Co-director of The Center to Promote Health Care Access and Manager of One-e-AppOne of the goals of WE Connect is to get low income families connected to public benefits as quickly and as easily possible.
As director of The Center to Promote HealthCare Access (
The Center), an organization dedicated to the ongoing implementation and development of technology that provides efficient access to health and other social services, Claudia pays a vital role in making this happen.
Through The Center,
One-e-App was created, an online application enrollment and application tool connecting families with a range of publicly funded health and human service programs.
Several months ago, Claudia was contacted by the First Lady's office because they were interested in partnering with a group who could help take families from getting phone numbers at the end of the
WEb Connector experience to actually giving them the opportunity to apply online to the programs that they might be eligible for.
Counties can use One-e-App to screen individuals and families for programs such as Medicaid, S-CHIP, and their own local health insurance expansion programs and submit their applications to those programs electronically. The partnership with WE Connect will expand this list to include statewide services such as food stamps, low-cost utilities, programs low-cost auto insurance and more.
"One of the most important things about really giving people options in terms of getting them connected to benefits that they might be eligible for, is to increase the number of channels that they have to get connected to programs," Claudia said.
The goal for One-e-App is two-fold. First, to help low income families get connected to public benefits and also, to help the people who serve these families manage the work that they do.
Based in Oakland, The Center is mainly comprised of developers and help desk staff that make One-e-App go and ultimately make sure the program works.
Claudia is excited to see the program working and believes its partnership with WE Connect will be a successful one.
"There's an energy and a vision that WE Connect has brought to California that The Center and One-e-App has been really lucky to be connected with," Claudia said.
"Certainly, being connected to that vision and that commitment is incredible."
One of the most important things about WE Connect is that it actually brings resources to the public, allowing an individual to apply for health benefits, food stamps, or the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) online from home, library, school, or computer center.
"With One-e-App, we are just adding one more channel at a time when families need this kind of help almost more than they ever have," Claudia said.
Claudia believes the First Lady is passionate about WE Connect and cares about the people in California enough to push the envelope in a way that the state and the counties have never pushed it before.
"You can register your car online, you can file your incomes taxes on online...but you really can't apply for these programs online and I don't think without the First Lady's willingness to step out and say this is the time, the need is great, that this would have happened," Claudia said.
"I truly believe that with the right partnership and right support this is the time to bring this around."
