When Regional One Health launched ONE Health during summer 2017, it was an effort to improve care for a small group of patients known as super utilizers. These individuals show up at the emergency department an average of 85 times a year, or about once every four days.

The Commercial Appeal shared the ONE Health story, highlighting some of the program’s progress while looking at the challenges that lie ahead. Super utilizers are individuals who repeatedly visit the emergency department. The reason for those visits? Often it’s a combination of chronic medical or behavioral problems along with unmet social needs such as housing, safety or food access.

“Most people don’t wake up saying, ‘It’s Thursday, I’m going to go out and over-utilize services.’ They wake up and have a perceived need,” Susan Cooper, senior vice president and chief integration officer for Regional One Health told The Commercial Appeal.

ONE Health is funded through a three-year, $1 million grant from the Assisi Foundation of Memphis and contributions from local donors.

To learn more about the effort and how Regional One Health is partnering with Memphis-area organizations to improve the health of the community, read The Commercial Appeal story.