Cenpatico Blog

Last week I attended a meeting of the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP) Behavioral Health Quality Committee at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis, IN. I was also invited to speak at the Summer Celebration of the Indiana Black Expo Education Conference (www.indianablackexpo.com)
Here are some of the highlights of my trip.

At the OMPP meeting, the State of Indiana presented comparison Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) data for all health plans in the State. HEDIS is a large set of data that is reported nationally and publishes so one is able to compare health plans to one another. I’m very proud to report that Managed Health Services (MHS)/Cenpatico was announced as the top performer.

At the opening of the Summer Celebration Conference, I had the good fortune to hear Peter Groff, Director for the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center (http://www.usdoj.gov/archive/fbci/index.html) in the Office of the Secretary of Education give the opening speech. He is tasked with empowering faith-based and community groups, enlisting them in support of the Department’s mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans.

I presented twice to educators attending the conference on the giving and overview of the diagnosis and treatment of common childhood disorders. I was pleased to share a joint initiative by MHS and Cenpatico to open school-based clinics in Indiana to provide both behavioral health and physical health services directly in our schools. Our first school-based health clinic will open in Gary, IN this August for the 2009-2010 school year.

The trip was a very fulfilling one and I look forward to our continuing great work in the Indiana community.

Thomas Hamlin, M.D.
Vice President of Medical Affairs
Cenpatico

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TEMPE, ARIZONA (July 23, 2009) — Effective July 1, 2009, Academic Behavioral Alternatives (ABA Schools) has closed on the purchase of InSpeech, Inc.’s assets, an Arizona-based practice of Speech/Language Therapists who contract with school systems to provide services to eligible student populations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Currently, the majority of these Therapists work within schools across Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai, Cochise, and Pima Counties in Arizona. However, in the 2009-2010 school year, InSpeech will expand into Texas beginning with the Houston Independent School District.

As part of the acquisition, ABA Schools is pleased to welcome Diana Galis who will continue to serve in a leadership role as the Vice President of InSpeech reporting to Erik Ryan, Vice President of Educational Services. Galis has a strong background in marketing, business, and new product development across a variety of industries. She has been primarily responsible for InSpeech’s operation and expansion throughout Arizona and into Texas over the past two years.

“I am very pleased to be part of ABA Schools,” said Galis. “This partnership will enhance the growth opportunities of InSpeech and for all of our dedicated Speech Therapists. It is an exciting time for all of us at InSpeech.”
With this acquisition, ABA Schools anticipates accelerated growth opportunities both within and outside of Arizona, which aligns with the vision to establish a full continuum of programs and services on a national stage. By diversifying product lines to include Speech/Language Pathology services, ABA Schools will have expanded opportunities to provide services beyond a school-systems market. These services are especially relevant and a requirement for early childhood, school-age and elderly members.

“We could not be happier to complete this acquisition, and we welcome Diana Galis and the Speech Therapists into our organization,” said Ryan. “We are excited by the expanded opportunities for service development and integration we’ll be able to achieve across markets as well as funding streams. We have worked directly with InSpeech for the past couple of years, and look forward to having them as part of our product offerings.”

About Academic Behavioral Alternatives™ (ABA Schools)-

Academic Behavioral Alternatives™ (ABA Schools) has provided private special education programming and related-services focused on supporting students with targeted academic and behavioral needs since 1995. A state-approved Private Special Education Organization, ABA Schools currently operates four day schools in Tempe, Chandler, Tolleson and El Mirage, Arizona. ABA Schools’ mission is to provide school districts and families with positive, pro-active, and evidence-based solutions which maximize students’ individual potential. Through highly structured and individualized educational programs, they help students become proficient in basic skills, acquire knowledge, and develop social and personal skills to help them become independent and productive citizens. For more information, visit http://www.abaschools.com/.

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The Cenpatico Spring 2009 Quarterly report is now available which you can find in our Newsletters section or by clicking here. In this report we look at the 2008 Member/Provider Satisfaction survey, highlight our Quality Program and discuss enhancements to our website. There are also articles on Trauma-Informed Care and Better Treatment Care.

Past quarterly reports are also available on the Newsletters page.

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This past week, I was pleased to represent Cenpatico at the 2009 National Convention for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This year’s convention was held in San Francisco, CA where over 2,000 NAMI members, consumers, family advocates, and mental health professionals gathered to explore strategies and ideas to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. The theme of this year’s convention was “Creating a Healthy Future for Us All”. Through workshops, symposia, and poster sessions, we were able to share and discuss technological advancements, behavioral health legislation, and provide support.

If you had a chance to visit our booth, you may have picked up one of our Cenpatico water bottles and information about our organization. We were pleased to see many familiar faces from the markets that we serve in addition to meeting new NAMI members and mental health professionals.

One of the particularly striking things I noticed at the NAMI national convention was the continued emphasis on Peer and Family Support. NAMI is committed to engaging those who have personally experienced or have a family member living with mental illness to educate and provide support for other people experiencing the same issues. It is clear that, because of these NAMI programs, many individuals who feel isolated or that no one understands what they are going through are empowered and given tangible resources for establishing and maintaining wellness and recovery.

I attended a workshop on NAMIpedia, an initiative developed by the Southwest Pennsylvania chapter of NAMI to provide interactive support and resources for living with a mental illness. When conducting an online search for “mental illness”, over 12 million sources will be returned through a search engine. It is overwhelming to dig through the myriad sources to find valuable information for a particular issue. NAMIpedia simulates real-time conversation through the internet, allowing users to ask questions about mental health issues anonymously and delivering personalized answers from consumers and professionals through video. I’m thrilled to see a platform developed where consumers and family members can ask questions and find answers on a multitude of topics regarding mental illness. I encourage you to check out this resource-rich site at www.namiswpa.org

Another emerging development that I am looking forward to exploring is the NAMI Hearts & Minds initiative. Given that research demonstrates that people living with severe psychiatric conditions have an increased risk of heart disease and related conditions, NAMI has developed an interactive wellness program that will debut this fall. This online initiative will include a variety of tools to help people take charge of their eating and exercise habits. Some of these tools include starting a weekly walking group, creating a Quit Smoking club, healthy recipes, and an interactive food diary.

The Heart and Minds site will go live this fall, but there are already many resources available on the site. Check it out at www.nami.org/heartsandminds.

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On Wednesday, July 1, 2009, Cenpatico begins partnering with CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts (CeltiCare) To visit their website please check out www.celticarehealthplan.com.

Massachusetts Providers, our Massachusetts Provider page is up with many resources you may find helpful. Click to follow the link over to the page.

Cenpatico is excited to be working with CeltiCare and Massachusetts as we all look to inspire hope to the people we serve.

This entry is filed under News.