In July of 2020, The Steelcase Foundation awarded $35,000 to Health Net of West Michigan, an organization committed to improving access and equity in health care and social services in Kent County. The grant will support an independent evaluation of Health Net’s navigation services to confirm client and community-level impact.
The independent evaluation will provide quantifiable data on the impact of the organization’s work to improve the health and wellbeing of low-income children and families through navigation support and reduce emergency medical and mental health needs as clients are better served through more appropriate support. With this data Health Net will:
- Quantify its positive impact in reducing hospitalization and emergency department use among clients by connecting them to more appropriate support measures to ensure their needs are met before they reach emergency levels.
- Strengthen community conversations around how to best serve individuals in need and position resources to be accessible to those who most need them.
- Attract additional contracts both locally and at the state and federal level to bring operations to scale.
- Share its story beyond West Michigan to become a model for other communities to better serve individuals in need.
The Steelcase Foundation is excited to be part of this collaborative effort to provide evidence-based confirmation of the Health Net’s community impact.
