“We can make 20,000 phone calls to members. They’re never going to talk to us. But put them in a room with 25 of their friends? You can actually accomplish something.”
That’s Jason Landers, Market President of Highmark Health Options West Virginia, cutting to the core of one of managed care’s most persistent problems: members don’t trust their health plan. And without trust, nothing else works.
The Problem With Clinical-Only Outreach
Automated calls. Crowded inboxes. Referral lists nobody follows up on. In rural and underserved communities especially, traditional outreach doesn’t just underperform — it reinforces the skepticism providers are trying to overcome.
Addressing SDOH requires more than a resource handoff. It requires relationships.
What Perseverance Actually Looks Like
Jocelyn Williams, Wider Circle’s Senior Engagement Specialist in West Virginia, describes the reality on the ground:
“I may call a member two or three times in a month just to get an answer. When you finally do, that person might be going through one of the biggest struggles of their life. They’re not going to answer if they can’t feed themselves. I don’t give up.”
That persistence is what turns a skeptical member into an engaged one — and eventually, into a peer ambassador who brings others along.
Measurable Outcomes
The approach isn’t just human — it’s measurable. In 2025, 21% of Highmark Health Options West Virginia members participated in at least one Wider Circle community event. That engagement translated into real clinical movement: care gaps closed, preventive screenings completed, and members connected to food, housing, and dental resources they weren’t accessing before.
The Bottom Line
Community changes behavior in ways a phone call never will. For healthcare providers and payers looking to move the needle on SDOH, retention, and member satisfaction — this is what the infrastructure looks like.
Watch the full conversation with Jason Landers and the Highmark WV team here:
About the author: Jamie Zale
Wider Circle
