SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health, the local Medi-Cal health plan serving nearly 240,000 members in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, announced its commitment to a $6 million investment to support access to healthcare through the newly developed Medi-Cal Capacity, Access and Workforce Development Grant Program. The investment is intended to expand capacity through strategic funding aimed at healthcare provider recruitment, workforce training and education, and overall provider practice support. Aligned with the needs identified in the latest Community Assessment Reports for Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County, this 3-year grant program, beginning January 2025, will focus on behavioral health, pediatrics and primary care, and specialty care services. CenCal Health partners with over 5,000 physicians, hospitals, and other providers in delivering health care services to its members.
Tag: CenCal Health
CenCal Health — Tuning in to Youth Mental Health
SANTA BARBARA — Often overlooked, mental health is a crucial aspect of a healthy childhood. Understanding emotions and developing effective coping strategies are essential milestones in a child’s social and emotional development. Mental wellness doesn’t simply mean the absence of a mental health disorder. It involves children being able to manage emotions, develop, and sustain a quality of life that includes everything from friendships to sports to family relationships. During the exciting early weeks of a new school year, parents have a valuable opportunity to tune in to their child’s mental health.
Guest contribution — CenCal Health — Vaccinate for Back-to-School
“Vaccinations are essential to protecting young lives,” said CenCal Health Medical Director Patty Auchard, MD. “Immunization from harmful, infectious diseases is one of the most important ways we can secure the health of our children and our communities. Vaccination is simple, safe and effective, and has helped people of all ages live healthier lives.”
Medi-Cal Transformation Continues on Central Coast with New Community Supports
SANTA BARBARA — Seeking to improve the Medi-Cal program for people with complex health needs and facing challenging life circumstances, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) established Community Supports – cost-effective services focused on providing assistance beyond traditional medical care.
Bilingual report — Our Collective Impact: 2024 Community Report Presented by CenCal Health
“Together with our partners, CenCal Health is now one year into carrying out the transformative priorities of our Strategic Plan,” said Marina Owen, CenCal Health CEO. “As a tribute to the efforts of so many, we have dedicated this Community Report to highlighting the collaborative accomplishments essential to improving the well-being of our members. I am confident we will reach new heights through local innovation and build healthier communities.”
Community Service Organizations Receive Over $530,000 in Funding from Local Health Plan on Central Coast
SANTA BARBARA — More than 40 service agencies and associations, as well as community nonprofits and organizations, in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties have already received or will receive community benefits funding in 2023 from the local health plan CenCal Health. By the end of this year, over $530,000 will have been distributed by the local Medi-Cal health plan to support and improve the overall health and wellness of communities in its two-county service area.
“During this holiday season of giving, all of us at CenCal Health want to highlight those local agencies and organizations that – in various ways – serve all our residents, including our members, and especially the most vulnerable of our children, youth and seniors,” said CenCal Health CEO Marina Owen.
Bilingual report — $7.3M Payout Rewards Physician Excellence in Healthcare on Central Coast
On March 1 of 2022, CenCal Health launched the Quality Care Incentive Program (QCIP) to maximize the quality of care for its health plan members on the Central Coast. QCIP is a value-based incentive program that directly rewards plan providers who deliver exceptional medical care in their community. After nine months, the innovative initiative has resulted in a distribution of over $7 million in payments to participating primary care providers (PCPs). QCIP emphasizes the clinical priorities of significance to CenCal Health members, such as diabetes and asthma care, breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings, and child and adolescent well-care visits. In Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, CenCal Health is the Medi-Cal plan that partners with over 1,500 local physicians, hospitals and other providers in delivering patient care to more than 225,000 members. Medi-Cal is the name of California’s Medicaid benefits program; the federal government administers Medicaid.
Bilingual report — Local Health Care Providers Propel CenCal Health to top 5% Nationwide in Postpartum Care
CenCal Health, the community health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, received high marks in two respected professional health care assessments — the national Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), and the state-wide report on Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®). With results released in 2022, the findings in both annual audits concluded that, in multiple categories, CenCal Health and its providers delivered exceptional care to child members, as well as members that are new mothers and members with diabetes
Bilingual report — CalAIM Arrives in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties
The California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal program – known as CalAIM – is the far-reaching, multi-year plan to transform Medi-Cal. The long-term mission of CalAIM is to offer 14+ million Californians a more equitable, coordinated, and person-centered approach to maximizing their health and life trajectory. The comprehensive program was developed by the State of California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). In Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, the local health plan CenCal Health is responsible for managing the implementation of CalAIM with its community partners.
CalAIM will provide expanded services that go beyond traditional medical care, addressing social factors that affect human health from birth to end of life, including homelessness, behavioral health, care of older adults, services for individuals transitioning from incarceration, and beyond. CalAIM is the State’s largest overhaul of how Medi-Cal services are delivered and paid since the implementation of managed care in the late 1970’s.
