CareSource Receives Pinnacle Award
CareSource Michigan receives recognition for its asthma program
DAYTON, Ohio, October 5, 2011 – CareSource was a recipient of a Pinnacle Award at the 2011 Michigan Association of Health Plans (MAHP) awards presentation September 20 for its asthma program in the Chronic Disease Management category.
CareSource’s asthma program used an industry-leading team of case managers to identify and assist eligible asthma patients based on the use of appropriate medications for people with asthma. The population was comprised of asthma suffers 5-50 years of age identified as having persistent asthma and appropriately prescribed medication to control the disease.
The goals were to:
- Improve clinical outcomes
- Increase member’s quality of life by providing education on the appropriate measures to control asthma’s potentially life-threatening risks
- Ensure members with persistent asthma received appropriate preventive treatment
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asthma-related illness leads to two million emergency room visits and 5,000 deaths per year in the United States.
"Similar programs such as this can help reduce the emergency room visits, hospitalizations and mortality rate," said Sharon Williams, President, CareSource Michigan. “Through extensive communication about patients’ medication utilization, physician awareness of the appropriate treatment of persistent asthma has risen.”
This marks the second consecutive Pinnacle Award for CareSource Michigan. In 2010, CareSource was one of only seven health plans in the state of Michigan to win a 2010 Pinnacle Award for improving member and provider satisfaction through call optimization.
“We are honored to be recognized for our asthma program,” said Pamela Morris, President and CEO. “Our Quality Improvement team is vital to the health and well being of our members.”