Edition: Q3 | 2023
© Humana 2026
2023 Since our last newsletter, so much has happened in our quest to advance equitable access and outcomes for diverse communities. The Humana Foundation joined USAA, USAA Foundation and the Endeavors Foundation in launching the Face the Fight initiative, to raise awareness and support for veteran suicide prevention.
We’re building a coalition of businesses, foundations and organizations, to increase the conversation about the problem. The aspiration is to cut the veteran suicide rate in half by 2030.
One of the Foundation’s board members, Dr. Bettina Beech, supports Face the Fight through a scientific advisory role and you can learn more about her in the following pages of this newsletter. I appreciate Dr. Beech’s expertise and support of the Foundation’s work.
To follow up on a $1 million investment to bolster mental health resources in Louisville and in the wake of deadly shootings in April, the Humana Foundation announced a partnership with Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI). The partnership will help expand the number of mental healthcare providers in Louisville and eliminate mental health disparities and inequities in an area that needs more resources.
In all of the Foundation’s campaigns and partnerships we take a listening approach to understand the needs and improve outcomes for individuals and communities. We do this by hearing and learning from people and organizations on the ground.
I’m proud that we’ve launched a new boot-on-the-ground partner, the Humana Foundation Senior Council. The 14-member volunteer Council serves as a perpetual focus group and advisory board to the Foundation. The group consists of established and emerging community leaders –both seniors 65+ and current high school seniors. Check out the story inside to see what we’ve learned from them so far and I can’t wait to see how their passion and commitment to health equity will help advance our work in the future.
With all that’s happening, I want to continue to thank our partners, board, grantees and all those who support the work of the Humana Foundation. And of course, our Humana employees. Together, we’ll continue to eliminate social and structural barriers so that more people and communities can reach their full health potential.
--Tiffany Benjamin
CEO, Humana Foundation
Bettina M. Beech, DrPH, MPH was named to the Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2020.
Dr. Beech is the Chief Population Health Officer at the University of Houston (UH) and a Clinical Professor of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences in the UH College of Medicine.
Q&A: Get to know Humana Foundation board member Dr. Bettina Beech
1. What inspired you to join the Humana Foundation Board and what excites you about the work of the Humana Foundation?
The deep commitment of the Humana Foundation to invest in high-impact endeavors that create conditions for everyone to thrive inspires me personally and professionally. I am most excited about data-informed decision processes used by the Foundation that guides our community investments.
2. How can the Humana Foundation learn from academic institutions and public health subject-matter experts about how it works with, and in the community?
Transformative academic institutions have deep roots and authentic relationships that have been cultivated through mutually beneficial collaborations over time. Similar to many universities, the Humana Foundation serves as an anchor institution that respects the reciprocal nature of learning with communities, and from communities.
3. How does your background in public and population health impact your role with the Humana Foundation?
The Foundation uses an evidence-based approach to grantmaking which is aligned with my work as a public health and population health scientist. I appreciate the use of data in the effort to make a measurable impact on society.
4. What leader do you admire the most? Why?
Jackie Robinson. He was a trailblazer as the first African American to play Major League Baseball. His excellence on the field and courage in the face unimaginable taunting and vitriol opened doors for countless athletes and professionals. His legacy was larger than a baseball player as he contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement and achieved a number of additional “firsts” including roles such as the first African American television analyst for MLB and the first African American vice president of a major American corporation.
5. What are five things you can’t live without?
My faith, My family, Reading, Music, Baseball jerseys
Exclusive to Humana employees on Humana Radio, the Humana Foundation now hosts a bi-monthly segment, Foundation Fridays!
The Humana Foundation’s Chris Robinson joins DJ Reggie for a recap of recent Foundation initiatives, upcoming Foundation events and insights on how employees can make the most of their donation dollars and volunteer hours.
The next Foundation Friday segment will air Oct. 20 from 11-11:30 a.m., exclusively on Humana Radio.
SAN ANTONIO -- Since 2001, more than 120,000 veterans have died by suicide, driven by a veteran suicide rate that is currently 1.5 times the rate of the general population. Now, a coalition of corporations, foundations, nonprofits and veteran-focused organizations have launched Face the Fight™to raise awareness and support for veteran suicide prevention.
"Face the Fight has an ambitious goal for ambitious companies and foundations,” said Humana Foundation CEO, Tiffany Benjamin. “USAA, Reach Resilience, the Humana Foundation and others are committed to advancing major change to support our veteran population by stopping the rate of veteran suicide."
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
-- Winston Churchill
BACKGROUND: La Casita Center is a Latinx-led non-profit in Louisville, KY whose mission is to empower those in the Latinx community and provide a foundation for systemic change with long-term effects.
THE NEWS: Through six months of funding, La Casita Center has provided 85 people with general mental health support. These services include one-on-one coaching and education around a variety of available services and case management such as connecting people to resources in the local area.
WHY IT MATTERS:
WHAT’S NEXT: La Casita is developing a self-identification tool to help individuals identify when an individual is in need of mental health services. For example, some teens may not label events that have occurred in their life as traumatic, when the event has a prominent impact on their lives. The tool will help provide the words necessary to identify events taking place in people’s lives.
The Humana Foundation annually awards college scholarships of up to $3,000 to children of Humana employees.
This year, more than 450 students applied for the program. The Foundation awarded 81 new scholarships and renewed 167 scholarships from the 2022 academic year.
Since 2001, the Foundation has awarded more than $15 million to assist 1,600+ children of Humana employees in their pursuit of higher education.
ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT
Tenure at Humana: 7 years
Current Position: Associate Director, IT Communications, Associate Communications
Location: Kentucky
Kiley’s Initiative:
Kiley is the Walk Chair for the Greater KY and Southern Indiana Walk to End Alzheimer’s and all other dementias. Her grandmother lost her battle with Alzheimer’s, which is why she volunteers time and money to find a cure. Join her
BACKGROUND: The Humana Foundation’s Senior Council is a newly-formed advisory board which hosted its first meeting June 20. The council consists of participants from both the 65+ and high school senior demographics, and includes representatives from the Foundation’s focus geographies of Florida, Louisiana, Louisville, KY and Texas.
THE NEWS: The board tackled pressing issues during its inaugural meeting, like general health maintenance, the battle against loneliness in isolated areas and the mixed impact of social media on daily living.
WHY IT MATTERS:
WHAT’S NEXT: The Senior Council will meet quarterly, serving as a continual source of insight and direction for the Humana Foundation’s community-based initiatives.
LOUISVILLE, KY -- The Humana Foundation announced a partnership with Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) to help small business mental health providers scale their operations and increase sustainable services to victims of trauma in the city.
Grants between $50,000 and $100,000 will be awarded for projects that enable providers to significantly increase the number of people receiving mental health services. Priority will be given to applicants who commit to addressing categories of mental health that are in dire shortage –such as psychologists, psychiatrists and youth counselors –and applicants prioritizing care to diverse and underrepresented populations.
“We’re acting quickly to improve mental health quality and outcomes in the short-term, while continuing our focus on addressing access and stigma issues in the long-term. We hope this effort will help to heal and strengthen our community, while addressing a very real and urgent crisis,” said Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation.
Resource for Parents of School-Aged Children
Resource for Seniors
Additional Resources