Latest news with #JenniferNuovo
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Blue Shield of California, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Receive National Recognition for Addressing Health Disparities
Nonprofit health plans serving commercial, Medicare and Medi-Cal members earn NCQA accreditation for health equity in care services, clinical performance, consumer experience OAKLAND, Calif., April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California, which serves 6 million members as the only statewide nonprofit health plan, today announced national recognition for its efforts to advance health equity and improve access to culturally competent care for members. The nonprofit health plan received a perfect score in health equity accreditation measures from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). NCQA is a leading national accrediting body committed to advancing high-quality health care by rating quality measures among health plans, home care, and more. NCQA honors those within the healthcare system who are excelling in quality, including via Health Care Accreditation, based on HEDIS® and CAHPS® performance. The NCQA Health Equity Accreditation requires plans to establish a strong operational foundation to address health disparities. This includes capturing data to identify and address disparities, providing culturally appropriate services in multiple languages, and determining opportunities to address inequities and improve care. Receiving NCQA Health Equity Accreditation across all lines of business demonstrates Blue Shield's commitment to health equity, meeting members where they are, and continuously assessing opportunities to address inequities. And Blue Shield was acknowledged in 21 categories. "This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment as a mission-driven nonprofit health plan to achieving health equity for all 6 million of our members," said Ravi Kavasery, M.D., chief medical officer at Blue Shield of California. "NCQA accreditation signifies we have the right organizational culture and operations to support what's needed to advance health equity, including collecting and using the data needed to address the unique health needs of our large, diverse membership." Blue Shield's health equity initiatives are rooted in data to identify the populations and regions with the highest disparities in access to care and health outcomes. The health plan has created programs to address birth equity, youth mental health, preventive screenings, climate change, nutrition, and more. These programs are built in collaboration with community organizations to create new solutions, or enhance current approaches, with an added health equity lens and integrate member and community perspectives to ensure approaches and initiatives meet the needs of Blue Shield members. "Receiving this honor from NCQA is a great acknowledgment of our commitment to provide affordable, quality health care for all Californians," said Jennifer Nuovo, M.D., chief medical officer of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. "The Medi-Cal population is large, diverse, and includes some of the most vulnerable populations in our state. Health equity is part of everything we do to better serve our members." While this is Blue Shield's first perfect score for health equity, it has been recognized for its health equity efforts for the last three years by NCQA for its Commercial lines of business. About Blue Shield of CaliforniaBlue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a taxpaying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with nearly 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $25 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. About Blue Shield of California Promise Health PlanBlue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 575,000 members across Los Angeles and San Diego counties. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit For more news about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn. CONTACT: Jonna ConstantineBlue Shield of California 510-607-2359media@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Blue Shield of California
CBS News
22-02-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Northern California doctors hope warmer weather will help stem worst flu season in years
SACRAMENTO – New numbers show this flu season is the worst we've seen in years – and for the first time since the pandemic, more people are dying from influenza than from COVID. February is turning into a busy month for healthcare workers treating people who are sick. "It's a bad flu and there's a lot of it," said Dr. Jennifer Nuovo, the Chief Medical Officer for Blue Shield of California's Promise Health Plan. Dr. Nuovo says this year's influenza levels are the highest in more than seven years. "It's called a high-severity season and we honestly have not seen a high-severity flu season since 2017/2018, so we're a little rusty," Dr. Nuovo said. Flu hospitalizations in California peaked the first week of February with more than 4,300 people having to be admitted. Last week, the number was still high at more than 2,600. "Hospitals are busy, the ICUs are busy, and the doctors' offices are busy. Every appointment is booked," Dr. Nuovo said. So why is this flu season so bad? "The influenza-a strain that's circulating is particularly infectious," Dr. Nuovo said. A big concern is vulnerable populations like infants and the elderly. Last week, four more children died from the flu in California – bringing the season total to 15 deaths. And the state health department says only a small percentage of Californians got a flu shot this season. "If you have not had the flu shot it is not too late, we still have another full month and a half of pretty high flu rates," Dr. Nuovo said. Some people are also wearing masks in public to help stop the spread. At Tuesday's Sacramento city council meeting, two of the nine council members were masked up while they recovered. But there could be some relief on the way. Dr. Nuovo says this weekend's warmer weather across the state could help get flu levels lower. "We're going to be outside more, the fresh air is definitely going to help us," Dr. Nuovo said. "We're lucky to have this nice week ahead of us." Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 24 million people have gotten the flu so far this year. There have been 13,000 deaths, according to the CDC.
