Illinois Health Plan for Medicaid Families Gets Top Honors for Consumer Engagement and Protection

Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) October 23, 2013

Family Health Network (FHN) has been awarded Gold Honors for Health Care Consumer Engagement and Protection by URAC, a leading national health care accreditation organization. This award recognizes the achievements of organizations that are effectively advancing the role of consumers as active participants in health care through health plan best practices.

FHN – a nonprofit health plan serving families under Medicaid – was honored for its program “Family Health Network and Sinai Urban Health Institute, Asthma Care Partners and Medicaid Families: Improving Health Together” which uses community health workers to educate asthma-affected individuals about the disease, its triggers, and proper management in their homes and over the phone.

Anthem Blue Cross of California was awarded Silver honors. Health Care Service Corporation and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois in partnership with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Illinois Hospital Association won Bronze. Honorable mentions went to Aetna and Emblem Health.

“This year's Best Practices Awards winners are recognized for their leadership in driving innovation for the health care industry,” said Kylanne Green, president and CEO of URAC. “These companies have made a difference in the lives of consumers by implementing leading programs with results that matter.”

The FHN goal is to help adults; children and their caregivers improve asthma control so that everyone may lead an active and healthier life. FHN partners with Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI), a member of Sinai Health System, to offer the Asthma CarePartners program.

“This is a great honor for FHN and SUHI,” says Keith Kudla, Family Health Network’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a terrific example of how we work collaboratively with our medical providers to improve access to medical care and improve outcomes for the families and individuals we serve.”

Family Health Network, in partnership with organizations like PsycHealth, has often been recognized nationally for improving health outcomes. Past URAC awards in collaboration with PsycHealth include: a Gold Award in Healthcare Management for “Home Intervention Program” in 2008; Bronze Award for “PCP Initiative Pilot: Medical Visit after Behavioral Health Admission” in 2010; Silver Award for “PCP Initiative Implementation: Medical Visit after Behavioral Health Admission” in 2011; and Silver and Honorable Mention Best Practice Awards for the “Bridges to Health” and “Brighter Beginnings Perinatal” programs.

Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of prestigious, independent judges including recognized experts in program evaluation, care coordination, health information technology, employer and purchaser decision making and patient safety. Entries were reviewed and scored by the judges based on objective criteria including whether the program was measurable, if it was reproducible and delivered through a collaborative approach. Organizations were recognized in the categories of care coordination and clinical integration, health plans, and quality measurement and data analytics, with platinum awards given in the categories of Consumer Decision-Making and Consumer Health Improvement.

About FHN
Family Health Network (FHN) was founded in 1995 with an important objective – bringing quality health insurance to those who need it the most. FHN is the only not-for-profit managed care community network serving Chicago and Cook County, and is directed by local health care providers. In our 18 year history, we’ve developed strong and lasting relationships with our medical providers and greatly improved overall access to medical care for the families and individuals we serve. For more information, please visit http://www.fhnchicago.org.

About SUHI
Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) is a diverse group of epidemiologists, research assistants, and community health educators involved in social epidemiology, program implementation and evaluation, teaching and consulting. Founded in 2000 as part of Sinai Health System, SUHI’s mission is to develop and implement effective approaches to improve the health of urban communities through data-driven research, interventions, evaluation, and community engagement. A major component of SUHI’s work involves examining the impact of social issues, such as poverty and racism, on health.

About URAC
URAC is a national accreditation leader, offering over 30 highly regarded accreditation programs that span the health care spectrum. Our programs are created and updated by independent industry-spanning experts to address the latest market trends and needs, exemplified by our recently launched Clinical Integration and Accountable Care Accreditation Programs. The nation’s leading Case Management Accreditor, URAC recently launched the enhanced Case Management Accreditation program which addresses the increased focus on improving care coordination across the evolving health care landscape. Our Health Plan Accreditation program carries HHS approval to accredit health plans on Exchanges in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. URAC’s accreditation programs are formally recognized by six federal agencies, as well as 48 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit http://www.urac.org.

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