Centene Honored for Case Management, IT Initiatives

ST. LOUIS, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) earned accolades in two important areas this week, on the heels of becoming a Fortune 500 company.

Centene moved up to #486 in Fortune Magazine's recently released annual ranking of the world's largest companies by revenue.  The company's 2009 revenues of $4.1 billion earned a ranking of #486 in the 2010 ranking, up from #609 last year, placing it in the Fortune 500 for the first time.

"This new milestone underscores the strong and consistent growth we've worked hard to achieve," said Centene Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael F. Neidorff. "It is recognition that we are navigating Centene toward a prosperous future, despite the difficult and volatile economic climate – while also being recognized for excellence in areas such as case management and technology innovations."

Centene also earned recognition for two of its innovative case management programs in the inaugural Case in Point Platinum Case Management Awards held in Washington D.C.  Separately, Centene's Information Technology group earned the 2010 Business Innovation Award at the Third Annual Gateway to Innovation conference in St. Louis for IT initiatives that enable significant business improvements.

In the first annual Case in Point Platinum Case Management Awards, given by Case in Point magazine and Dorland Health, Centene was honored for striving to provide the highest level of quality healthcare services to its members through its 17P Case Management and Treatment Adherence Support programs.  The company also received honorable mentions for its Connections Plus and Start Smart for Your Baby programs.  

Centene's 17P Case Management program, a subset of the company's Start Smart for Your Baby program, identifies women who had previously experienced preterm birth and engages in educational support of the drug 17P, which can prevent premature birth from reoccurring.  Centene's Treatment Adherence Support program, offered through its Nurse Response subsidiary, targets patients with serious and persistent illnesses aiming to improve adherence to long-term medication, decrease emergency department utilization and improve quality of life. 

"Centene is honored to receive this prestigious recognition for innovative case management practices," said Mary Mason, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Centene.   "We take pride in designing and implementing quality programs that focus on specific needs of our members and have measurable value across the continuum of care.  It is our exceptional staff across the company that ensures we make a difference in the lives of our members each and every day."

The Case In Point Platinum Awards cover a range of 25 categories.  Buckeye Community Health Plan, Centene's Ohio subsidiary, was recognized for its 17P Case Management program in the Women/Children Case Management Program category, while Nurse Response's Treatment Adherence Support program won in the Nurse Call Center Program category.

In the Information Technology sector, the 2010 Gateway Business Innovation Award recognized Centene for its desktop executive dashboard, which provides real-time intelligence and is updated daily to provide early warning of adverse trends, claims drill-down for a quick analysis of clinical, financial or operating issues, and predictive modeling.  

"This honor represents the strong working partnership between IT, Medical Management and Finance," explained Centene Chief Information Officer Don Imholz. "Our employees have worked diligently to implement these groundbreaking business processes."

About Centene Corporation

Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise that provides programs and related services to the rising number of under-insured and uninsured individuals. Many receive benefits provided under Medicaid, including the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as Aged, Blind or Disabled (ABD), Foster Care and long-term care, in addition to other state-sponsored programs, and Medicare (Special Needs Plans). Centene's CeltiCare subsidiary offers states unique, "exchange based" and other cost-effective coverage solutions for low-income populations. The Company operates local health plans and offers a range of health insurance solutions. It also contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide specialty services including behavioral health, life and health management, managed vision, telehealth services, and pharmacy benefits management. More information regarding Centene is available at www.centene.com.

SOURCE Centene Corporation