Health

 

Health is such a basic need, it impacts every aspect of a person's daily life. A child with a toothache is unable to concentrate in school and succeed. A family without health insurance is often overwhelmed to the point of bankruptcy by the financial burdens of an illness. Seniors without prescription assistance have to make frightening decisions on which medicine they can afford and which ones they will go without. Whether it is a neighbor without health insurance, a victim of abuse, or someone struggling with mental illness or an addiction, United Way of the Midlands works to ensure everyone has access to affordable and quality care so they can lead safe, healthy, and rewarding lives.

The Work We're Doing

Local volunteers on Community Councils use their knowledge of community problems to distribute funds through multi-year, competitive grants where the needs are greatest. 
To make the best use of contributor dollars, United Way holds agencies accountable for the programs they run, only funding programs with good results. Grants are typically awarded for a period of three years, with continued funding dependent on satisfactory outcome reports.
This chart shows how funds were distributed last year to United Way health care programs throughout the community. 

How Does My Gift Help?

Issue: A child with a toothache has trouble concentrating in class and may be disruptive to others.
Solution: By providing 5,032 treatments of free dental care to 1,309 children last year, United Way helps them stay healthy and focused. 

Issue: More than half of all bankruptcies are the result of the financial burdens of medical bills. Hospital emergency rooms are overworked providing expensive routine care to the uninsured.
Solution: Last year, United Way helped fund programs that provided 3,365 visits to free medical clinics and enrolled 266 individuals in health plans to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

  • The FamilyWize Prescription Drug Card is a tool being offered by United Way of the Midlands that can help people save a significant amount of money on their medications. This card can be presented at most area pharmacies to receive a discount on the retail price of medications. Plus, it is available to everyone free of charge.
  • United Way of the Midlands Health Council has partnered with the South Carolina Optometric Physicians Association to initiate the South Carolina Eye Care Initiative.  This program was established to provide quality vision care to low-income, uninsured adults 18 years old and older in South Carolina.

Issue: Rather than stay at home, many seniors are unable to afford at-home services and are forced to go without, increasing isolation and suffering. 
Solution: Programs funded by United Way provided over 108,365 home-delivered meals and 27,608 congregate meals for seniors last year.