Human Connection: The Center of a Changing Healthcare System

Human connection in healthcare matters. Kelly Cooper knows that firsthand.

As a former home health nurse in a rural area, Cooper was part of the rhythm of people’s lives. She checked vital signs, ensured people took medications as prescribed, and helped family members learn how to manage their loved ones’ care. In the midst of duties that could be routine one day and carry unique challenges the next, she learned names, likes, and dislikes. She celebrated joys. She mourned sorrows. She earned trust.

Today, Cooper is a nurse case manager in Ohio who helps guide members of Elevance Health-affiliated plans through Concierge Care — an app-based program that connects people with chronic conditions to nurses and other healthcare professionals. Her career shift symbolizes how technological developments like digital care platforms and artificial intelligence are advancing and improving the healthcare experience, creating new avenues for more efficient and more personalized support.

At the same time, people helping people remains at the heart of healthcare. For Cooper, that reality has taken a different shape, but it still shines through in a simple “Happy Mother’s Day!” greeting she’ll send to a member, or in the photos of grandchildren or pets that members send to her using the app. One member, Cooper said, likes to share meal pictures with her.

Those personal connections help build the trust that makes meaningful guidance possible.

“I like to pick out those little morsels from life and provide the type of information that lets them know I’m a real person, and that there’s someone on the other side of this message that’s ready to help,” Cooper said.
 

Helping Members With Healthcare Navigation

Sometimes, the help Cooper provides involves answering questions about diabetes management or connecting a member with a pharmacist who can assist them in getting the right medication. Sometimes, it’s pointing them to community resources — like a food pantry — or walking them through their coverage and benefits.

Sometimes, simply listening is the best approach.

The healthcare system can be complicated “and people can get frustrated,” Cooper said. “Helping them navigate and understand the system goes a long way in building trust so members see that we really are here for them.”

Cooper’s far from alone in that mindset. More than 1,700 nurse case managers work across Elevance Health-affiliated plans, using their clinical experience to assess members’ needs, answer questions, help them understand their care plans, coordinate support, and encourage them as they manage health conditions day to day.

In Texas, nurse case manager Erin Madison came alongside Lilliana, a member who had recently given birth but experienced challenges while seeking care for a potentially serious health issue discovered during her pregnancy.

As Madison helped Lilliana navigate her coverage and get the care she needed, the pair built a connection that Lilliana likened to “having a second mom.”

“It was an honor to get to watch Lilliana grow in her confidence advocating for herself, and to be able to watch her transform from being unsure that she wanted to talk with her insurance provider to being so open and excited and not afraid to call when things came up,” Madison said.

Hear more from Lilliana and Madison about their story:

Meeting Uncertainty With Empathy in Healthcare

Across Elevance Health-affiliated health plans, that same type of dedication can be found among the hundreds of service associates who help members navigate the questions and situations that shape their personal healthcare experience.

These associates have access to technology — including a suite of AI-driven tools — that can reduce administrative work and make information easier to access. That helps create more time for them to connect with members during what are often moments of uncertainty or frustration. In the midst of those moments, it’s empathy and compassion that can help them ensure members feel truly heard, understood, and supported.

For Bob David, a service associate in Nevada, the assistance he provided a member named Carlos was about much more than earning a paycheck. With Carlos experiencing a mental health crisis, David helped him find the right care during an especially challenging time. He did what a “friend or a family member would do,” Carlos said. “He changed everything.”

“He could tell that I genuinely did care about him as a person,” David said. “If I was in his shoes, and he were in mine, I would’ve wanted the same thing.”

Hear more from Carlos and David about their story:

The Importance of Human-Centered Healthcare

Human judgment and empathy remain essential in a healthcare system that’s rapidly changing. As a partner in health for the people we serve, we’re working to simplify the system, lower costs, and guide people to the right care at the right time.

Technology advances these efforts. But human-centered healthcare is rooted in personal connection and trust, which can lead to lasting progress.

“Healthcare is deeply personal, and technology is most powerful when it strengthens the human relationships at the center of care,” said Saurabh Tandon, chief experience officer at Elevance Health. “By pairing innovation with interpersonal connection, we’re taking meaningful steps to shape a system that can work better for everyone.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is human connection important in healthcare?

Human connection is important in healthcare because people helping people remains at the heart of healthcare. Personal connections help build the trust that makes meaningful guidance and lasting progress possible, especially in a healthcare system that’s rapidly changing.

How do nurse case managers help members of Elevance Health-affiliated plans?

Nurse case managers help members of Elevance Health-affiliated plans by using their clinical experience to assess members’ needs, answer questions, help them understand their care plans, coordinate support, and encourage them as they manage health conditions day to day.

How can technology support human-centered healthcare?

Technology can support human-centered healthcare by creating more time for people to connect and strengthening the relationships at the center of care. Elevance Health-affiliated service associates have access to technology that can reduce administrative