MHPA Center for Best Practices Receives Sponsorship from Ortho-McNeil Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to Improve Medicaid Quality, Care Coordination for Serious Mental Illness

MHPA to engage health plans on most effective strategies to improve outcomes for Medicaid patients with severe mental illness

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Center for Best Practices, a new affiliate organization of Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA), today announced the receipt of financial sponsorship from Raritan, NJ-based pharmaceutical company Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to engage Medicaid managed care clinical leadership on the best ways to treat plan members with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illness (SMI).  The initiative called "Best Practices to Integrate Care for Seriously Mentally Ill Beneficiaries" will begin immediately and will take a multifaceted approach to raising the level of understanding at Medicaid health plans including creating web-based educational programs and publishing resources to aid in management of SMI.

"The mission of the Center for Best Practices is to inform and educate Medicaid health plans on how best to treat the low-income population they serve, with some of the Center's priorities falling very much in line with the goals of this effort," said Thomas L. Johnson, MHPA's President and CEO.  "The Center's focus on highlighting effective Medicaid health plan programs and improving care coordination and treatment adherence, especially in the area of medical and behavioral health services, dovetails well with the commitment of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen to improving the health of patients affected by these diseases. We are proud to have such a dedicated and innovative company that has done so much in the field of mental health as the Center's first-ever sponsor."

The Center will provide web content and resources such as data and information for effectively serving those Medicaid patients with SMI.  The Center also will partner with advocacy groups representing the SMI population to better understand the issues specific to this disease.  Educational webinars on topics ranging from increasing adherence to ensuring effective transitions from inpatient to outpatient care are also planned.  In addition, the Center will publish a compilation of health plan best practices that details specific examples of progress in treating those with SMI. This compendium will also include statistics and other mental health resources that may be useful to Medicaid health plans.

"People with life-altering diseases such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder often experience a number of issues including higher rates of unemployment, poverty and even homelessness," Johnson noted. "Coordinated care to address the physical and mental health needs of this special population is needed.  Given the integrated systems of care inherent in Medicaid health plans, disseminating knowledge of what works best for those with serious mental illness is a very important step in ensuring the best possible care for these patients."

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the first pharmaceutical company sponsor for this project. The sponsorship will ultimately be expanded to include multiple pharmaceutical company sponsors, however sponsors will have no control or influence on initiatives conducted by the MPHA Center for Best Practices.

About Medicaid Health Plans of America

Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA) is the leading trade association solely focused on representing Medicaid health plans. MHPA provides advocacy, research and organized forums that support the development of policy solutions to enhance the delivery of quality health care. For more information, visit Medicaid Health Plans of America at http://www.mhpa.org or email at [email protected].

Media Contact:
Joe Reblando
202-857-5722
[email protected]

SOURCE Medicaid Health Plans of America