LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

, philanthropic arm of (NYSE: HUM) for the past 38 years, is investing $7.6 million in eight communities across the southeastern United States to address social determinants of health on a local level, helping more people achieve health equity. Part of its ongoing , The Humana Foundation will create two new investments in New Orleans totaling $1 million and will continue its existing investments with 10 organizations in seven other communities, including expanding its investment in Baton Rouge, La.

Through partnerships with local organizations and community members, The Humana Foundation’s Strategic Community Investment Program creates measurable results in some of the most common social determinants of health, including post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, social connectedness, financial asset security and food security. These investments are located in Humana ‘Bold Goal’ communities, places where Humana and The Humana Foundation are working to help people improve their health 20 percent by 2020 and beyond.

“Our Strategic Community Investments holistically address social determinants of health at the systems- and community-level,” said Walter D. Woods, CEO of The Humana Foundation. “We believe this approach will positively impact health outcomes in our target communities which our first year results confirm. Consequently, we are creating new investments in New Orleans and continuing our investments in other locations.”

Two new Strategic Community Investments in New Orleans will address financial asset security, post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, and food security.

will receive an investment of $416,480 for its Career Pathways program, an employment program that helps lift families out of generational poverty by creating greater financial asset security and post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment. Kingsley House will collaborate with and to help families access community resources.

will receive $613,620 to address financial asset security, post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment, and food security in New Orleans. The program will take a unique, cooperative approach by working through local partnerships to bring fresh food into food deserts, to create new markets and train local farmers, and to provide training and an employment pipeline for youth in the local food and hospitality economy. Partners in this initiative include, , , , , Louisiana, and joined by for special projects.

In the first year of the Strategic Community Investment Program, The Humana Foundation invested $7.4 million in seven communities and funded programs that served more than 16,000 individuals and their families, addressing one or more social determinant of health. Each of these seven communities will receive continued or expanded Humana Foundation investments based on the measurable results each program attained in its first year.

The Humana Foundation’s continuing and expanded Strategic Community Investments include the following:

Baton Rouge, La: will receive $715,000 to continue improving food security and social connectedness via the . Funded by both The Humana Foundation and this project addresses food deserts by saturating areas with the highest rates of food insecurity and health disparities with numerous access points for purchasing fresh food at an affordable price. will receive an additional $189,700 as a key partner in the Geaux Get Healthy project, allowing for the expansion of a workforce development program. By investing in HOPE Ministries’ The Way to Work program, The Humana Foundation is expanding its Strategic Community Investment in Baton Rouge to address post-secondary attainment and sustaining employment.

Broward County, Fla: will receive $415,000 to continue working with health clinics to screen patients for food security and diet-related disease. Engaging Patients Impacting Care (EPIC) will also help people apply for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and help people access healthy foods via a produce prescription program.

Jacksonville, Fla: will receive continued funding of $815,000 for Health-Smart, a program that promotes social connection and food security among minority, underserved and low-income seniors, as well as asset security and post-secondary success resources for their families in partnership with the and other local, health-focused partners.

Knoxville, Tenn.: , in a collaborative partnership with and , will receive $965,000 to continue its Truck2Table program, addressing social determinants of health and improving the health and quality of life of uninsured and underserved people by providing affordable access to healthy food, free nutrition education and access to social connectedness resources.

Louisville, Ky.: will receive an additional $515,000 investment for its HEROES program, expanding existing programs and reaching more individuals, families and senior citizens to assess and address barriers including social isolation, food insecurity and lack of post-secondary educational attainment. will receive $715,000 to continue AcceLOUrate Savings financial literacy program, improving financial independence and providing families and residents experiencing economic distress with financial literacy coaching and other social services.

San Antonio: will receive $915,000 to continue its Senior Planet San Antonio program, addressing social connectedness by engaging seniors through free access to internet-connected technology and training courses. The will receive $708,462 to continue its Healthy Options for the Elderly (HOPE) program, assisting seniors who screen positive for food security and social connectedness concerns with comprehensive services that stabilize their household and address prevalent health issues.

Tampa: will receive $640,500 to continue work to transform affordable access to healthy food in partnership with local clinics and other social service providers via the Feeding Tampa Bay Food Pharmacy. (CHCP) will be a key partner in this work, creating an onsite food pharmacy at the CHCP clinic and increasing access to healthy foods for the neighborhood surround the clinic.

For more information on specific investment results, please visit the section of .

Each organization that receives a Humana Foundation Strategic Community Investment has the opportunity to receive continued funding for up to three years based on the specific results achieved in their programs.

“Health is local, driven by choices available to people in their communities and neighborhoods,” Woods added. “We are grateful to work with local organizations to improve and sustain positive health outcomes.”

About The Humana Foundation

The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading health and well-being companies. Located in Louisville, Ky., the Foundation seeks to co-create communities where leadership, culture, and systems work to improve and sustain positive health outcomes. For more information, visit .

Humana and The Humana Foundation are dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. Our goal is to ensure that every business decision we make reflects our commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members, our employees, the communities we serve, and our planet.

About Humana

Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.

To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience with the goal of making health care easier to navigate and more effective.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s website at , including copies of:

• Annual reports to stockholders
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings
• Most recent investor conference presentations
• Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
• Calendar of events
• Corporate Governance information. 

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