Posts for UPHP News
UPHP Director of Population Health Janey Joffee, MBA, CPHQ, joined Mark and Walt in the Morning on Sunny 101.9 this week to discuss how to celebrate the upcoming holiday season safely amid the the coronavirus pandemic. Joffee encouraged individuals to follow guidance set forth by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reiterating that the safest way to celebrate is to stay home and only gather with those you live with.
UPHP Clinical Coordinator Adele Price, LPN, joined Mark and Walt in the Morning on Sunny 101.9 to discuss tobacco cessation and the Great American Smoke Out, taking place this month Nov. 19. The message behind this effort is that you don’t have to quit smoking in one day, but you can start with one. Price also explained that tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States, and provided several resources available to UPHP members and the public to help them quit.
Marquette, Mich. – Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) is proud to announce it was recently selected as a winner of the Governor’s Fitness Awards (GFAs)! Each year, the GFAs recognize communities, organizations, and individuals who inspire healthy choices. Winners are recognized in several categories; UPHP was selected in the Healthy Workplace – Small Organization category. This award in particular recognizes Michigan companies that create workplace wellness programs so their employees have access to resources to be fit, healthy, and more productive.
“We’re extremely honored to have been selected for this award out of such a deserving group of finalists,” said UPHP Chief Executive Officer Melissa Holmquist. “As a health care organization, it is our responsibility to be a community leader in all aspects of health and wellness, and that means starting with ourselves.”
UPHP has an established wellness committee that drives nearly all of its wellness efforts. The committee organizes fun wellness events/challenges throughout the year and provides health and wellness education that focuses on all aspects of health, including physical, mental, emotional, social and financial – all of which contribute to one’s overall health. Employees of UPHP are also offered reimbursement for monthly gym membership fees, helping to reduce the financial burden sometimes associated with getting healthy.
“Our wellness program has given our staff the knowledge and resources they need to be the healthiest versions of themselves. It’s very rewarding to see them thrive, and become ambassadors for healthy lifestyles within our community,” said Holmquist.
Although many of its usual wellness activities have been cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19, the Committee is still engaging staff with virtual challenges and accountability groups, and through regular wellness communications.
To learn more about the Governor’s Fitness Awards, visit https://michiganfitness.org/events/governors-fitness-awards.
Marquette, Mich. – Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) has made a $50,000 commitment to Great Lakes Recovery Centers (GLRC) in support of their project to expand recovery services and relocate the Men’s New Hope House to a new location on West Easterday in Sault Ste. Marie. GLRC’s Men’s New Hope House, currently located on Spruce Street, is a 16-bed residential facility for males over the age of 18 with a substance use disorder. Last year alone, there were a total of 129 residents with the average length of stay being 42 days.
“We are honored to support GLRC’s project to expand these essential services to citizens of the Upper Peninsula who need them,” said UPHP Chief Executive Officer Melissa Holmquist. “This work definitely supports our mission to advance the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”
Residential substance abuse treatment allows individuals to live in a therapeutic environment, alongside other residents, with 24-hour supervision and comprehensive programming. Residents at Men’s New Hope House are assigned a counselor who provides one-on-one services and meets frequently with them throughout their stay, while also attending group therapy and programs focused on acquiring new life skills.
“We are very grateful for the generous support from UPHP and their commitment to helping advance treatment and recovery programming in the Upper Peninsula,” said GLRC Chief Executive Officer Greg Toutant.
Additionally, GLRC helps connect residents with support services that may be beneficial once they leave treatment, including recovery meetings, employment and housing opportunities, family support groups, and health services.
To learn more, visit https://www.greatlakesrecovery.org/residential-services/mnhh/.
About UPHP
Upper Peninsula Health Plan currently serves over 50,000 members across five product lines (Michigan Medicaid, MIChild, Children with Special Health Care Services, Healthy Michigan Plan, MI Health Link, and Medicare Advantage) and its network exceeds 2,000 providers.
About GLRC
GLRC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides a variety of behavioral health services at 18 locations across the UP, including substance abuse and mental health counseling, residential programs, outpatient services, peer recovery, prevention services, and more. To learn more visit www.glrc.org.
Marquette, MI – During our latest UPHP update on Sunny 101.9 radio, UPHP Manager of Business Development Jennifer Wieczorek discussed the upcoming the Medicare Annual Election Period, which starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. During this time, eligible individuals can change their Medicare health plan or prescription drug coverage to better meet their needs for the following year. Listen in below to learn more, or head over to www.uphp.com/medicare.
Marquette, MI – During our latest UPHP update on Sunny 101.9 radio, UPHP Clinical Services Manager, Lindsey Havel, RN, discussed the upcoming respiratory flu season and the importance of getting vaccinated to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities. Havel began by discussing what the flu is, common symptoms, what can be done to prevent, the flu vaccine, and more!
Marquette, Mich. – Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions (UPHCS) was recently awarded a $747,428 competitive grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) to integrate health care coordination and housing assistance services for pregnant and postpartum mothers impacted by opioid misuse in the Upper Peninsula. HRSA awarded approximately $7.4 million for Rural Health Care Coordination Network Program grants designed to support rural health consortiums through collaboration, leadership and workforce, improved outcomes, and sustainability in rural communities.
