Social care navigation platform Findhelp has secured new contracts in New York, US, with public healthcare system NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) and academic health system Montefiore.

These partnerships come at a time when the New York State Department of Health (DOH) is awaiting approval of its 1115 waiver amendment, which aims to improve health equity in the Medicaid programme.

Approval for the waiver is anticipated towards the end of 2023.

It will integrate social care with healthcare to support population health, improve health outcomes, and reduce health disparities.

The waiver is mainly said to facilitate the creation of Social Care Networks (SCNs), designed to incorporate reimbursable social services into Medicaid, including provisions for housing, nutrition, and non-medical transportation for appointments.

Findhelp's partnerships with H+H and Montefiore claim to help connect community members with these essential social services.

In addition, this alliance will help H+H to better address the social determinants of health (SDoH), which are the non-medical factors that can have a significant impact on people's health.

Findhelp already has links with over 30 other organisations in New York, including Mount Sinai, Medisys, SEIU 1199 Funds, United Way of New York City, the Institute for Family Health, Bon Secours, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Aetna, and Elevance Health.

Findhelp founder and CEO Erine Gray said: “Findhelp was founded on the belief that everyone should be able to find the help they need, when they need it, with dignity and ease.”

“We are excited to partner with NYC Health + Hospitals and Montefiore, New York City's safety net hospitals, as they join our existing New York customers and community-based organisations to support people in all five boroughs.

“As the state releases the forthcoming 1115 Medicaid waiver, they'll become part of an existing network already used by more than 1.5 million New Yorkers to find resources from housing and health to food and transportation.”