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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  Contact: Susan Pisano

October 12, 2000 (202) 778-3245

AAHP Member Plans To Receive Honors for Achievements in Quality of Care Initiatives

Honorees Recognized During AAHP’s Annual Quality Conference for Programs that Measurably Improve the Lives of Americans

(Chicago, IL) – At ceremonies to be held today at the American Association of Health Plans’ (AAHP) Annual Quality Conference - Paradigm to Practice: Integrating Quality, Disease Management and eHealth in the Clinical Environment, AAHP will recognize its member plans for excellence in the areas of immunization, disease management, tobacco control, and quality improvement. Health plans throughout the country take part in AAHP’s annual awards program which applies stringent standards and independent judges to identify successful models for measurably improving the health and life of Americans throughout the country.

AAHP will present quality awards in the following categories:

Celebrating Innovation in Immunization Awards Program

AAHP’s Celebrating Innovation in Immunization Awards Program recognizes member health plans that have implemented innovative approaches to improving immunization rates among their members. Winners are awarded in three categories and include:

I. Innovative Quality Improvement, Children/Adolescents

This award is presented to health plans for implementing creative initiatives, strategies, programs, and interventions to improve child or adolescent vaccination rates.

• First Place: Highmark BlueCross BlueShield/Keystone Health Plan West, Pittsburgh, PA
• Second Place: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Northeastern Pennsylvania/First Priority Health, Wilkes-Barre, PA
• Third Place: Arizona Physician’s IPA, Inc., Phoenix, AZ

II. Innovative Quality Improvement, Adult Immunization

This award is presented to health plans for implementing creative initiatives, strategies, programs, and interventions to overcome specific barriers to improve adult vaccination rates.

• First Place: Tufts Health Plan, Waltham, MA
• Second Place: Medica, Minnetonka, MN
• Third Place: MVP Health Plan, Schenectady, NY

Honorable Mention:

• United Healthcare of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
• United Healthcare of Ohio, Westerville, OH
• Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield/Keystone Health Plan West, Pittsburgh, PA
• Health Choice of Arizona, Tempe, AZ

The National Exemplary Practice Program

The American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) and the Employers’ Managed Health Care Association (MHCA) developed the National Exemplary Practice Program to identify exemplary practices in the management of chronic conditions. The goal of the National Exemplary Practice Program is to encourage the rapid adoption or adaptation of innovative ideas and approaches to chronic care delivery throughout the managed care industry. The Exemplary Practice Program selected the chronic conditions of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma for evaluation in 2000.

I. Asthma - Blue Care Network of Michigan

II. Cardiovascular Disease - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia

III. Diabetes - Kaiser Permanente’s Care Management Institute

Managed Care Achievements in Tobacco Control Awards Program

The American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) Managed Care Achievements in Tobacco Control Awards Program is an opportunity to recognize member health plans’ efforts to increase interest in and capacity for reducing health problems caused by tobacco. The awards recognize and honor the innovative and practical strategies, practices, programs and policies used by health plans to build upon the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Clinical Practice Guideline on Smoking Cessation, including evidence-based standards and the demonstrated strategies outlined in the Guideline. By honoring these exceptional efforts, AAHP demonstrates the commitment of health plans to promoting the wide-spread adoption of effective tobacco control interventions into routine clinical practice.

I. Adult Tobacco Control

• First Place- Providence Health Plan, Portland, OR
• Second Place- Health Alliance Plan, Detroit, MI

Special Recognition for Policy Implementation

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Eagan, MN

II. Private/Public Partnerships in Tobacco Control

• Winner - Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, WA

III. Programs of Merit

Adult Tobacco Control Initiatives

• Sentara Healthcare, Virginia Beach, VA
• Care Choices HMO, Farmington Hills, MI
• HealthPartners, Minneapolis, MN
• Fallon Community Health Plan, Worcester, MA

Youth/Adolescent Tobacco Control

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Eagan, MN

The Managed Care Achievements in Tobacco Control Awards Program is one of many activities supported by The National Technical Assistance Office (NTAO) of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s "Addressing Tobacco in Managed Care" (ATMC) Program aimed at reducing tobacco use among managed care members. The NTAO is directed by AAHP. GlaxoWellcome, Inc. joins AAHP in this commitment to promoting tobacco cessation and prevention and is proud to support the awards program through an unrestricted educational grant.

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The American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) is the largest national trade organization representing more than 1,000 health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and other similar health plans providing coverage to more than 150 million Americans.