Bilingual report — Medi-Cal Expansion of Healthcare Coverage for Older Adults Now in Effect
CenCal Health, the community-accountable health plan on the Central Coast, announced that residents of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties who are 50 years of age or older may qualify for full scope Medi-Cal benefits, regardless of their immigration status. Effective May 1, 2022, this initiative is the result of a new law in California that expands eligibility for the state’s low-income health insurance to individuals who are 50 years of age or older, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Medi-Cal eligibility is determined by each county’s Department of Social Services, with health plan benefits for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties’ residents administered by CenCal Health.
Bilingual report — CenCal Health to Provide $200K in Funding for Adolescent Family Life Planning
CenCal Health, the community-accountable health plan on the Central Coast, is funding the expansion of critical resources for expectant and parenting teens in Santa Barbara County. The $200,000 contribution to CommUnify will allow its teen pregnancy support program to roughly double in size, increasing the number of unduplicated participants from 30+ to approximately 60 during the program year. This expansion will also help to open up the program’s geographic range beyond Santa Maria to serve residents across Santa Barbara County, including Lompoc and other communities in south county.
CommUnify’s Adolescent Family Life Planning (AFLP) program provides case management support for expectant and young parents – primarily mothers – aged 12 to 21.
Bilingual report — CenCal Health Presents its 2021 Community Report
Referencing its decades-long history in healthcare on the Central Coast, CenCal Health published its annual community report this week. Titled “Building on a Legacy: Evolution·Progression·Transition,” the multi-media account of the health plan’s current position in the community is readily available in English and Spanish at cencal2021.org. Established in 1983, CenCal Health is the Medi-Cal health plan that serves one in four residents of Santa Barbara County and one in five residents of San Luis Obispo County.
Bilingual report — CenCal Health Welcomes Governor’s Plan to Expand Medi-Cal to All Eligible
In response to the announcement and 2022-23 budget proposal from California State Governor Gavin Newsom, community-based health plan CenCal Health made the following statement:
“CenCal Health welcomes Governor Newsom’s health care expansion plan for California and is ready to support Medi-Cal coverage for eligible residents in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties – regardless of their immigration status,” said Marina Owen, CenCal Health CEO.
“Along with our Board of Directors, executive team and staff, I am gratified that our organization here on the Central Coast can help bring much-needed, long overdue health coverage to the region, and take this step towards health equity. In partnership with our network of dedicated doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and other providers, CenCal Health is ready to deliver high-quality health care to all.” If the new budget plan is supported by the legislature, coverage would begin on Jan. 1, 2024.
Bilingual report — CenCal Health Rolls Out New Vaccination Response Plan on Central Coast
As part of a statewide Vaccination Response Program developed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), CenCal Health is implementing a multi-strategy initiative to increase protection against COVID-19. CenCal Health is the Medi-Cal health plan for both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties with nearly 210,000 members, primarily children, families and seniors with low-income. The goal of the new initiative is to fully vaccinate members who are not vaccinated or received only one dose due to vaccine-hesitancy, lack of transportation or a disability that keeps them homebound. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommended that children 5 to 11 years receive the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine.
Bilingual report — Local Health Plan Earns High National Ratings for Adolescent Immunizations, Weight Assessment
CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, has received top marks among the nation’s Medicaid plans for adolescent immunizations and for adolescent weight assessment according to the 2021 results from Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®). Santa Barbara County was rated in the top 5% nationally for meningococcal, Tdap and HPV immunizations of plan members ages 9-13. San Luis Obispo County was rated in the top 5% nationally for physical activity counseling of pediatric members, and in the top 10% of pediatric weight assessment ratings overall, including nutrition counseling and body mass index (BMI) percentiles. In addition, both counties covered by CenCal Health received the highest HEDIS rating – top 5% in the nation – for timeliness of women’s postpartum care.
Bilingual report — Summer Camp for Children with Autism Marches on During Pandemic
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Central Coast families abruptly found themselves in the stressful situation of having school-age children and working parents isolating at home – a total disruption of their routines, including education and employment. “Add a child diagnosed with autism to the mix, and the frustration is compounded for both the child and the family,” said Camp Mariposas Coordinator Kristen Landeros, M.A.
Bilingual report — May is Mental Health Awareness Month: CenCal Health Urges Acknowledgement and Treatment
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, CenCal Health urges the community to acknowledge the signs of mental distress and seek help if needed for themselves or a loved one. Conditions such as depression or anxiety are real, common and treatable. As the largest health plan in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, CenCal Health offers a range of mental health benefits and services to its plan members, with some resources also available at no cost to the general public.
