Companies included in the FORTUNE 500 are ranked by total revenues for their respective fiscal years. Included in the survey are companies that are incorporated and operate in the U.S.and file financial statements with a government agency. This includes private companies and cooperatives that file a 10-K or a comparable financial statement with a government agency, and mutual insurance companies that file with state regulators.

“It is a significant corporate achievement to be included in FORTUNE Magazine’s prestigious annual ranking,” said Centene Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael F. Neidorff.   “We are pleased to be recognized in this manner as it illustrates the validity of Centene’s business model. We are especially gratified to find ourselves included in the ranking for the third time.”

Residents in these areas now have access to healthy lifestyle resources that include members of the MHS medical and dental provider network, smoking cessation programs, adolescent and adult immunizations, lead testing, and women’s health needs. Pregnant women or women moms who have just had a baby also have access to the benefits of membership in the company’s “Start Smart for your Baby” program.

For information on Managed Health Services and to see if you qualify, call the company’s Member Services department at 888-713-6180.

Sandra Zernzach APNP (left), of Affinity Medical Group in Oshkosh Wisconsin is presented with the 4th annual Summit Award by Dr. Bruce Himelstein, Chief Medical Officer of Managed Health Services

Managed Health Services (MHS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), in collaboration with the Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare, recently presented Sandra Zernzach APNP, of Affinity Medical Group in Oshkosh Wisconsin, with its fourth annual Summit Award program. The award program acknowledges healthcare professionals for providing exemplary care and clinical excellence to MHS members.

“Managed Health Services is committed to recognizing Wisconsin healthcare professionals for the excellent care they provide to our members,” said Dr. Bruce Himelstein, chief medical officer for Managed Health Services. “We are pleased to recognize Ms. Zernzach for the ongoing program of contributions she makes to improve the care, quality and long term healthcare outcomes of our members.”

Winners of the annual Summit Award demonstrate above superior performance in the following areas: follow-up care after emergency room visits, routine preventive and well care services for both adults and children, and establishing a “medical home” for new enrollees by promoting the member-primary care physician relationship.

In recognition of her work, Himelstein and MHS vice president Paul Sabin recently presented Ms. Zernzach with an engraved plaque and a catered lunch for her colleagues.

About Managed Health Services
Managed Health Services (MHS), founded in 1984, is a HMO that provides Medicaid services for Wisconsin beneficiaries in a BadgerCare Plus, SSI or Medicare Advantage Program. MHS, through its parent-company, Centene also offers specialty services including behavioral health, life and health management, managed vision, telehealth services, and pharmacy benefits management. For additional information, please visit www.mhswi.com.

About The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare
The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare is a non-profit private foundation dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare in the United State. The Foundation serves as a resource to identify and support innovative approaches to improving and increasing the quality of and access to healthcare for low-income individuals and families. This is accomplished through an inspired philanthropic giving plan that seeks to promote efforts and activities that identify and address core causes of unequal access and treatment in healthcare. For additional information, please visit www.centenefoundation.org.

This is a great strategic move for Managed Health Services. With this new relationship, we can now concentrate on growing our membership base in an expanded provider network.  Look for more good news to come from this alliance.

Registration:
$75.  Lunch will be provided.

Date:
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
 
Time:
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. – Registration
9:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Program
3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – NetworkingAmerican Family Insurance
6000 American Parkway, Auditorium
Madison, Wisconsin
Hospital and clinic staff, providers and administrators

Location:

Who should attend:

Presented by:
Southwest/South Central Wisconsin Health Literacy Committee

Sponsored by:
South Central Wisconsin Area Health Education Center
Health Literacy Wisconsin, a division of Wisconsin Literacy

Featured presenters:

 Terri Ann Parnell, DNP, RN

Health Literacy, Language, & Culture: What’s the Connection?

With over 30 years of progressive roles in nursing and administration, Dr. Terri Ann Parnell is well-known for innovation in the area of health literacy. Dr. Parnell has been honored for her efforts in conjunction with the Long Island Heart Walk and the Go Red for Women Initiative. She has received nursing awards for excellence in research, patient and family education and community service.  As co-author of Heart Smart for Black Women and Latinas: A Five-Week Program for Living a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle, Dr. Parnell is very familiar with the importance of community, culture and lifestyle.

  Christina Cordero, PhD, MPH
Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals

Dr. Cordero is an Associate Project Director in the Department of Standards and Survey Methods, Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation at The Joint Commission.  She developed the patient-centered communication standards and The Joint Commission monograph Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals.

 Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, MA
A Perspective From the Trenches:  Implementing Patient- & Family- Centered Communication Standards

Ms. Bidar-Sielaff is Director of Community Partnerships at UW Health.  With 20 years of experience in community relations and interpreter services, she has been instrumental in the development of language access policies and practices in Dane County and at the national level. 

 Cori Gibson, MSN, RN, CNL
Improving the Discharge Process…The Discharge Advocate Role

Ms. Gibson is a Staff Nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.  She is currently working as a Discharge Advocate in implementing Re-Engineered Hospital Discharge (Project RED) as a pilot program for the hospital.  Project RED is a nationally-recognized program that increases patient safety by improving the discharge process and decreasing hospital readmissions.

  For more information:
Contact Georgia Lieber at lieber@wisconsinliteracy.org or (608) 250-5130.

Managed Health Services  is working with Edifecs  to ensure a successful transition to the new formats.  Trading partners are required to complete HIPAA Version 5010 testing and certification using the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management Testing Facility.  To obtain access to the HIPAA Version 5010 Companion Guides, sample files, and FAQs trading partners must enroll on the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management site: www.centene.com/edifecs

Additional information regarding HIPAA Version 5010 will be communicated on the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management site, and distributed to trading partners that have enrolled for testing on the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management site.  

Questions? Contact the EDI Helpdesk at ediba@centene.com or 1-800-225-2573 X25525.