By Megan Sayles,
AFRO Business Writer,
msayles@afro.com
D.C.-based V-Tech Solutions is working with all of the District’s managed care organizations (MCO) to help residents understand how to use their Medicaid benefits.
The veteran-owned information technology and professional services company is especially focused on educating young residents from birth through the age of 21 to ensure they are actively capitalizing on public health program services.
“By educating them, we’re helping them leverage the benefits of the program and working to ensure they know what they did not know because there are a lot of resources outside of seeing the standard provider that they may have access to,” said Victor P. Holt, president and CEO of V-Tech Solutions. “Some would call it ‘wraparound services,’ where it could relate to transportation vouchers to get back and forth to the doctor or food vouchers because of certain conditions that that patient may have,” said Victor P. Holt, president and CEO of V-Tech Solutions.
“There’s always a special focus on Wards 7 and 8, as there’s always challenges in those wards. The food desert situation has been work and continues to be work to ensure that there’s good nutrition in that area but also being able to meet folks where they are and gaining their trust so that they will go see their primary care physician.”
After attending D.C. public schools, Holt was introduced to technology while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
In 2000, he opened V-Tech Solutions. For the first 16 years, the business primarily focused on providing technology solutions to government agencies.
A few years ago, V-Tech Solutions, shifted its focus to using professional services and technology to impact the health of communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company helped hospitals source registered nurses and certified nursing assistants, and it supported the District and federal government in providing personal protective equipment.
V-Tech Solutions, Inc. also assisted first responders who were met with individuals who appeared to be suffering from substance use disorder by supplying social workers and peer counselors.
According to Holt, many District residents are unaware of the scale of services provided by Medicaid, so they are not able to take advantage of them.
“Out of approximately 700,000 people, approximately 289,000 are on Medicaid and what that means is there’s a lot of work to be done,” said Holt. “There’s a lot of opportunity out there, but change isn’t going to happen overnight.”
Holt recommended that people examine the Medicaid website to garner a better understanding of the public health program and become familiar with the health organizations in their neighborhoods.
In the future, he hopes to open an outreach center in Ward 7 or 8 to educate residents about their health– starting with the everyday choices they make.
“There are steps that you can take to overcome what you may see as a ‘family curse’,” said Holt. “It’s food choices, lifestyle choices, there’s many other components that come into play.”
Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member.
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