SCAN Health Plan Presents 'Wave' Award to Monarch HealthCare Honoring Its High Level of Performance in Geriatric Care

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Monarch HealthCare of Orange County has been named this year's recipient of SCAN Health Plan's "Wave" award, presented annually to a medical group that combines "high levels of performance or improvement in the field of geriatrics" with a "strong commitment to care for seniors and SCAN members."  

The award was presented at the annual meeting of SCAN's Geriatric Advisory Board. Unique in its composition and charter, the advisory board is comprised of national geriatric, clinical and health policy experts who help guide the health plan in its offering of health management programs to seniors in California and Arizona.  

"Monarch HealthCare is helping to set the standard in providing high-quality care in the hospital and nursing home setting through its use of hospitalists and doctors specially trained to work in skilled nursing facilities," said SCAN Chief Medical Officer Timothy Schwab, M.D. "Monarch has also been a champion in assuring the type of coordination of care that improves both clinical outcomes and quality of life for seniors at end of life or with chronic disease."

As part of its effort, Monarch has been a leader of the Orange County POLST Coalition (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) through a two-year grant from the California Health Care Foundation. POLST is a physician's order that outlines a plan of care reflecting the patient's wishes concerning care at life's end. "SCAN is dedicated to ensuring that an individual's preferences at the end of life are respected, and we applaud Monarch's work in encouraging providers to talk openly and candidly with patients regarding their wishes," said Dr. Schwab.

Last year Monarch also introduced its "Senior Touch" pilot program for high-risk seniors. Calling together nurses, case managers, social workers and health educators, this program focuses on the "Five Pillars of Care Transitions," which are designed to improve care transition and communication across multiple sites including hospital, physician's office, home care, outpatient setting, skilled nursing facility, etc. Created to assure that care is delivered in the most appropriate setting and that treatment is consistent with the patient's need and desire, the pillars include: medication self-management, personal health records, post-discharge follow-up, knowledge of warning signs/symptoms and how to respond, and advance-care planning.

Founded in 1994 and based in Irvine, California, Monarch HealthCare is the largest medical group in Orange County with over 2,600 independent physicians in private practice. The company offers access to primary care and specialty physicians, hospitals, health plans, urgent care facilities, and lab service centers and specializes in providing care for senior patients.

SCAN is the fourth largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage Plan in the United States.  Focused for more than 30 years on the unique needs of people with Medicare, SCAN currently serves nearly 120,000 members in California and Arizona. Further information may be obtained at scanhealthplan.com.

SOURCE SCAN Health Plan