Papa Expands Social Care Navigation Offering, the Only Coordinated Companion Care Program to Close the Loop on Social Health Needs

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Apr 11, 2023, 08:00 ET

Service builds on Papa's core companionship solution with augmentative social care provided by a remote team of navigators utilizing the Papa platform

MIAMI, April 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Papa, a curated platform of companionship and support for older adults and families, announced today the expansion of its Social Care Navigation offering following a limited rollout last year. The service provides health plans with expert, hands-on support, in collaboration with care management teams and Papa Pals, to go further in uncovering and resolving barriers to members' whole health. Today, more than a quarter of Papa's health plan clients use Social Care Navigation to address deeper social and clinical needs among their members.

Since its founding in 2017, Papa has provided more than 2 million hours of social support and companionship to members across the country. Whether helping an adult get to an appointment or shop for groceries, or even just having a meaningful conversation or going on a walk, Papa's caring and vetted companions, called Papa Pals, are there for members in whatever way they need it most, addressing the social drivers that disproportionately affect health outcomes.

Social Care Navigation is an extension of Papa's core companionship offering, building on the foundational trust forged between members and their Papa Pals. A remote team of social care navigators—including registered nurses, case managers, social workers, dieticians, and more—provide an extra layer of care and expertise to uncover and address social needs and gaps in care, like risk of losing housing, trouble paying for groceries, and overdue health screenings.

Through their day-to-day interactions, Papa Pals capture insights in the home and identify when members may have additional challenges or needs before they escalate into greater issues. Papa's social care navigators then connect members to health plan resources, local delivery systems, and community-based organizations, with continued support from Papa Pals to bridge the gap. The result is a high-touch and differentiated member experience to reduce downstream health care costs.

"With the expansion of Social Care Navigation, we are uniquely positioned to support members. Leveraging the Papa platform, our national network of Pals, paired with our social care navigators can gather unparalleled insights and understand members' whole health needs. This powerful combination enables us to close the loop and drive real health outcomes," said Papa Founder and CEO Andrew Parker. "Clients are increasingly turning to Papa to not only uncover their member's social and clinical needs, but to provide even more hands-on support to bridge the gap and help members achieve and maintain whole health."

According to the AARP Foundation, more than half of older adults report experiencing at least one unmet social need—issues that include food insecurity, mobility challenges, access to transportation, financial challenges, and more. Using insights surfaced from member assessments, in-person Papa Pal visits, and ongoing analysis of health plan care gap data, Papa's social care navigators engage members with identified needs, and connect them with the appropriate health care and community resources. Aimed at bridging gaps in care and driving toward whole health, Papa resolves member issues on behalf of, or in partnership with, the health plan. Since Social Care Navigation's initial rollout across a small cohort of clients last year, Papa's social care navigators have addressed more than 72,000 social needs and care gaps.

Fallon Health, a nationally recognized not-for-profit health care services organization based in Massachusetts, elected to triple its Social Care Navigation eligible population in 2023 after seeing improvement among its members and member experience. Of Fallon members with visits, 45% had escalations to Papa's social care navigators, who have helped with needs like identifying providers and scheduling appointments, addressing home falls risks, obtaining and/or replacing durable medical equipment, and more.

"Social Care Navigation supports our team and members unlike any way we've seen before," said Lynn Patterson, Vice President of Clinical Integration for Fallon Health. "Papa's social care navigators serve as true partners to our care management team, working in concert with the Papa Pals who provide vital in-home support to surface and address high-priority needs to multiply our impact."

As health plans continue to focus on moving care upstream, Social Care Navigation plays a critical role in advancing proactive care measures, like preventive screenings, vaccinations, and health risk assessments. Social care navigators also have the experience needed to recognize and address potentially harmful trends before they result in a health emergency. Additionally, they support members in understanding their health information and navigating health plan resources. This is an area that makes a significant difference in how members care for themselves, given nine out of 10 adults have difficulty understanding health information.

"Our research shows that companion care addresses loneliness and helps drive engagement around preventive interventions, such as cancer screenings, annual wellness visits, and eye exams," said Dr. Ellen Rudy, Vice President of Social Health and Impact at Papa. "When we combine the trusted relationships between Papa Pals and members with the ability to refer and provide additional services and resources to those who need it, we're keeping people out of the hospital and ensuring they have better health outcomes."

About Papa
Papa is a new kind of care, built on human connection. Across the country, health plans and employers look to Papa to provide vital social support by pairing older adults and families with Papa Pals, caring and vetted companions, who provide a helping hand and an open ear, resulting in less loneliness and better health. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Miami, Papa is backed by Canaan, Tiger Global Management, Comcast Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, TCG, Initialized Capital, and Seven Seven Six, among other revered institutional and individual investors. We envision a world where no one has to go it alone. Learn more at papa.com.

Papa Media Contact:
Emily Hackel
[email protected]

SOURCE Papa Inc.