The funding will support UPHCS’s Upper Peninsula Maternal Opioid Misuse (UP MOM) Model, which aims to address Opioid Use Disorder among pregnant and postpartum mothers and reduce neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) through a patient-centered approach. To do this, UPHCS will bring on Community Health Workers (CHWs) specific to this program to increase participation in home visiting programs, engage and assist program enrollees in opioid use disorder treatment, as well as completion of prenatal and postpartum OB/GYN visits and mental health counseling.
The UP MOM Model will continue to use best practices guided by a rural health consortium of partners including Upper Peninsula Health Plan, Northcare Network, Great Lakes Recovery Centers, UP Health System – Marquette, and the Marquette County Health Department. Over the course of the three-year grant, the UP MOM Model is expected to expand into two additional communities by bringing on new partners to the consortium and adding CHWs to each of those communities for patient-centered care throughout the duration of the grant.
“This funding opportunity will enable UPHCS and its consortium members to implement a responsive, integrated care delivery model and to work toward initiating a larger, systemic response to mothers and families impacted by opioid use disorders,” said Melissa Holmquist, executive director, UPHCS. Together with our program partners, we look forward to furthering our work to improve maternal and infant health outcomes across the region.”
The grant funding will support this program for three years. A full list of Rural Health Care Coordination Program grant awardees can be viewed here: https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/community/rhccp-awards.
About UPHCS
Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the 310,000 residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We are a network of community health care providers with a shared vision of working together to improve access, reduce cost, and promote quality health care services in the communities served by our members. Visit www.uphcs.org for more information.
This story was original posted here Aug. 4, 2020, by mediaBrew Communications.
Marquette, MI – Upper Peninsula Health Plan enrolled members* can utilize the agency’s transportation assistance to connect them with the care they need. Without it, they possibly would not receive necessary medical care to prevent future illness.
Mandie Haile, UPHP Transportation Coordinator, joined Mark & Walt in the Morning today to talk about the services that can help with non-emergent medical transportation assistance to medical appointments for UPHP members.
Haile explained that the assistance is provided through direct mileage reimbursement, local bus and taxi services or volunteer drivers as needed.
She said to find out more about how this specialized assistance helps UPHP enrolled members, contact the UPHP Transportation Department direct by dialing 1-800-835-2556 and follow the prompts to reach the department.
Haile added that UPHP also has an online tool to request transportation assistance which is located at the UPHP website at www.uphp.com/transportation.
LISTEN IN – Mandie Haile, UPHP Transportation Coordinator, with more about transportation services.
* Note: This benefit applies to Medicaid, Healthy Michigan Plan, Children’s Special Health Care Services, and MI Health Link members only.
Marquette, Mich. – Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) and Upper Peninsula Health Group (UPHG) today launched the “Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures” campaign for the third straight year! The goal of the campaign, which will run today through the end of September, is to promote the completion of annual well care visits and recommended immunizations for children across the Upper Peninsula. UPHP and UPHG have partnered with 15 provider practices that will also be promoting the campaign within their own offices.
Well care visits are a preventive exam that allow health care providers to regularly monitor children as they grow. In the early years, immunizations are a large part of them, along with ensuring that children are growing and developing properly, both physically and emotionally. These well care visits are important even if children appear to be healthy; if children have an underlying health issue that is not presenting any symptoms, preventive visits such as this can catch things early.
“We understand that right now, amid the pandemic, parents may be apprehensive about bringing their children to the doctor when they’re healthy,” said UPHP CEO Melissa Holmquist. “However, provider offices have instituted a number of best practices to keep their offices safe, such as increased cleaning and use of personal protective equipment, and adjusting scheduling practices so healthy children are seen in the morning, while children who are feeling unwell are seen in the afternoon. Contact your doctor’s office to learn more about their safety efforts and to schedule your child’s next preventive visit.”
Well care visits should be scheduled every year for children three through 20 years old. From birth to three years of age, children are seen more often, per the table below:
UPHP members who complete their annual well care exam throughout the duration of the campaign will be put into a drawing for a $100 gift card! If parents are unsure whether or not their child is due for a well care visit, they can:
- Call their provider office and check to see when the last well care visit was done. For UPHP members, your primary care provider and office number is listed on your member ID card. The provider office staff can check and schedule if it is needed.
- Call our office at 1-800-835-2556 (TTY: 711) to find out if their child is due for an annual well care visit (UPHP members only).
For more information on well care, visit our website at https://www.uphp.com/medicaid/healthmanagement/childrenswellness.
This story was originally published July 7, 2020, here by MediaBrew Communications.
Marquette, MI – UPHP Clinical Coordinator Chelsea Tonn, LPN, joined Mark & Walt in the Morning today for an Upper Peninsula Health Plan Update to talk about the the Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures Children’s Campaign.
Tonn explained the campaign is a joint effort between Upper Peninsula Health Plan and Upper Peninsula Health Group and is designed to highlight the importance of preventive care and immunizations, also called well care visits, for kids of all ages.
She said the agencies are teaming up with roughly 15 different practices across the U.P. and promoting the campaign across the region. Tonn said it will run from July 13 through September 30, and they are offering prizes for UPHP members, including drawings for gift cards, who get their well care visit done during the campaign.
Tonn said well care visits should be scheduled every year for children 3-18 years old and really every year after 18 for adults. She added that if parents don’t know whether or not their child is due for an exam there are a few things they can do:
- First, they can call their provider office and check to see when the last well care visit was done. The provider office staff can check and schedule if it is needed.
- Tonn said for UPHP members, they can also call the office and someone will be more than happy to help look into it for them.
LISTEN – Chelsea Tonn with more about the Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures campaign.