Security Health Plan: Nurses help members navigate their way through the healthcare system

CONTACTS: Rebecca Normington:

715-221-9726

normington.rebecca@securityhealth.org

http://www.securityhealth.org

Rich Kiley

585-246-0260

rkiley@robertscomm.com

CELEBRATING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

MARSHFIELD, Wis. — Thirty-four nurses at Security Health Plan of Wisconsin Inc. are among the nation’s 3.1 million registered nurses saving lives and maintaining the health of millions of individuals — the focus of this year’s National Nurses Week, celebrated annually May 6-12 throughout the United States.

Nurses at Security Health Plan account for nearly three-quarters of the health maintenance organization’s interactions with plan members, according to Jane Wolf, director of the Health Services Department at Security Health Plan.

“I think a lot of people would be surprised to hear that a health insurance company has 34 nurses on staff,” said Wolf, a registered nurse for more than 25 years. “For our members, our nurses provide a compassionate and nurturing contact, who is both clinical and can serve as an advocate for them.”

Helping members navigate health care

Two of Security Health Plan’s nurses are helping the health maintenance organization’s members find their way through a complex health care system through the Nurse Navigator service. A Nurse Navigator is a registered nurse, supported by medical directors, who works across the healthcare system. Established two-and-a-half years ago, the Nurse Navigator program has helped numerous members “better manage their health care by steering them in the right direction when they’re unsure where to go for help,” Wolf said.

One of the most common reasons members contact a Nurse Navigator is to better understand the details of their health benefits and coverage as well as their dependents’ benefits, according to Maxine Luchterhand and Karen Borgemoen, the plan’s two Nurse Navigators.

“Sometimes a call comes into our customer service department asking about a specific specialist or service, something more complicated,” said Luchterhand, who has served as a nurse for 40 years. “We do all the digging for them. People are so thrilled when a nurse gets back to them.”

Luchterhand added that another key role she and Borgemoen play is to help faciliate the communiation between a member’s primary care provider and the plan. “We’ll ask members for permission to speak with their doctors,” she said. “Each patient hears a doctor differently and sometimes they just need us to get clarification on treatment options. We listen and coach members through difficult decisions.”

Acting proactively on behalf of plan members, Wolf added, Nurse Navigators “help identify and avoid unnecessary medical services to ensure members receive only the care they need, when they need it.”

About National Nurses Week

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has selected “Nurses: Caring Today for a Healthier Tomorrow” as the theme for 2010. Traditionally, National Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses, the largest health-care profession, are working to improve health care. Annually, National Nurses Week begins on May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession.

About Security Health Plan

Security Health Plan is a physician-led health maintenance organization, sponsored by Marshfield Clinic. The health maintenance organization serves more than 187,000 residents in a 32-county service area of Wisconsin. Founded in 1971 as the Greater Marshfield Community Health Plan, Security Health Plan has grown to become the fourth largest HMO in Wisconsin. Security Health Plan provides insured and self-funded plans to a variety of large and small employers, as well as to individuals and families. Accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Security Health Plan has been named to the U.S. News & World Report/America’s Best Health Insurance Plans* ranking for five consecutive years, with the company’s Advocare coverage for Medicare recipients ranked in the top 20 nationally.

###

*U.S. News/NCQA America’s Best Health Insurance Plans 2009-10. “America’s Best Health Insurance Plans” is a trademark of U.S. News & World Report.