Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health, the health plan founded in Santa Barbara more than 35 years ago, is being recognized as the Best Place to Work by Pacific Coast Business Times. The publication annually produces a list of the 25 Best Places to Work, determined by an employee survey and other criteria, administered by Pacific Coast Business Times.
The full list was published this week in the business weekly, and an event honoring all 25 of the Central Coast companies will be held May 23 at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara.
CenCal Health is pleased to recognize the extraordinary work of local physicians, through the 2017 Top Performer Awards.
CenCal Health provides comprehensive health coverage to more than 175,000 men, women and children enrolled in Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program). This regional health plan partners with over 1,500 local physicians and other providers to deliver quality patient care to approximately 1 in 4 residents of Santa Barbara County and 1 in 5 residents of San Luis Obispo County. CenCal Health also collaborates with community-based organizations to address social determinants of health while increasing members’ access to medical care and reducing costs.
The oldest Medicaid managed care plan of its kind, CenCal Health is a public entity that employs close to 250 people at offices in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The agency also contributes approximately $50 million a month into the local economy, primarily through payments to healthcare providers who serve its members. Employee positions include medical physicians and nurses, care coordinators, IT analysts, customer and provider service representatives, as well as claims representatives, to name a few.
“If you invest in people, in their training, in their career growth, and in having the privilege to serve the community, then they will most often invest in you,” said Bob Freeman, CenCal Health CEO.
Based on health outcome and process measures, CenCal Health has been found to be one of the top performing Medi-Cal plans in the state, according to the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set or HEDIS®.