HARRISBURG, Pa., July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital BlueCross recently received an inaugural national award for its new Oncology Case Management Program. Presented by the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), the Case Management Practice Improvement Award honors an organization that demonstrates innovation in the advancement of case management practice and/or improved client outcomes.
The CMSA is the leading national organization that defines practices for case management. Capital BlueCross' case management program is based on CMSA standards.
In 2010, Capital BlueCross launched its Oncology Case Management Program for members diagnosed with cancer. The emphasis of this care program is to provide members with additional support during all phases of treatment. Care managers help members and families work through difficult issues, such as treatment options, symptom management and life care planning.
The Oncology Case Management Program is one of several specialty case management programs offered by Capital BlueCross. Nurses with oncology expertise and certification work with a medical director board certified in internal medicine and palliative medicine. Together they provide a valuable and compassionate service to members in need of this support during a challenging time.
In its first year, the Capital BlueCross Oncology Case Management Program team handled 1,765 referrals.
"Selecting oncology was not an act of randomness for Capital BlueCross," said Denise Fessler, vice president of Clinical Management. "After analyzing our care data, we noted that more than 20 percent of our members who were receiving services through our case managers had a cancer diagnosis. This is a staggering number that opened our eyes to an opportunity to do more on behalf of our members in need."
Capital BlueCross is the leading health insurer in its region, providing health insurance coverage to residents in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.
Capital BlueCross is committed to making health insurance simple for its customers and members through all the stages of life by offering nationally acclaimed customer service and a full range of innovative benefit programs for groups and individuals at competitive prices.
By establishing a culture of caring, Capital BlueCross constantly strives to do more in order to deliver more for the men, women and children who depend on the company for their health insurance needs. Capital BlueCross has been providing medical value to the people and communities of central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley for more than 70 years and employs about 2,000 people in the region.
Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
More information about Capital BlueCross and its subsidiaries can be found by going to www.capbluecross.com.
SOURCE Capital BlueCross