San Francisco Health Plan Is U.S. Leader In Childhood Immunizations

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 22 Jan 2009 - 0:00 PST

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San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP), the City's community health plan, announced it is honored to be the U.S. leader in childhood immunizations for Medicaid health plans nationwide. 90.7% of SFHP's pediatric members are fully immunized, besting second-ranked Kaiser Permanente of Hawaii by approximately 0.2 percentage points.

"We couldn't be more thrilled with the results," said Dori Lange, SFHP Director of Quality Improvement of San Francisco Health Plan. "It's a clear indicator that our methods for achieving success in quality care are working, and that our commitment to the good health and well-being of the residents of San Francisco is being realized."

Strategies for achieving high childhood immunization rates include incentive programs that encourage parents of health plan members to take their children in for required vaccinations before age two. A complete shot record that indicates all required immunizations have been received results in a $50 gift card for the parent. Required immunizations consist of four diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP), three polio (IPV), one measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), three H influenza type B (HiB), three hepatitis B, one chicken pox (VZV) and four pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

National rankings are determined by Health Employer Data Information Set (HEDIS) results, a set of nationally recognized performance measures of health plans developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Ranking high on HEDIS quality measures is a key indicator that SFHP providers are taking good care of members, and that SFHP has established an exceptional provider support system.

"We cannot underscore the importance and impact of provider participation enough," said John F. Grgurina, Jr., CEO of San Francisco Health Plan. "Though we create and implement quality improvement ideas, it's our provider network at the forefront daily, providing exceptional care and unparalleled service that makes the difference. Indeed, we owe this honor to their extraordinary abilities and unwavering dedication."

SFHP also ranks within the top 10 for additional Medicaid measures nationwide, such as comprehensive diabetes care, well child visits, and treatment of children with upper respiratory infections.

SFHP most recently garnered national attention by being named by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom as administrator of the Healthy San Francisco program, a model for county-based universal health care access.

About San Francisco Health Plan

San Francisco Health Plan is a licensed community health plan that provides affordable health coverage to low and moderate-income San Franciscans. San Francisco Health Plan was designed for and by the residents it serves - many of whom would not be able to otherwise obtain health care for themselves or their families. San Francisco Health Plan's mission is to provide superior, affordable health care that emphasizes prevention and promotes healthy living. San Francisco Health Plan strives to improve the quality of life for the people of San Francisco, and is committed to supporting the providers who serve them. San Francisco is the first city in the country to offer healthcare access to uninsured residents through the Healthy San Francisco program, which is administered in partnership with San Francisco Health Plan and the San Francisco Department of Public Health. For more information on San Francisco Health Plan, visit http://www.sfhp.org.

About HEDIS

HEDIS (Health Employer Information Data Set) is a set of standardized performance measures designed to ensure that purchasers and consumers have the information they need to reliably compare the performance of managed health care plans. The performance measures in HEDIS are related to many significant public health issues such as cancer, heart disease, smoking, asthma and diabetes. Health Plan performance is reported publicly through consumer materials to help people choose the best health plan for their needs. HEDIS has become more than a set of measures; it is part of an integrated system to establish accountability in health care nationwide. HEDIS is sponsored, supported and maintained by National Committee for Qualify Assurance (NCQA). For more information on HEDIS, visit http://www.ncqa.org.

San Francisco Health Plan
http://www.sfhp.org

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