Learn About the 2026 Business Innovation Award Winners and How They Foster Social Connection
Background
USAging has a long-standing commitment to fostering social connection among older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers. Building upon the Engaged Resource Center’s work, USAging was awarded the Strengthening Social Connection in Communities (SSCC) Project from The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) in 2025.
This SSCC project, jointly operated by USAging's Aging and Disability Business Institute and the Engaged Resource Center, is working to improve the health of older adults and their caregivers by replicating and sustaining effective social connection programs in communities.
The John A. Hartford Foundation Business Innovation Award
As part of the SSCC project, The John A. Hartford Foundation Business Innovation Award acknowledges the achievements of community-based organizations (CBOs) that partner and contract with health care entities. Award recipients are recognized for their bold, transformative initiatives designed to align health and community care and increase their organization’s sustainability. The 2025 and 2026 awards focused on organizations that are fostering social connection through the CBO-health care partnerships.
2026 Awardees: Brief Snapshots
2026 Winner:
The Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut (AOASCC) in North Haven, CT, received this year’s award for its innovative partnership with Yale School of Medicine, which integrates social care into an age-friendly health care setting by embedding a Service Navigator within the medical team and establishing a strong path to sustainability. Older adults are screened with validated tools that assess social isolation, depression risk and other health-related social needs, and are referred to in-home mental health services and more than 80 other services in the area. This program promotes social connection through relationship-based care, short-term case management, caregiver support, mental health referrals and linkage to community programs and resources. Since the partnership began, approximately 475 older adults with complex medical and social needs have been served. The partnership has demonstrated measurable improvements in social connection and quality-of-life outcomes. Additional accomplishments include improved appointment adherence, increased engagement in preventive health activities, enhanced coordination between medical and social service providers and stronger integration of patient-centered care planning.
Runners Up:
The award also recognized two programs as runners-up: Nevada Senior Services in Las Vegas, NV, and Fairfax Area Agency on Aging in Fairfax, VA.
Nevada Senior Services was recognized for partnering with the University Medical Center of Clark County to deliver the Hospital 2 Home program, which provides dementia-capable care transitions for older adults and individuals with complex conditions discharged from the University Medical Center or several partner hospitals in the Las Vegas area. Operating under a seven-figure contract and demonstrating a self-sustaining model, this partnership targets social connection and isolation at their most acute point: post-hospitalization.
Fairfax Area Agency on Aging was recognized for its extraordinary 36-year partnership with Inova Health Systems through the ElderLink program, a joint think tank that tests and expands programs that promote well-being, safety, independence and social connection for older adults. The ElderLink program addresses social connection through multiple evidence-based health and wellness workshops, caregiver programs and virtual reality simulations that have reached more than 3,000 older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers over the past five years.
To learn more about the awardees work, view the webinar that highlighted the work of these three award-winning organizations. In the coming months, there will be published ‘success stories’ of these groundbreaking initiatives.
Success stories from other previous JAHF Business Innovation awardees can be found on the Aging and Disability Business Institute website. Past awardees include Western New York Integrated Care Collaborative, Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, Region IV Area Agency on Aging, Direction Home Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities and the Virginia Area Agencies on Aging–Caring for the Commonwealth.
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