SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Christy L. Beaudin, Ph.D., LCSW, CPHQ and director of quality improvement for PacifiCare Behavioral Health, was appointed a Fellow for the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) Leadership Program.
The CHCF is an independent philanthropy committed to improving how health care is delivered and financed in California and helping consumers make informed health care decisions.
"Christy's appointment is an honor for her, for PacifiCare Behavioral Health and for PacifiCare Health Systems," said Jerry Vaccaro, M.D., president and chief executive officer of PacifiCare Behavioral Health, the national managed behavioral health subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. serving more than 4 million members nationwide. "As the first Fellow appointed from a managed behavioral health care organization and as a professional in the mental health field, we believe Christy will contribute valuable perspectives to enhancing the health care system in California."
Selected for the 2004-2006 group of Fellows are 30 health industry professionals from diverse backgrounds including physicians, nurses, dentists, representatives from private and county health plans, California state health agencies, community clinics and independent medical practices. These professionals participate in a part-time fellowship that allows them to continue in their current management roles while participating in focused and intensive leadership training.
The curriculum, co-sponsored by the California Academy of Family Physicians and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), addresses health care issues from business, leadership and public policy perspectives. It is taught by nationally recognized health care experts and faculty associated with The Anderson School of Management at UCLA and the Executive Development Group.
Program participants learn to build and lead teams, manage complexity and change, optimize the use of human resources, understand and use financial management tools, apply new technologies and information systems, apply economic principles to health care, and understand emerging trends such as consumer-driven health care and changing demographics.
Albert Martin, M.D., chair and executive director of the CHCF Health Care Leadership Program, said: "Solving the challenges facing health care in California requires highly skilled leaders. The professionals selected for this program possess outstanding credentials and have proved their commitment to making health care better and more accessible."
As PBH's director of quality improvement since 1999, Dr. Beaudin is instrumental in strategic planning and deployment of PBH's quality-improvement program and activities, accreditation and regulatory compliance, preventive health programs and the coordination of behavioral and medical care. She has played a leadership role in the company as it has expanded nationally, setting new professional standards for measurement of clinical outcomes and improving clinical care and risk management in mental health services.
In 2002, Dr. Beaudin testified before the Subcommittee on Evidence-Based Practices for the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and participated in the Center for Mental Health Services "Crossing the Quality Chasm" initiative for behavioral health. She also currently serves as a member of the Utilization Review and Accreditation Commission's (URAC's) Health Standards Committee.
For more information and photos of Dr. Beaudin and other 2004-2006 Fellows, visit http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu/futureleaders/2004fellowsbios.html#Beau. More information about the California HealthCare Foundation is available online at http://www.chcf.org/.
About PacifiCare Behavioral Health
PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Inc. provides mental health, chemical dependency and employee assistance services to covered members and maintains a national network of behavioral healthcare practitioners. All PacifiCare Behavioral Health service centers hold three-year, Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), as well as URAC Health Utilization Management Accreditation. PacifiCare Behavioral Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems , with clients including health plans, union trust funds, employers, school districts and public sector agencies. More information on PacifiCare Behavioral Health can be obtained at http://www.pbhi.com/.
About PacifiCare Health Systems
PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation's largest consumer health organizations with more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 10 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Currently, more than 99 percent of PacifiCare's commercial health plan members are enrolled in plans that have received Excellent Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). PacifiCare's specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy and medical management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/.
For further information, please contact: Dagmar King of PacifiCare Behavioral Health, +1-714-445-0453, dagmar.king@phs.com; or Dan Miller of PacifiCare Health Systems, +1-714-226-3726, dan.miller@phs.com.
PacifiCare Behavioral HealthCONTACT: Dagmar King of PacifiCare Behavioral Health, +1-714-445-0453,dagmar.king@phs.com; or Dan Miller of PacifiCare Health Systems,+1-714-226-3726, dan.miller@phs.com