LeadingAge has awarded the 2020 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Award for Health Equity to Linda Coleman, vice president of resident services at HumanGood.

Launched in 2015, the RWJF Award for Health Equity celebrates individuals who have changed systems and policies at a local level to increase the chance that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to live the healthiest life possible.

HumanGood, a LeadingAge member based in Pleasanton, CA, serves approximately 8,000 residents living in 95 affordable housing communities across California, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Since 2012, Coleman has directed the work of the 70 resident service coordinators, 3 life enrichment coordinators, and 2 wellness nurses who promote health and well-being among residents living in those housing communities.

“Her commitment and passion for ensuring the quality of life for the residents in HumanGood’s affordable housing communities drives (Linda) to be an innovator of services,” says Ancel Romero, president of HumanGood’s affordable housing division.

Coleman has taken a variety of approaches to helping HumanGood advance health equity. She has forged partnerships with health plan and health providers, engaged in health planning at the local level, participated in research, and enlisted student nurses to help HumanGood residents remain healthy.

Forging Partnerships

Coleman has created a culture of well-being and health at HumanGood by establishing key partnerships that steer residents toward healthier lifestyles while reducing utilization of expensive health care services. Health partners provide services to all residents regardless of economic level or insurance membership, and reach out to residents who do not usually use health services.

Key partners include:

• Health Plans: Two health plans—Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) in Southern California and the Health Plan of San Mateo in Northern California—assign health care navigators to educate residents of HumanGood communities about healthy lifestyles, support resident compliance with their care plans, and help residents obtain medical appointments. For more information about HumanGood’s partnership with IEHP, read A Housing and Health Collaboration: Mount Rubidoux Manor and Inland Empire Health Plan, a case study released in January by the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston.
• Health Providers: In 2018, Coleman asked Comprehensive Life Resources to offer on-site mental health services to the residents of Harbor View Manor in Tacoma, WA, after the community experienced a number of suicides. The partnership allows residents to access individual counseling on-site, increase their access to appropriate medication, and enhance their compliance with medication regimens.

Engaging In the Local Community

As a result of Coleman’s outreach, an increasing number of HumanGood resident service coordinators now serve on municipal and county commissions and committees that previously were mainly comprised of health or social service providers. These HumanGood team members provide the perspectives of residents living in affordable housing to such bodies as the Long Beach Aging Services Collaborative, Health Plan of San Mateo Cal Medi-Connect Advisory Committee, the Alameda County Older Adults Commission, and the Our Counties Senior Services Coalition steering committee.

Participating in Research

Coleman helped secure funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that allowed 3 HumanGood communities to participate in a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of HUD’s Integrated Wellness In Supportive Housing (IWISH) model. The IWISH model centers around an on-site team consisting of a full-time enhanced service coordinator and a part-time wellness nurse who work proactively to address residents’ needs and interests through one-on-one supports and community programming. During the IWISH demonstration, the 3 participating HumanGood communities reduced participants’ unnecessary emergency department visits by 60% and reduced nursing home placements by 90%.

Engaging Student Nurses

Under Coleman’s direction, student nurses from San Francisco State University have been working with residents of HumanGood affordable housing communities in Northern California for 7 years. Each semester, student nurses working in 12 HumanGood communities are able to alert the resident services coordinator to potential health issues among residents before those issues become health crises.