United Health Foundation, Peak Military Care Network Partner to Strengthen Support for Service Members, Veterans and their Families at Event Honoring Military Families

• $800,000 United Health Foundation grant will help PMCN expand
  network of collaborative partners that helps support the needs of the
  region’s military and veteran community
• Announcement comes on Military Spouse Appreciation Day Friday,
  May 6, during a special “Welcome Home” reception for military families

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Service members, veterans and their families in the Colorado Springs
area will have access to expanded support networks through the Peak
Military Care Network (PMCN), funded by a three-year, $800,000
United Health Foundation grant.

The grant was announced today, in honor of Military Spouse Appreciation
Day, during a special “Welcome Home” reception for military families.

PMCN connects people to information and services through a collaborative
network of military, veteran and community-based organizations that
supports the individual and the family, including advocacy, behavioral
health, child welfare and crisis intervention, education, workforce
readiness, medical and physical health, social services, and transition
and reintegration.

The United Health Foundation grant will enable PMCN to provide
additional resources that expand its network of collaborative partners
that helps support the needs of the region’s military and veteran
community. This includes:

• broadening the PMCN network of partner agencies to foster better
  communication and collaboration, and ensure breadth and depth of the
  network to meet the broad range of service members’ and veterans’
  needs;
• enhancing the Network
  of Care website (which includes a directory of local services),
  including enhanced tools that connect service members, veterans and
  their families to critical services;
• implementing more robust education and outreach efforts, particularly
  those that focus on transitioning service members through all phases
  of the transition process; and
• providing case management support to help those with multiple or
  complex issues in order to address immediate and long-term needs,
  including improved health and well-being.

“Our partnership with United Health Foundation is transformational,
helping PMCN take our support services and programs to a whole new level
for service members, veterans and their families,” said Kate Hatten,
PMCN president and CEO. “With such a large military community in this
region, these resources will expand our programs and provide meaningful
support that will help improve their lives.”

The Pikes Peak area is the only region in the United States to house a
major Army installation (Fort Carson), three Air Force installations
(Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base and Cheyenne Mountain
Air Force Station), and a leading service academy (U.S. Air Force
Academy). One in four residents is a former or current member of the
military, making the area home to one of the highest concentrations of
service members in the nation, according to PMCN. More than 25,000
soldiers are stationed at Fort Carson alone, double the total from 2006.

“Our military family is an essential part of this community,” said U.S.
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.). “Today we honor and recognize the countless
contributions and sacrifices made by military spouses to keep our
country safe, and I applaud United Health Foundation for its leadership
in supporting our service members and their families through innovative
partnerships that strengthen the network of care.”

Several elected officials and community leaders participated in the
event, including Congressman Lamborn.

“Military spouses are like tempered steel. They have been in the fire
and come out stronger and better. I’m very proud to have been a Military
spouse. These spouses deserve everything we can do for them,” said Mrs.
Jill Renuart, spouse of General Gene Renuart, U.S. Army, Ret. Former
commander.

The grant was announced on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Friday, May
6, at the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments during a “welcome home”
event for spouses and families of service members who have recently
returned from overseas deployment. Volunteers, including elected
officials, community leaders, and UnitedHealthcare and Optum employees,
distributed 250 “Family Movie Night” gift baskets to military families
of service members.

“The nation’s military service members and their families make
tremendous sacrifices every day, and we need to do everything we can to
help ensure their continued health and well-being,” said Tom Wiffler,
chief operating officer of UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans, which
provides health care services for 3 million service members, military
retirees and their families. “This partnership with Peak Military Care
Network will increase capabilities and capacity to expand Peak’s reach
into the military community, and improve the level of care and support
to our service members and their loved ones.”

About Peak Military Care Network

PMCN is a coordinating entity that has built a network of collaborative
partners to better meet the needs of our region’s military and veteran
community. PMCN promotes health and well-being by connecting service
members, veterans and their families to critical resources and services
to meet complex needs by fostering coordination, collaboration and
partnerships among service providers; training community-based
providers; and conducting outreach to providers and our military and
veteran communities to increase knowledge of and access to resources.

About United Health Foundation

Through collaboration with community partners, grants and outreach
efforts, United Health Foundation works to improve our health system,
build a diverse and dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being
of local communities. United Health Foundation was established by
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private
foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date,
United Health Foundation has committed more than $285 million to
programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn more
at www.unitedhealthfoundation.org
or follow @UHGGives on Twitter or Facebook.com/UHGGives.

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Contacts

United Health Foundation
LD Platt, 202-654-8830
ld_platt@uhg.com
or
Peak
Military Care Network
Kate Hatten, 719-527-3965
khatten@pmcn.org