FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nicole Capuano

Reliant Medical Group

Nicole.Capuano@reliantmedicalgroup.org
 

Worcester — CommunityHELP.net, the online community resource database launched in 2018 for the Central and MetroWest Massachusetts region, has announced a collaboration with Mass211, the statewide free information and referral hotline. The collaboration will provide phone support for those searching for services on the CommunityHELP (Health and Everyday Living Resources) portal.

Those searching for food, housing, or other COVID services on the CommunityHELP online portal will see a pop-up box with links to COVID-19 information and a link to call Mass 2-1-1. This “click-to-call” feature will be incorporated into the CommunityHELP.org website with the help of Aunt Bertha, which is the national platform that houses CommunityHELP.org.

Mass211 resource and referral hotline created by the Council of Massachusetts United Ways, operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Other resource and referral networks in the region and across the state, including Boston Medical Center’s MA Community Resource Directory MassThive.org and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts 413Cares, are also collaborating with Mass 2-1-1 to offer this feature on their portals. 

CommunityHELP provides residents the ability to access critical information, resources and referrals to community-serving organizations from one online portal. UMass Memorial Health Care and Reliant Medical Group fund the portal which is managed collaboratively with regional community-based organizations.

According to Christine Cernak, Senior Director of Longitudinal Care at UMass Memorial Health Care, “We are pleased to collaborate with United Way in providing another layer of CommunityHELP resources and support for Central Massachusetts and MetroWest residents. By adding Mass 2-1-1’s phone-based system, residents seeking to speak with someone about services can reach the full range of Mass 2-1-1 services and support. This online and over-the-phone safety net is providing a critical resource that people need during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.”

According to Paul Mina, President & CEO of Mass211 states “this new partnership will provide consumers more immediate access to accurate information via the Mass211 system 24/7/365 in  over 140 languages.  In addition, our Call2Talk, mental health and suicide prevention line will be available for emotional support as well.”

As a single online point of contact, CommunityHELP efficiently connects people in the region to critical services they may need including housing, food and nutrition, healthcare, transportation, early education and more.

The site currently averages approximately 1,000 searches per month, In times of health, pandemic, and across the full range of existence, its mission is to improve the health of people in our communities by bridging the gap between the community and clinical systems with true collaboration across the continuum of care.

The development of the resource portal and platform was the result of a community-driven process led by UMass Memorial Health Care and Reliant Medical Group.

CommunityHELP is fully HIPAA compliant, mobile-friendly and can be translated into over 100 languages.

The portal is populated by community-serving organizations in the region “claiming” their listings on CommunityHELP to ensure their program information is accurate and up-to-date, which helps the public find services more efficiently.

UMass Memorial Health Care

UMass Memorial Health Care is the largest not-for-profit health care system in Central Massachusetts with more than 14,000 employees and 1,700 physicians, many of whom are members of UMass Memorial Medical Group. Our member hospitals and entities include UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, UMass Memorial – Marlborough Hospital, UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Memorial – Community Healthlink, our behavioral health agency. With our teaching and research partner, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, our extensive primary care network and our cancer, diabetes, heart and vascular, orthopedic and surgery programs, UMass Memorial delivers safe, high-quality and compassionate care. Visit www.umassmemorialhealthcare.org.

About Reliant Medical Group

Founded in 1929 and having become a part of Optum in April 2018, Reliant Medical Group serves approximately 317,000 patients, making it the largest independent, ambulatory integrated health system in the Central Massachusetts and Metro West Regions. With over 500 providers and 2,600 employees across more than 20 locations, Reliant Medical Group offers a unique team-based approach to care. Reliant accepts all major forms of health insurance. For more information on Reliant Medical Group please visit: reliantmedicalgroup.org

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