On November 17, 2025, the UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care hosted the second installment of its Innovations in Health Care Webinar Series, “Cultivating Health for Success Takes a Team.” The session brought together subject-matter experts and practitioners from Blair, Allegheny, and Erie counties in Pennsylvania to discuss how collaborative, community-based approaches are transforming health and housing outcomes for vulnerable populations.
The Learning Community Approach
The webinar opened with Janine Jelks-Seale, Director of Health Equity at UPMC Insurance Services Division, who emphasized the importance of the UPMC learning community, a network comprising UPMC’s integrated delivery and finance system, the University of Pittsburgh, and numerous community and industry collaborators.
Addressing Homelessness and Housing Instability
A central focus of the session was the Cultivating Health for Success (CHFS) program, which since its inception in 2010 has served UPMC Health Plan (UPMCHP) members experiencing homelessness or housing instability by connecting them to resources for housing and health. Ray Prushnok, Associate Vice President of Program Development and Executive Director of UPMC Center for Social Impact at UPMC Health Plan, explained that while the program has demonstrated measurable health and cost benefits, its true value lies in the human impact, restoring hope and dignity to those facing some of life’s toughest challenges.
Key Strategies of CHFS
Blended Case Management: CHFS employs a team-based approach that combines the expertise of collaborating housing organizations with UPMCHP's community health workers, social workers, and nurses. This model has proven effective at reducing hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and psychiatric emergencies.
Subsidized Housing: The program helps members access Section 8, public housing, housing choice vouchers, and other rental assistance, thereby helping to improve access to health care and to reduce food insecurity.
Flexible Eligibility: CHFS serves UPMCHP members in Medicaid, dual-eligible, and occasionally commercial lines, prioritizing those with behavioral health or substance use challenges, multiple chronic conditions, or frequent hospitalizations.
Local Impact: Stories from the Field
Panelists from Blair, Allegheny, and Erie counties shared how CHFS tailors to local needs:
· Blair County: Courtney Kissell described the unique challenges of serving a more urban population amid limited shelter resources and transportation barriers. The Center for Community Action leverages partnerships and creative programming to meet overwhelming demand.
· Allegheny County: Lexi Nasonti highlighted Community Human Services’ trauma-informed, harm-reduction approach, which serves thousands through housing, shelter, and food programs. The agency’s Housing Health Partnership integrates therapeutic support for those facing behavioral health challenges.
· Erie County: Andrea Sliva discussed Safe Harbor’s wide range of recovery-focused services and the importance of case management in overcoming barriers to housing and health care. She shared a powerful story about a participant whose stable housing enabled them to re-engage with critical cardiac care.
Overcoming Barriers and Building Relationships
The panelists emphasized that a lack of affordable housing, transportation, and eviction histories are major obstacles. CHFS and its collaborating organizations work to build relationships with landlords, offer budgeting and self-sufficiency classes, and advocate for policy changes. Collaboration across agencies and sectors is essential to address these complex issues.
Measuring Success
Since 2010, CHFS has housed 282 individuals, with over 100 program graduates since 2019. Evaluation shows self-reported higher quality of life, lower medical costs, and strong member satisfaction. The program’s impact is both financial, reducing medical spend by about $1,000 per member per month, and deeply personal, restoring hope and stability.
How To Get Involved
The webinar concluded with practical calls to action:
· Support Local Organizations: Donate to hyper-local groups such as United Way and participate in point-in-time counts to help track homelessness.
· Advocate and Volunteer: Learn about local housing initiatives, volunteer at community events, and raise awareness of programs like CHFS.
· Extend Kindness: Simple acts—eye contact and saying hello—can restore dignity to those experiencing homelessness.
The Cultivating Health for Success program shows that improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations requires teamwork, compassion, and a commitment to equity. By linking housing and health resources, fostering relationships, and centering the voices of those served, UPMCHP and its collaborators are helping to make a tangible difference in Pennsylvania communities.