The MolinaCares Accord Partners with MAVEN Project to Address Health Equity in New Mexico
$75,000 MolinaCares grant will fund access to specialty medical consults, education, and mentoring for frontline providers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan. 5, 2023 – The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”) has partnered with MAVEN Project to give providers access to training and volunteer specialists that will result in high-quality, specialty health care for underserved populations at 10 clinics throughout New Mexico.
“Specialty care remains a daunting challenge for underserved communities, especially those living in rural areas,” said David Segal, CEO of MAVEN Project. “Twelve percent of New Mexico residents remain uninsured, leaving them at risk for major medical crises. Local health centers are doing amazing work, but we know both patients and providers will benefit from the added expertise and relationships with our physician volunteers.”
MAVEN Project’s volunteers leverage decades of experience to develop relationships with primary care providers to help meet the needs of patients. This access to specialists helps patients avoid long wait times and travel costs associated with access to specialty care. MAVEN Project offers providers access to consultations in more than 60 specialty areas, ranging from mental and behavioral health to infectious disease, oncology, and endocrinology.
“Although many New Mexicans have access to primary care, there may be barriers that impact their ability to reach the specialty care needed to thrive,” said Carolyn Ingram, plan president of Molina Healthcare of New Mexico. “Our partnership with MAVEN Project improves patient outcomes by connecting providers to specialists for consults, ongoing mentoring, and educational resources.”
Approximately 97% of providers at clinics affiliated with MAVEN Project nationwide have stated that their consultations with expert physician volunteers yielded knowledge applicable to their patients. Additionally, the MAVEN Project model reduces costs for patients by eliminating the need for unnecessary out-of-clinic specialty care referrals in nearly three out of four consultations.
About The MolinaCares Accord:
Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc.
About MAVEN Project
MAVEN Project is addressing the social, racial, and economic inequities in health care by connecting frontline safety net clinic providers with expert physician volunteers for medical advice, mentorship, and education, giving patients rapid access to high-quality, specialty care locally. A nonprofit founded in 2014, MAVEN Project’s network of expert physician volunteers aids critical work being done in federally qualified health centers and free and charitable clinics in 19 states and Puerto Rico. Learn more at MAVENProject.org.
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