CCO Highlight: AllCare Health

All our member CCOs are doing a stellar job caring for their communities during this crisis, and this week, we will be highlighting the efforts of AllCare Health to ensure that everyone in Curry, Josephine, and Jackson counties have access to culturally appropriate information about this public health crisis, in a language that they can read.

Even prior to this public health crisis, AllCare Health maintained a robust interpreter program in which they provide language assistance services to members and providers alike. But now, when local public health agencies do not have access to meaningful interpreter services to get vital information to communities, AllCare is stepping in to make sure that translation and interpretation services are happening.

From big picture initiatives, such as partnering with local public health agencies to distribute language-specific health information, to meeting individual member needs, such as purchasing iPads for deaf OHP members so they can access provider services via telehealth, AllCare is on it. They are currently in collaboration with Josephine and Jackson County Public Health and are providing American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish speaking interpreters, as these two languages are the highest utilized among residents in that area other than English. In Curry County, AllCare Health is offering free interpretation and translation to any nonprofit organization over the phone!

In every decision that AllCare has been making regarding how they spend their Social Determinants of Health and Equity (SDoH-E) dollars, language access is always a consideration, especially during a pandemic. Now, those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or are not English language speakers will have access to the information they need. And, in some cases, members may even be given the technology they need to access that information. Plus, with AllCare utilizing interpretation services at such a high rate, interpreters who were laid off or had their hours cut will have a source of income.

AllCare also serves Oregonians who might not have received stimulus checks for reasons including their marital status to an undocumented Oregonian. Because AllCare knows many of their members could be suffering from lack of income and resources, they also donated $25,000 in gift cards to grocery stores directly to their Regional Health Equity Coalition (R-HEC) to be distributed to those most in need. The R-HECs are collaborative, community-led groups that work regionally to identify and address health equity issues, and they work with CCOs to create and operationalize projects that combat health inequities based in race. With the R-HEC’s expertise in these health inequities, paired with AllCare’s deep knowledge of the community, the hope is that the hardest hit communities will be covered.

The list of investments AllCare has made in their communities is extensive, including investing $10,000 in Unete, a Farmworkers Advocacy Group, as well as $5,000 to each Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to be invested in pilot programs that they deem the community needs. The CAC is made up of members of the community, including at least one OHP member, as well as board members.

Are you curious about what other amazing things AllCare Health is spending their dollars on? Click here to view the Community Support page of AllCare’s website, which is updated to reflect all of the investments AllCare Health is making in their community!

Thank you AllCare Health for your deep dedication to cultural responsiveness as well as language access during this pandemic, and for working so hard to care for your members!