UnitedHealthcare Awards $10,000 to Digital Hyve for Innovative Project to Improve Health and Wellness in Central New York

UnitedHealthcare has awarded $10,000 to Digital Hyve, a Syracuse-based digital marketing company that has a new, innovative idea for enhancing community health and wellness in Central New York.

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Digital Hyve, a Syracuse-based digital marketing company, won the inaugural UnitedHealthcare Community Care Award for its innovative idea for enhancing community health and wellness in Central New York. Digital Hyve's project is designed to increase access to and utilization of the Food Bank of Central New York's mobile pantry, and raise awareness of the food bank among potential donors through the use of digital marketing platforms. Left to right: Don Napier, senior vice president, UMR, formally POMCO; Jake Tanner, Jeff Knaus and Aubrie Menio of Digital Hyve; Lynn Hy, chief development officer, Food Bank of Central New York; and Michael McGuire, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of New York (Photo: Mike Roy).

The winning project from Digital Hyve benefits the Food Bank of Central New York, a nonprofit organization working to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education and advocacy. Digital Hyve’s project is designed to increase access to and utilization of the food bank’s mobile pantry, and raise awareness of the food bank among potential donors through the use of digital marketing platforms. The project will take advantage of the food bank’s first direct distribution model to bring mostly perishable food into areas of need.

Dozens of entries from Oswego, Onondaga, Cortland, Madison and Oneida counties were submitted in September for the inaugural UnitedHealthcare Community Care Award, a competition seeking the best new idea for enhancing community health and wellness. The entries were narrowed down to five finalists who were invited to present their project ideas to a panel of business and health care leaders at CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden. The five finalists included:

• Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Digital Hyve
• Metro Fitness
• Mobile Health Appraisal Services
• Seven Valley’s Health Coalition

“Digital Hyve’s innovative idea to increase access and utilization of the Food Bank of Central New York’s programs will make a tremendous difference in improving people’s health and well-being by expanding access to nutritious food in their communities,” said Michael McGuire, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of New York. “UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to present the inaugural Community Care Award to Digital Hyve.”

UnitedHealthcare partnered with CenterState CEO, Syracuse’s business leadership organization and chamber of commerce, to promote the 2017 Community Care Award.

“Central New York has a thriving community for small to mid-sized businesses, and we were excited to partner with UnitedHealthcare on this unique opportunity to promote innovative collaborations between businesses and nonprofits to improve the health and wellness of the communities where they work and live,” said Frank Caliva, senior vice president and chief operating officer, CenterState CEO.

Local business, community and clinical leaders who served as judges for the competition were:

• Mitchell Brodley, M.D, FamilyCare Medical Group, PC
• Frank Caliva, senior vice president and chief operating officer, CenterState CEO
• Andrew Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resource officer, Syracuse University
• Nancy Kern Eaton, president, United Way of Central New York
• Leola Rodgers, president and CEO, Syracuse Community Health Center, Inc.

About CenterState CEO
CenterState CEO is an independent and forward thinking economic development strategist, business leadership organization and chamber of commerce; dedicated to the success of its members and the prosperity of the region. We serve as an advocate and resource for smart business, catalyze and facilitate regional growth, and promote community prosperity through results-driven partnerships, planning and problem-solving. www.centerstateceo.com

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

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