In the clinical arena, 2009 was a year of innovation for Cenpatico.

“We manage many different markets and lots of different products,” said Vice President of Clinical Operations Cindy Peterson LCSW. “We recognize there is no one-size-fits-all from a clinical perspective.”

Among the many initiatives that were put in place and/or piloted this year, the Caring Voices cell phone program in Ohio was undoubtedly one of the most successful.

“In every one of our other markets where we’ve identified the need, we have gotten a few phones out. But it really seemed in Ohio that there was more of a need” for Caring Voices, Peterson said. “The reception from our consumers to this program has already been incredibly positive in this short period.”

More than 100 qualified consumers were served through Caring Voices in Ohio. Each of them received a preprogrammed cell phone that included predetermined phone numbers from both their clinical support system, including their primary care and behavioral health providers and other professional contacts, and their community support system.

“We give a cell phone to consumers that we think are struggling to stabilize,” said Peterson, who also noted that the idea was originally conceived in one of Cenpatico’s sister health plans under the Centene umbrella for selected perinatal consumers. “We conscripted their idea and said, ‘Let’s try that with behavioral health.’ And we’ve had as much or more success with it.”

Another of our clinical innovations in 2009 was the Discharge Tool Kit.

“One of the things we noted is that when you leave a medical facility, you get these huge packets of information,” Peterson said. “But when people leave the psychiatric hospital, they really weren’t receiving anything besides a piece of paper for a follow-up appointment.”

With the Discharge Tool Kit, Cenpatico’s members can count on leaving their respective stays in psychiatric hospitals with the educational information that can help them stay resilient and informed about their respective illnesses. The kit will let the consumer know they are not alone in their individual battles while also decreasing the likelihood of a return trip to the hospital. For children, Cenpatico provides a Build-a-Bear and a Wal-Mart gift card when the child attends their follow-up appointment. In addition, there is an educational book for children written by Cenpatico’s own staff in both English and Spanish.

“The book is about how to express yourself, and the feelings you have and create,” Peterson said. “We’ve received a lot of letters from families telling us what an impact [the Discharge Tool Kit] has made.”

The Kit has passed through various state approval processes, and in the past month, members began receiving these materials following hospital stays.

Jimmy Donovan

Web Administrator

*This is the first of three reports in a series detailing Cenpatico’s 2009 Year-in-Review. Please see below for a complete release schedule:

Title                                                        Release Date
Part I – Taking the Clinical Initiative — Monday, December 28, 2009
Part II – Improving Provider Relations — Monday, January 4, 2010
Part III – Recovery. Resiliency. Results. — Friday, January 8, 2010

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