Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it needs to be
treated like every other epidemic, as a public health crisis. The
first step to finding a “cure” for any public health crisis is
research. The new spending bill signed into law on March 23
included one sentence saying the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) has the authority to research gun violence. But
with no funding attached, it’s meaningless.
It is the honor of my life to be able to say – In May, I
celebrate my 5th anniversary at HPSJ!
I have had the privilege to be part of and help lead amazing,
innovating organizations during my career. But none has
so completely woven together, as Health Plan of San
Joaquin, my personal passions, organizational mission, and
the overwhelming sense of community commitment.
The health-care battlefield is burning brighter than ever. Eight
years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA),
conservatives think that the ACA is an overreach of government
authority and should be repealed. Progressives, on the other
hand, believe that the ACA should be replaced by a single-payer
system operated with public funds, guaranteeing universal
coverage for all citizens.
More than 70 attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed,
but the groundbreaking legislation is still facing death by a
thousand cuts, and it’s clear we cannot depend on Washington to
fix what ails the health care system. The health care industry
must step up and develop reforms that will ensure the most
vulnerable continue to have access to quality care.
OAKLAND, CA – Alameda Alliance for Health
(Alliance) made a $102,000 contribution to the Alameda County
Public Health Department’s Shoo the Flu program, which will allow
them to continue to offer free flu vaccinations at local schools.
The Shoo the Flu program reduces influenza in the community by
providing free flu vaccinations, regardless of insurance to
students and teachers, at elementary schools throughout the
Oakland area.
Sixty-six percent of all Medi-Cal patients in Santa Barbara and
San Luis Obispo counties get appointments for urgent calls within
48 hours, according to the California Department of Managed
Health Care, and 83 percent of Medi-Cal patients seeking
non-urgent treatment get seen within two weeks.
These patients — totaling about 180,000 — are part of a managed
care system known as CenCal Health. These response times earned
CenCal a fourth-place ranking of 36 full-service health plans.
CenCal provides coverage to 20 percent of the two
counties’ population.
GREENFIELD — Mee Memorial Hospital has received a $2.5
million grant from the Central California Alliance for
Health that will go toward the expansion of the
hospital’s outpatient clinic in Greenfield.
“We are honored to have been awarded this grant from Central
California Alliance for Health,” said Susan Childers, CEO of Mee
Memorial Hospital, in a news release. “With the new grant, Mee
Memorial will be better able to support local efforts to
coordinate care and provide better outcomes for patients
throughout our community.”
(French Camp, CA) – San Joaquin County Director of Health Care
Services Greg Diederich – chair of the San Joaquin Health
Commission – has announced that the San Joaquin County Board of
Supervisors has formally appointed a new member of the Health
Commission, the governing board of Health Plan of San Joaquin
(HPSJ). He is San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors
member Chuck Winn, representing District 4.
Scotts Valley, Calif., Feb. 21, 2018 — Central California
Alliance for Health (the Alliance), an
award winning, regional non-profit Medi-Cal managed health care
plan serving Santa Cruz, Monterey and Merced counties, today
announced that Alan McKay,
founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is retiring on Feb.
28, 2018, after 22 years of service.
ORANGE, Calif. (February 8, 2018) — Dedicated to
serving frail seniors, CalOptima’s Program of All-Inclusive Care
for the Elderly (PACE) is expanding through new partnerships with
selected Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS) centers. With
access to these centers, more seniors may join PACE and existing
PACE participants will gain more options to receive adult day
health care that suits their culture, location or medical
condition.
ORANGE, Calif. (February 2, 2018) — CalOptima’s Member Health
Needs Assessment (MHNA) is the agency’s most comprehensive study
to date quantifying for the first time significant health care
and social challenges. The MHNA provides data critical to
ensuring that health care providers and the community can
continue to address issues faced by CalOptima members.
In a time when the future of healthcare coverage may seem
uncertain, what is certain is that our community can be proud of
the quality of healthcare experienced by CenCal Health’s nearly
180,000 members.
(Alameda, CA, January 4, 2018) - The
California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) recently
published the Medi-Cal Managed Care Dashboard, which showed that
Alameda Alliance for Health (Alliance) continued to expand on
quality gains.
CAMARILLO, Calif., Dec. 29, 2017 – Gold Coast Health Plan’s
(GCHP) new palliative care program, MyGoldCare, launches January
1 for qualified enrollees. MyGoldCare helps relieve the pain and
suffering of those who are seriously ill.
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, Calif., Dec.
12, 2017 – CenCal Health is reaching out to keep its
nearly 180,000 members and over 1,500 providers and the community
informed with important information and resources as the region
faces unprecedented impacts from the Thomas Fire.
Updates include critical information about medication
prescriptions and refills for members, providers and pharmacies.
CAMARILLO, Calif., December 5, 2017 – Gold Coast Health Plan
(GCHP) is alerting its members that during the Thomas Fire,
members can get their prescriptions filled, receive necessary
oxygen and have their transportation needs met.
The Plan, which has more than 200,000 Medi-Cal members throughout
Ventura County, has lifted any restrictions on refills so that
those who evacuated their homes without their medications can
have their prescriptions filled. More information is available by
calling the Plan’s pharmacy benefit manager, OptumRx, at
1-855-297-2870 / TTY 711.
Campbell, CA – November 27, 2017 – Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) announced today that it has been awarded an Accreditation status of “Interim” by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Nov. 20, 2017 — Inland Empire
Health Plan (IEHP) is the first of 65 Medicare-Medicaid Plans
(MMP) in the nation to reach 25,000 members. MMPs serve people
who have low income and are over 65 or have a disability.
“This milestone is the result of our commitment to serving our
members, and working with our providers and the community to help
them fully understand the benefits of our program,” said IEHP
Chief Executive Officer Bradley P. Gilbert, MD.
Campbell, CA – November 20, 2017 – Santa Clara Family Health Plan
(SCFHP), a local, public, not-for-profit health plan serving over
270,000 Santa Clara County residents, announced today that it
received the 2017 award for Greatest Improvement in Quality
Strategy Focus Areas from the California Department of Health
Care Services (DHCS). The annual DHCS quality awards recognize
Medi-Cal managed care plans that have excelled in improving
health care quality for beneficiaries.
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health rated in the top 5 percent of
Medicaid plans nationally for 2 important areas of care, and in
the top 10 percent for an additional 12 areas of care according
to the most recent state quality measurement ratings. For CenCal
Health’s Santa Barbara County managed care product, these
exceptional results rated fourth statewide among Medi-Cal health
plans.
Campbell, CA – November 27, 2017 – Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) announced today that it has been awarded an Accreditation status of “Interim” by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations.
