PHILADELPHIA, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Partners, the nonprofit health plan serving Medical Assistance recipients in Southeastern Pennsylvania, recently received the national 2004 Gold AHIP/Wyeth HERA Award for its “Baby Partners” Prenatal Outreach Program. AHIP stands for “America’s Health Insurance Plans,” the national association representing nearly 1,300 member companies providing health insurance coverage to more than 200 million Americans. AHIP also annually honors health plans, health care providers, and individuals across the country for “measurably improving the lives of Americans.” 2004 marks the 8th year that that Wyeth has teamed with AHIP to recognize outstanding results among programs aimed at improving health for women and children.
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Health Partners won for its Baby Partners Outreach Program, which has significantly reduced the number of pre-term babies and babies born with complications among its Members. Health Partners’ President and CEO Robert Tremain, and Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President Paul Alexander, M.D., accepted the award on behalf of Health Partners at the AHIP Institute in Chicago. The AHIP/Wyeth HERA Award honors programs that have made a measurable difference in the lives of women and children. The award is named after the ancient Greek goddess HERA, thought to be the “protector” of mothers and their babies. Health Partners received the Gold (top) HERA award in the national “Health Plan” category.
Mr. Tremain explains, “Health Partners established its Baby Partners Outreach Program in 2002 to identify and encourage more women to seek early prenatal care and to reduce the risks associated with pre-term births. In particular, we have focused on our African-American moms and babies. African- American infants are almost twice as likely as Caucasians to be born preterm. Pre-term babies face a much higher risk of health problems and death than other newborns.”
Health Partners’ Baby Partners Outreach Program offers comprehensive prenatal support with intensive case management and one-on-one counseling for its Medicaid member population. During the 12-month study period, 1,951 members were enrolled in the Baby Partners Program. As a result of Baby Partners strategies, the number of pre-term babies born in just one year decreased significantly, by 17%.
“The success of Baby Partners came from working closely with all pregnant Members, especially those with the highest risk,” adds Dr. Alexander. “Outreach staff members provide individual support like help with smoking cessation, transportation for physicians’ visits, daily personal phone calls, home care visits, risk assessment and more. The most rewarding part of our program is seeing more and more healthy moms and healthy babies going home from the hospital together as a result of our Baby Partners outreach efforts.”
About Health Partners:
Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit health plan serving the Philadelphia area’s Medical Assistance population, Health Partners is acknowledged as a national model for Medicaid managed care. The National Committee for Quality Assurance awarded Health Partners Medicaid plan its highest accreditation status of Excellent. A unique collaboration of seven health systems, Health Partners expanded its scope in 1996 with the introduction of its Medicare plan, Senior Partners. Currently, Health Partners serves more than 150,000 Medicaid and Medicare members in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Please visit us at http://www.healthpart.com/.
About America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP):
AHIP is the national association representing nearly 1,300 member companies providing health insurance coverage to more than 200 million Americans. AHIP’s goal is to provide a unified voice for the health care financing industry, to expand access to high quality, cost effective health care to all Americans, and to ensure Americans’ financial security through robust insurance markets, product flexibility and innovation, and an abundance of consumer choice. For more information, see http://www.ahip.org/.
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CONTACT: Rosemarie Carosella of Health Partners, +1-215-991-4041
