#4
Organize for impact & effectiveness:
What that looks like.
Organizing for impact: Key new positions added
To be a trusted leader in advancing health equity, meet the promise of our mission and seize the opportunity of the ambitious, multi-year plan to transform the Medi-Cal Program, CenCal Health has been organizing within the health plan for impact and effectiveness. We honor our legacy and recognize that we must press forward, innovate, and organize differently to achieve better results:
First, CenCal Health developed our Performance Division, including operational excellence and process improvement to advance health plan performance. We hired Chief Performance Officer, Chris Morris, MSOD, to lead this division at the health plan.
Second, we enhanced our Quality Division, by promoting Carlos Hernandez to Quality Officer, and Lauren Geeb, MBA, to Quality Director, to advance quality improvement. In addition, we hired Emily Fonda, MD, MMM, CHCQM, to serve as Chief Medical Officer and support innovations in clinical care and support development of a Dual Special Needs Program (Medicare Program) in the years to come. We were pleased to promote and appoint these key leaders.
Third, we developed a Customer Experience and Health Equity Division, focused on member engagement, program development, and advancing health equity. To lead this important focus at CenCal Health, we hired our Chief Customer Experience and Health Equity Officer, Van Do-Reynoso, MPH, PHD. To advance support for our providers, we hired our Provider Network Officer, Jordan Turetsky, MPH.
Through the focus on operational excellence, quality improvement, customer experience and health equity, CenCal Health is driving forward a three-year strategy to cultivate community partnerships, advance quality and health equity for all, and expand our role and reach. We are accomplishing these priorities by developing new, innovative programs. To accomplish these ambitious priorities, change starts with us. We have an imperative to meet the moment by organizing for impact and effectiveness. I am pleased to welcome new leaders to CenCal Health.
Marina Owen, Chief Executive Officer
Employee-led advisory committee guides diverse culture
As part of organizing for impact and effectiveness, fostering employee growth and inclusion towards a diverse culture was top of mind to CEO Marina Owen, who launched CenCal Health’s first CEO Advisory Committee.
“As the incoming CEO, it was important for me to be advised directly by staff who work closest to the lives we impact and our providers,” Owen said. “As we begin to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, I want to listen to unique perspectives from all aspects of the organization.”
The new committee is entirely employee-led, members serve a one-year term, and there was no shortage of volunteers. “I want to make sure I am here long term,” said Population Health Specialist Santiago Segovia. “I am going to present the problems, and I want to be part of the solution.”
Claims Configuration Quality Analyst/Auditor Gretchen Schroeder volunteered to serve both the CEO and her colleagues. “The CEO Advisory Committee is valuable because we are a diverse and representative group of employees that our CEO can use to bounce off ideas, as well as be a trusted voice and source for any employee to receive ideas, input, or feedback of any kind.”
“The last few years revealed that employee expectations are evolving, including for the workplace, their expectations that their employers do social good, and that their ideas are taken into account,” Owen continued. “We exchange topics for input, all geared toward ensuring a safe, open, and transparent workforce culture.”
New member portal leverages technology to deliver self-service
More people are relying on digital tools to fulfill their health needs. Looking to enhance member experience and improve accessibility to personalized health plan information, CenCal Health developed a new portal specifically for individual member accounts. This self-service platform allows beneficiaries to view and manage their Medi-Cal benefits from anywhere, anytime.
The account is a secure one-stop-shop where members can complete common requests, like viewing and printing their member ID card; changing their primary care provider; completing annual health assessments and surveys; and much more. Launched in early 2023, the Member Account is optimized for mobile use, and content is available in multiple languages.
The video above is one example of how we are assisting members with account adoption and navigation.
New financial forecasting model to enable adaptive interventions
To ensure our financial performance supports sustainability, CenCal Health is developing a robust analytical model that will provide a five-year financial forecast on revenue and expenditures.
The calculations are based on CenCal Health’s annual operating plan, funding from the California Department of Health Care Services, and current economic trends. Our leaders will apply the forward-looking forecast to make informed decisions on managing, adjusting, and improving health plan operations to enhance services for our members, providers, and communities.
Through extensive cross-collaboration between multiple internal departments, CenCal Health aims to complete its first five-year financial forecast by Summer 2023.