UHI Blog

Time to Put Our Hands to Work

By Nancy Calderon

International Marketing Consultant

UnitedHealth International

Cancun, coastal city on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, the “Mexican Caribbean” as they often call it, is a paradise in its own category. With an astounding number of four million visitors each year it’s no secret why it is considered a pristine location for a quick get-away. 

This past October, I experienced a different kind of paradise in Cancun during UnitedHealth International’s (UHI) annual customer forum. In partnership with a local hospitality property, UHI employees and conference attendees ventured into a one-of-a- kind experience – volunteering for a disadvantaged community, Colonia Chiapaneca. Members of this community are part of an indigenous group originally from the Chiapas region in Mexico, who have been displaced due to region’s guerrilla instability.

On a bright sunny day, the group made its way south of Cancun and onto a bumpy road along the main highway toward Colonia Chiapaneca. It was a long ride, partly due to the inhospitable terrain, but the trip gave everyone the opportunity to build-up momentum and take in the surroundings. I recall thinking it was a surreal moment. Earlier that morning we were in a comfortable location with an ever-present breathtaking view of the Gulf of Mexico, and now here we were driving along slowly towards some hidden God-forsaken location. It wasn’t one of those moments where you say to yourself, “Yeah, I can get used to this.” It was more like, “How could anybody live here?” And we weren’t in the Colonia yet!

By the time we arrived the heat index may very well have risen ten more degrees. We were welcomed by members of the community and a wave of children of all sizes and ages. For a moment, the inhospitable scenery faded away with so many smiling faces. The tourist side of Cancun was a thing of the past and we were now in what it seemed to be a no-man’s land. The soil was hard as a stone, the reason, I believe, the community has had a hard time adjusting to the place and being self-sufficient in terms of working the land. After all, the Chiapas region is known for its agriculture and ranching.

Time to put our hands to work

The group was divided into five different categories: painters, builders, school supplies packers, and artists. I was part of the painting crew. We were instructed to paint a third grade classroom, one of three available for a group of maybe one hundred children in the community. I noticed a conglomeration of chairs, perhaps twenty-five or so in a modest sized classroom. We painted the walls yellow with a light blue trim. At the same time I could see little eyes full of excitement peeking through the windows. These children were my heroes now. They were and forever will be heroes in my heart because it takes one to survive in that environment and yet keep a genuine smile on their faces. I asked a group of girls where they will go after graduating from the community school. Not a single one of them could answer. You see, there is no transportation to schools in the city, hence, uncertainty of their future. I thought about my community and accessibility to education in the USA and was saddened by their reality. So many beautiful minds, so much talent, where is it all going to go?

 Our group moved fast and before we knew it we were done with painting, sidewalk games, and soccer field. We also provided access to potable water to the whole community. In addition, we enlisted a group to repair mosquito meshes throughout the community and added electricity to several areas. Throughout the day I kept trying to visualize life without potable water and electricity. To me it was not possible. For this community and many others across the globe it is a reality they have to live with day-in, day-out.

The best part was saved for last. I looked at the steaming sidewalk and was puzzled to see so many children aligned perfectly in three straight lines. They put a skillful show for the entire crew of volunteers. It was a memorable moment. Once the show was over, we (UHI/conference attendees) handed out school supplies packages. There was a young boy who stood out from the crowd and I could not help but ask him how he felt about us being there. His reply was touching: “It feels like a holiday,” he beamed.

Our day ended with a local feast: tamales! The women served tamales to our teams accompanied with the hottest homemade sauce I’ve had.

I can’t express the gratitude I felt to be given the opportunity to come into their lives and be welcomed with open arms.

Back at the hotel, I had a sense of deep satisfaction knowing that I had made a contribution to someone’s life on behalf of UnitedHealth International and our friends who joined us on this incredible endeavor. For some, this was probably a passing feeling; but, for me, it was a unique paradise where the spirit of giving, collaboration and gratitude came together for a cause. How often do you get to see that today?

I know that our efforts in Colonia Chiapaneca were just a grain of sand in a sea of necessity, and much needs to be done not only in Cancun but globally. As a member of an organization with deep corporate responsibility, I understand what it means to have social responsibility domestically and globally. Echoing UnitedHealth Group’s mission: Social responsibility begins with us –and how we do business, we endeavor to positively impact people's health and communities.

 

I can’t wait to replicate this experience in another part of the world!

 

 

 

  

Welcome to the UHI Blog!

China – What else can we say about it that no one has said already?  In a nutshell, China reinvents itself every day with new ideas, desires, needs and solutions. We at the West picking into China and its vast prairie of opportunities, are constantly baffled by its sheer size and complexity; notwithstanding its ability to steer the country and its specific needs and solutions in a clear direction. Simply put, there are 1.3 billion Chinese in China, who are working hard to be proud of China. It is a rare case when someone would work less than 10-12 hours per day. As we are not a political entity, we don’t mean to make any judgment related to any of the Chinese work behavior, but simply to point you in a direction that gives an indication of the magnitude of China and it’s strength or potential.

In early June I was fortunate to travel to China to learn, once more, about the vast opportunities this market has to offer; and, attempt to assess where we at UnitedHealth International may be able to take part of this vibrant market. As part of this assessment, I was hosted by UnitedHealth International’s China Representative, Ms. Gloria Wang, and a close friend who now runs China’s foremost Healthcare Scheduling (basic network operations) and primary care clinics, Mr. Lee Zhang, the CEO of the I-Kang group. Together we met with government officials (both at the Ministry of Health and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission), public and private hospital executives and private entrepreneurs. As the purpose for this journey was mostly to re-invigorate our focus on China, we were involved mainly in fact finding.

Let me share with you some of my basic findings, as we are beginning to align our interest with the potential amalgamated within the marketplace. In China, there is almost no primary care or general practitioners who practice their trade in primary care clinics as we are so familiar with them in the developed countries. Accordingly, the main doctor-patient activity is within hospitals. That of course puts a great pressure on hospital administrators which have to effectively operate within the hospital wards an out patient facility. Additionally, as most cost of healthcare is out-of-pocket expenses and consumption of healthcare is treated effectively similar to a consumer product.   

Additionally, China’s low penetration of health insurance stems primarily from lack of knowledge and familiarity. Most Chinese still think of insurance, those that do spend time thinking about it, as a vehicle for savings and for risk protection.

Notwithstanding, there is a strong development of the health insurance market as more and more people realize the value of having such insurance. 

Finally, the government is clearly pushing to develop China both in terms of accessibility and quality of care. As is now, and would probably continue to be in the near future, China is struggling with the affordability and accessibility of healthcare in remote rural areas. But the East coast cities (with such familiar names as Beijing and Shanghai,) are leading the road to a robust private healthcare insurance industry. Clearly, UnitedHealth International and its parent, UnitedHealth Group, are seriously considering our next move in China, as we believe this is a market with an enormous potential for a top quality healthcare company such as UnitedHealth Group.

Ori Karev, CEO
UnitedHealth International

Mr Ori Karev presented a token of appreciation to the officials of CIRC to wish China will hold a successful Olympic Games in August 2008
From left to right:

Ms. Zhang Lei, officer
Health/Pension Insurance Department, China Insurance Regulatory Commission

Mr. Duan Jia Xi, Director
Health/Pension Insurance Department, China Insurance Regulatory Commission

Mr. Ori Karev, CEO UnitedHealth International

Mr. Lee Zhang,
CEO, I-Kang group

Ms. Gloria Wang
Chief Representative, UHI China office