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Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced Virginia will allocate $10 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to create Unite Virginia, a statewide technology platform designed to connect vulnerable Virginians to health and social services.

Working with Unite Us, a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers, the commonwealth will implement an integrated e-referral system that unites government agencies, health care providers, and community-based partners and supports Virginia’s continuing COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

“The ongoing and widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the need to unite traditional health care settings and community organizations that address social determinants of health,” Gov. Northam said. “This is about connecting people with the supports they need to live healthy lives. Having this critical infrastructure in place will also position our commonwealth to better respond to and recover from the twin public health and economic crises we face, and advance health equity by ensuring medical care and social services are appropriately delivered to Virginians, reducing barriers to care, and identifying gaps to better our target resources.”

This initial funding allocation will cover startup and implementation costs to operate the e-referral system, which can integrate with widely used electronic medical record systems in place at hospitals, health systems, and medical practice groups across Virginia.