The United Health Foundation and UnitedHealthcare have announced grants totaling $4.5 million in support of efforts to advance health equity among underserved communities in Oklahoma.

Seven grants were awarded to organizations working to increase access to health care, improve health outcomes, and support communities across the state. The United Health Foundation awarded three-year grants of $1.8 million each to the Health Alliance for the Uninsured to provide integrated services for people with diabetes and to the Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa to provide comprehensive geriatric care for Native Americans. An additional $750,000 from UnitedHealthcare will support organizations focused on meeting the needs of older adults and people experiencing trauma, food insecurity, and/or social isolation: Life Senior Services ($200,000), the University of Oklahoma Foundation and Hope Research Center ($120,000), Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma ($140,000), Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma ($180,000), and Meals on Wheels OKC ($110,000).

"Oklahoma now has the fourth-highest death rate from diabetes in the United States," said Health Alliance for the Uninsured executive director Jeanean Yanish. "We're proud to partner with UnitedHealth Group to improve access to primary and behavioral health care for diabetic patients at rural and urban clinics throughout the state."