UnitedHealthcare has funded a $440,000 program that distributes boxes of fresh, locally grown produce — and provides classes on how to cook it — to Maui patients with diabetes or who are at risk of diabetes. The funds will be disbursed over three years.
The program is part of the UnitedHealthcare Catalyst initiative, a national program with community-based partnerships in 28 states across the country, according to UnitedHealthcare representatives.
The Maui Catalyst program focuses on "improved health outcomes and food access with local produce" and is a partnership between patients with diabetes at the Malama Ke Ola Health Center and two farming partners: Kanu Ka Ike and the University of Hawaii Maui College's aquaponics program.
“Our kuleana at UnitedHealthcare is to help people live healthier lives. Through programs like UnitedHealthcare Catalyst, we can work within our communities to ensure that people in the community have access to healthy food and education around nutrition,” said Kalani Redmayne, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii, in a written statement. “Investing in more sustainable ways in which we can create food sources is very important to our community, to our farmers and also to our health.”
So far, 30% of patients have seen improved outcomes measured by blood pressure and hemoglobin A1C levels, according to the United Healthcare Catalyst's web page.
As a result of the program, the University of Hawaii Maui College's WaiPono Farm Greenhouse increased food production by 83% and added eight new crops, according to the health care provider's website. Through the partnership, the aquaponics program is growing a variety of crops for the food boxes, including lettuce, eggplant, carrots, green onion, squash, chard, parsley, radish, okra, peppers, squash and ulu, according to representatives of UnitedHealthcare.
Kanu Ka Ike — a family-owned entity focused on culture, health, education and mana — also engaged with about five local farmers to produce kalo, which is used to make poi, according to representatives of UnitedHealthcare. Kanu Ka Ike harvested more than 1,000 pounds of kalo, according to the health care provider's website.
The UnitedHealthcare Catalyst initiative started in 2020. Discussions for a Maui Catalyst program started in 2021, with educational classes and food distributions rolling out in 2022, according to representatives of UnitedHealthcare.
So far, two cohorts totaling 40 patients have been part of the program since September 2022, according to representatives of UnitedHealthcare. A third cohort, consisting of about 15 patients, will start in March. For more information, go here.