Bilingual report — 2020: Year of Resilience and Growth for CenCal Health
CenCal Health, the largest health plan on the Central Coast, produces a community report every year, but the 2020 digital report looks and reads like no other. COVID-19 brought unimagined challenges to the health plan’s members, providers, employees, and the community at-large. The just-published yearly overview presents updated facts and figures on membership and patient care, as well as highlighting innovative health programs and initiatives that responded to the public health emergency. Through video and still photography, the report also paints a picture of quickly emptied offices that gave rise to make-shift desks and video meetings at the homes of CenCal Health employees. Though the workplace changed, the work continued for the Medi-Cal health plan that contributes approximately $50 million a month to the local economy. CenCal Health had no wholesale layoffs, and very few furloughs were necessary among its 263 employees.
Bilingual report — Community Health Centers of the Central Coast Receives Quality of Care Awards
CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, annually recognizes the work of local network physicians and healthcare centers through its Primary Care Providers (PCP) Incentive Top Performer Awards. The awards acknowledge PCPs across both counties who provide high-quality healthcare and control utilization costs for assigned patients from the health plan’s membership. There are four award categories: pediatrics, family practice, internal medicine, and federally-qualified health centers. The awards are based on 2019 performance scores with the results announced to providers in 2020.
CenCal Health Procures Pulse Oximeters for COVID Care Kits
A pulse oximeter can provide an early warning of oxygen deprivation and breathing problems associated with COVID-19 pneumonia. Acting on information from public health representatives, CenCal Health procured and distributed 2,000 pulse oximeters to various health care providers in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. CenCal Health is the Medi-Cal health plan that contracts with over 1,500 physicians, hospitals and other providers in these two counties on the Central Coast.
Bilingual report — Welcome Back to Care: Local Providers Join CenCal Health in Advancing Public Health Message
Top health professionals on the Central Coast have joined CenCal Health, the local Medi-Cal health plan, in encouraging the public to return to their doctors, clinics and hospitals for vital health care services, especially immunizations, cancer screenings and other preventive care evaluations. A bilingual public awareness campaign began this month to persuade area residents to go back to regular medical care – care that has slowed up to 50% in some service categories since the national health emergency was declared in March. Disruptions occurred in routine preventive and other non-emergency care due to stay-at-home orders to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and public fear of coronavirus contagion.
Bilingual report — Dr. Himat Tank of Santa Maria Recognized as Champion in Health Care
Dr. Himat Tank, pediatric physician in Santa Maria, is being recognized as a Champion in Health Care. This week, Pacific Coast Business Times published its annual list of front line medical workers, first responders, and volunteers who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to providing quality care. Nominated by local Medi-Cal managed care plan CenCal Health, Tank is honored in the Treating the Underserved category, as he has been the doctor of choice for parents of many CenCal Health members since the agency was founded in 1983.
Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine Nationally Recognized for Supporting the Safety Net
Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine (DWW–SBSM) has been nationally recognized for its healthcare efforts to benefit the homeless in the Santa Barbara community. Nominated by local Medi-Cal managed care plan CenCal Health, DWW–SBSM received an honorable mention from The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) at its fifteenth annual Supporting the Safety Net Award program held last month. The earned recognition honors community organizations and individuals nationwide that exceed expectations for care by implementing health programs to benefit underserved populations.
CenCal Health Welcomes New Medical Director; Former Surgeon Joins Local Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan
Bilingual report: CenCal Health Procures PPE for Central Coast Hospitals, Clinics
CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, has procured and is now in the process of delivering 100,000 disposable face masks, 100,000 disposable gloves and 20,000 protective gowns in order to protect and support local healthcare workers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Bilingual report: Healthcare That Works Remotely: New Member Services at CenCal Health
CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, is offering alternatives for healthcare access in order to support its members during the COVID-19 pandemic. The community-based health care organization is one of 55 Safety Net Health Plans across the country that have pledged to provide necessary treatment at no cost to its members and to reduce other impediments to care.
Requests for Senior Meals Up 30% in Santa Barbara County Due to COVID-19 Outbreak
Bilingual report: CenCal Health Presents 2019 Annual Report in Digital Format
CenCal Health Awards Top Performing Primary Care Providers
Marian Regional Medical Center, French Hospital Receive $11.8 Million in Enhanced Health Care Payments
State of California Presents 2019 Innovation Award to CenCal Health
State of California Presents 2019 Innovation Award to CenCal Health Interactive Technology in Health Clinics Educates Families about HPV Vaccination SANTA BARBARA — California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) this week presented its fifth annual Innovation Award to CenCal Health. The award…
Bilingual report: CenCal Health Launches Multiple Campaigns to Help Increase Vaccination Rates in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties
Bilingual report: Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Receives 2019 Supporting the Safety Net Award in Washington D.C.
