A Better Way to a Healthier Minnesota

Juniper is Minnesota's community care hub, a statewide network of 40+ organizations that connects aging adults with services such as grocery delivery, transportation, wellness education and more. By connecting community organizations, healthcare providers, public health organizations and health insurers, we help older Minnesotans take charge of their health and bridge the gap between medical and social care.

Community care hubs are a national model championed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Administration for Community Living that aim to build the infrastructure necessary to align clinical care and social care. These hubs combine health care with the social supports we all need to thrive—healthy food, access to transportation and socialization to name a few.

Juniper is poised to improve health outcomes across the lifespan. By sharing administrative resources and collecting data for effective outcomes, we minimize costs and yield millions in healthcare cost savings annually.

A graphic of the state of Minnesota

Juniper Community Care Hub Capabilities

  • Coordinated social care for Minnesotans across the aging services spectrum: Meal delivery, disease education classes, transportation, and 15 other home and community based services.
  • Expanded service offerings: community-based organizations can focus on service delivery while consolidating administrative requirements into the hub.
  • Public/private partnerships that shift the burden of cost from state government and community members to risk-bearing entities.
  • Centralized and efficient administrative functions to make it easy for people to access multiple services
  • A single point of contact for older adults and caregivers as well as care providers and payers. 
  • Funding streams for community-based organizations to attract more providers to the care network.

The Juniper Community Care Hub isn't a new initiative—it's just a new name for the work we've been successfully doing since 2016. This is similar to what happened in 2022 when Juniper was recognized by the CDC as an Umbrella Hub Organization under a different name, but the mission and efforts remain the same.

Trellis, as the backbone organization for Juniper, has been aggregating and supporting community-based organizations (CBOs) across the state, managing network risk, providing essential business services like marketing and data management, and ensuring that payments reach CBOs. The term 'Community Care Hub' is just a fresh way of describing this well-established model of coordinated care and support.

Our Results

More than 30,000 Minnesotans have participated in Juniper health promotion programming since 2018. They report feeling stronger, less isolated and better able to manage their health as a result of their experience. 9 out of 10 participants say they would recommend Juniper to family and friends.

The Juniper Community Care Hub at Work: Diabetes Prevention Program Umbrella Hub Arrangement

In 2022, Juniper established a Diabetes Prevention Program Umbrella Hub Arrangement (UHA), the only arrangement of its kind in Minnesota. Through the UHA, Juniper offers the national Diabetes Prevention Program as a Medicare benefit. Juniper network community-based organizations host the program throughout Minnesota, and Trellis handles the necessary requirements of the UHA, including healthcare contracting, compliance and claims management.

This unique arrangement ensures community-based organizations are compensated for providing the Diabetes Prevention Program, while individuals take part in a program proven to be effective at lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.  

Join the Juniper Community Care Hub

We invite community-based social service organizations to join Juniper's Community Care Hub. If you provide services to older adults and caregivers, we want to hear from you! Contact Mark Cullen, vice president of strategy and business development at mcullen@trellisconnects.org.