Category: WellCare Voices

The Value of Our Nation’s Health Centers

By Carol Steckel

It’s National Health Center Week, and as I reflect over the past few days, I can still remember standing in awe the first time I visited Franklin Primary Health Center’s Medical Mall in Mobile, Alabama. People of all races and conditions were getting the health care they needed—all in one place.

I also remember the health centers in North Carolina and the work they do to provide essential services to people without access to primary care. The caring, the compassion and the commitment to those they serve rang out loud and clear.

What many people don’t realize is how critically important health centers are to both our health care system and to the millions of underserved Americans across the country. Continue reading “The Value of Our Nation’s Health Centers”

WellCare of Nebraska Goes Live!

By Lauralie Rubel

WellCare of Nebraska is proud to announce that after months of hard work by dedicated associates in Nebraska and throughout the WellCare family, we are ready to share our decades of experience coordinating managed care for in-need families and children as well as elderly and disabled persons.

Continue reading “WellCare of Nebraska Goes Live!”

Raising Awareness on Prematurity in the U.S.

Did you know more than 380,000 babies are born prematurely in the U.S. each year?

According to the March of Dimes, the United States earned a “C” on its annual premature birth report card. It is the first time in eight years that the preterm birth rate in the U.S. worsened, dropping from 9.57 percent to 9.63 percent in 2015.

Continue reading “Raising Awareness on Prematurity in the U.S.”

A Physician’s Office Staff Plays an Integral Role in Patient Health and Satisfaction

Early in my nursing career, I worked in a variety of medical practices and saw firsthand the impact that office staffs have in establishing effective, collaborative relationships with patients and their families. These front-line employees are the liaisons between physicians and patients. Research shows that the personal relationship of a patient with his or her doctor and the clinic staff are the strongest predictors of patient satisfaction.

Continue reading “A Physician’s Office Staff Plays an Integral Role in Patient Health and Satisfaction”

My Perspective: Homeless for a Night in Honolulu

How did you sleep last Friday night? Was your air conditioning too cold? Did your neighbor wake you up too early mowing his lawn?

On any given night in Hawaii nearly 8,000 people sleep on the streets without any of the comforts we take for granted. On Friday, Sept. 16, five ‘Ohana Health Plan employees joined community and business leaders for a #CEOSleepout organized by The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands. More than 30 people slept on cardboard boxes at the State Capitol Rotunda in Honolulu to draw attention to homelessness, interact with this vulnerable population, discuss opportunities for collaboration to address this issue, and to raise funds to help The Salvation Army in its mission to support those in need of food, shelter and opportunity. Continue reading “My Perspective: Homeless for a Night in Honolulu”

What’s New at WellCare: Customer Service Goes Social

Research shows what most of us already know – people talk about the customer service they receive from a company. In fact, more than two in five consumers tell other people about their good customer service experiences all of the time. Conversely, at least half of consumers tell other people about their poor customer service experiences all of the time.

As vice president of channel communication services at WellCare, it is my goal each and every day to provide the best customer service experience possible for our members and providers. WellCare is committed to delivering the right care, at the right time, at the most appropriate place. In other words, our number one priority is to be there when they need us, and this means we have to be accessible. Continue reading “What’s New at WellCare: Customer Service Goes Social”

My Perspective: A WellCare of Florida Field-Based Care Manager

As a field-based care manager for WellCare of Florida, my goal each day is to help our members live better, healthier lives. I bring the health care system directly to the homes of our sickest and most vulnerable members.

At first many are surprised that a health plan would make house calls, but they appreciate the personalized service. Continue reading “My Perspective: A WellCare of Florida Field-Based Care Manager”

National Minority Mental Health Month: How WellCare Integrates Behavioral Health Care

As a psychiatrist practicing in the Chicago area for the past decade, I have seen firsthand the impact mental illness has on our communities, especially in minority and underserved populations.

Mental illness doesn’t discriminate and is almost equal in prevalence across racial and ethnic groups. The disparity is rooted in the fact that African-Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Americans and Latinos are less likely to receive diagnosis for their behavioral health issues and have less access to mental health services. Even when programs are in place, these groups may not take advantage of them due to social and cultural stigmas about mental illness. Continue reading “National Minority Mental Health Month: How WellCare Integrates Behavioral Health Care”