CenCal Health Initiates Award Nomination of Local Provider SANTA BARBARA — On June 20, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) presented its fourteenth annual Supporting the Safety Net Award to Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC). The organization was nominated for the award by ACAP member plan CenCal…
Community Action Commission Presents Annual Champions Honor to Santa Ynez Chumash
CenCal Health Earns Top Spot as Best Place to Work on Central Coast
Material Interactivo de Educación de Salud Ahora Disponible en la Red
Material Interactivo de Educación de Salud Ahora Disponible en la Red Accesible para Miembros de CenCal Health, Médicos, y la Comunidad en General en los Condados de Santa Barbara y San Luis Obispo SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health, el plan…
CenCal Health Recognizes Top Physicians, Health Centers for Quality Care, Cost Management
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health, the regional health plan for Medi-Cal, recognized the work of local network physicians and healthcare centers through their Primary Care Providers (PCP) Incentive Top Performer awards. The awards acknowledge PCPs across San Luis Obispo and…
CenCal Health: A Model of Managed Care in Santa Barbara County Since 1983
Marking Its 35th Year, the Health Plan Now Serves 1 in 4 Residents in Santa Barbara County, 1 in 5 in San Luis Obispo County. Recognized by Harvard for Innovating the U.S. Medicaid Program SANTA BARBARA — A 1983 experiment in health…
CenCal Health: Un Modelo de Servicios Médicos Administrados en el Condado de Santa Bárbara desde 1983
Marcando su 35 º año, el plan de salud ahora sirve a 1 de cada 4 residentes del condado de Santa Bárbara, y 1 de cada 5 del condado de San Luis Obispo. Reconocido por Harvard por innovar el programa de…
CenCal Health’s Physicians’ Quality of Care Rates Among Highest of Nation’s Medicaid Plans
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health rates in the top ten percent of Medicaid plans nationwide for 17 of 21 clinical quality of care measures. Of those, CenCal Health was in the top five percent for eight of the indicators. This…
CenCal Health Celebrates Providers and the Community for 10 Years of Service in SLO County
CENTRAL COAST — CenCal Health, the healthcare provider for nearly 180,000 Central Coast residents, marked its 10th anniversary operating in San Luis Obispo County with an evening of celebration and community recognitions on March 28. Dr. Rene Bravo, M.D., F.A.A.P.…
CenCal Health Ranks in Top 4 of California Health Plans on Timely Access To Care for Its Members
CENTRAL COAST — CenCal Health has ranked fourth among the 36 health plans in the State of California in providing timely access to health care services for its membership, as reported by the state Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC)…
Three Distinguished Experts Join CenCal Health Leadership Team
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health has announced the January appointments of two new clinical directors to its leadership team and a new Compliance Officer to its Administration department. Dr. Alan Bernstein joins CenCal Health as Senior Medical Director, Dr. Karen…
Show Your Heart Some Love This February; Learn How to Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease
SANTA BARBARA — As we celebrate love this month, CenCal Health encourages everyone in the community to listen to their hearts and make their health a priority. To raise awareness about heart disease and the impact it has on so…
Santa Maria Families Empowered to Navigate Healthcare at First-ever Event for CenCal Health’s New Members
SANTA MARIA — Nearly 80 of CenCal Health’s newest members participated in the “Journey of Learning,” a family-focused health education event in Santa Maria. As the health insurance provider for nearly 179,000 people in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo…
Local Medi-Cal Recipients and Providers Get Important Updates During Thomas Fire
CENTRAL COAST — CenCal Health is reaching out to keep its nearly 180,000 members and over 1,500 providers and the community informed with important information and resources as the region faces unprecedented impacts from the Thomas Fire. Updates include critical information about…
CenCal Health Earns Excellent Rating and Recognition among California’s Medicaid Plans
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health rated in the top 5 percent of Medicaid plans nationally for 2 important areas of care, and in the top 10 percent for an additional 12 areas of care according to the most recent state…
CenCal Health Recognizes Local Health Center Partners During National Health Center Week
CENTRAL COAST — In an effort to raise awareness about the numerous services available to people in need through health centers, CenCal Health joined organizations across the nation in recognizing the many services America’s health centers have provided over the last…
CenCal Health Welcomes Nicole Bennett as Community Outreach Coordinator
SANTA BARBARA / SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES — CenCal Health is pleased to announce Nicole Bennett as its new Community Outreach Coordinator, covering both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. Bennett will be based in the San Luis Obispo CenCal…
CenCal Health Welcomes Two New Members to their Board of Directors
SANTA BARBARA AND SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES — CenCal Health is pleased to welcome two new board members, Douglas Metz, M.D., and Mark Lisa, to their Board of Directors. Douglas Metz, M.D., currently serves as the Deputy Director of Primary…