addressing all three of the Advanced Research Program's focus areas: workforce transformation, advanced therapeutic delivery, and distributed diagnostics. The project will focus on defining clinical services, collaborating with technology partners to develop and implement solutions, and conducting clinical research studies with subcontractor grant organizations, including the University of Minnesota and Mobile Health Map (MHM) at Harvard Medical School. MHM is a national collaborative that helps mobile clinics measure, improve, and communicate their impact. MHM will focus on ensuring the PARADIGM care delivery model reflects the real-world needs of rural communities. The University of Minnesota will serve as a co-principal investigator, leading efforts to evaluate the PARADIGM program's clinical effectiveness and effect on reducing healthcare disparities. 'The University of Minnesota is proud to partner with Homeward and advance the PARADIGM program to understand how we might best deliver care to rural communities in Minnesota,' said Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota and faculty in the Program for Health Disparities Research Dr. Elizabeth Rogers, who is leading the evaluation of this project. 'Research is critical to understanding what works and its impact so we can improve care delivery in meaningful ways. By turning insights into thoughtful programs, we aim to eliminate the healthcare disparities that rural communities have faced for far too long.' About Homeward Homeward is rearchitecting the delivery of health and care for rural Americans by partnering with payers, providers, and community organizations. By taking full financial accountability for clinical outcomes and the total cost of care across rural counties, Homeward aligns incentives and strengthens local healthcare ecosystems. The Homeward Navigation™ platform uses advanced analytics to connect members to the right care and local resources that address social determinants of health and improve holistic health outcomes. Since many rural communities lack adequate clinical capacity, Homeward employs care teams that supplement local practices and reach people who cannot access care otherwise. As a public benefit corporation and B Corp™ certified company, Homeward's mission and business model are aligned to address the healthcare, economic, and demographic challenges that make it harder for rural Americans to stay healthy. For more information, please visit SOURCE: Homeward Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 02/12/2025 10:15 AM/DISC: 02/12/2025 10:15 AM
