LOUISVILLE, Ky. and
TAMPA, Fla., April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of
Kentucky, a WellCare Health Plans,
Inc. (NYSE: WCG) company, and the WellCare Community Foundation
donated $100,000 to Volunteers of
America Mid-States, Inc. (VOA) to open a new residential addiction
treatment program in Manchester,
Kentucky for new and expectant mothers.
Robert Stivers, Kentucky's state Senate president;
Ben Orris, WellCare of Kentucky's chief operating officer; and
Jennifer Hancock, VOA's president
and CEO, announced the donation at the Clay County Fiscal Court in Manchester today.
VOA, which operates several treatment facilities across the
commonwealth, identified a need for residential treatment for women
in eastern Kentucky as there were
no options for new and expectant mothers within an hour's drive of
Clay County.
Kentucky Sees Growing Number of Drug-Dependent
Newborns
The rate of babies born in Kentucky addicted to drugs and alcohol is
climbing. In 2016, Kentucky's
Department of Public Health recorded 1,257 cases of neonatal
abstinence syndrome (NAS), representing more than 100 cases per
month. More than half of those babies required pharmacological
treatment.
Most mothers of NAS infants report their pregnancies were
unintentional, while 80 percent of these mothers already have other
children. Given the high rates of NAS – particularly in the eastern
part of the state – the need for addiction treatment options for
new and expectant mothers is particularly acute.
VOA Plans Treatment Program in Manchester
With WellCare's donation,
VOA plans to purchase, renovate and expand an existing facility in
Manchester to house up to 16 women
and their children. VOA will also offer a transitional intensive
outpatient program with subsidized housing and case management
supports. The new facility is expected to open in 2019.
New and expectant moms will be treated using evidence-based
clinical care guidelines, including assessment and treatment
planning; individual, group, and family therapy; case management
services; peer support; and aftercare for graduates of the
program.
"Few regions have been harder hit by the opioid epidemic than
eastern Kentucky," said
Rhonda Mims, executive vice
president and chief public affairs officer, WellCare, and president
of the WellCare Community Foundation. "We believe healthy people
begin with healthy communities. The WellCare Community Foundation
is proud to partner with VOA to help promote health, well-being and
quality of life for those struggling with addiction and the
communities in which they live across the commonwealth."
"Addiction impacts the health and well-being of entire families
– from irregular child care, missed doctor's appointments, lost
jobs or even homelessness," said William
Jones, WellCare's north division president and state
president for Kentucky. "We are
committed to helping our members access the right care and services
when they need them most. That's why we're thrilled to work with
VOA to offer greater access to convenient, accessible, quality
healthcare facilities and addiction support services in
Kentucky."
"At Volunteers of America, we follow the need. We are so
grateful for WellCare's help in bringing vital services to a
wonderful part of Kentucky that
has not received the service, care and investment it deserves and
needs to fight the opioid and addiction epidemic," said
Hancock. "With amazing partners like WellCare of Kentucky, we will help more moms overcome
addiction, reunite with their families, raise healthy babies and
start on the road to new lives."
"So many mothers with addictions continue to suffer because they
can't get the help they need," said Sen. Stivers. "We want to thank
WellCare for their generous donation and supporting VOA's new
treatment center, which will help more families get a fresh start,
establish healthy behaviors and create more stable
communities."
As of Dec. 31, 2018, WellCare
serves approximately 444,000 Medicaid members, 14,000 Medicare
Advantage plan members and 22,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
members in Kentucky. To learn more
about how we care for Kentuckians, watch Brandi's story at
http://youtu.be/YwOw5EgeSYo.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in
Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health
Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses primarily on providing
government-sponsored managed care services to families, children,
seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily
through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug
Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace.
WellCare serves approximately 5.5 million members nationwide as of
December 31, 2018. For more
information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at
www.wellcare.com.
About the WellCare Community Foundation
The WellCare Community Foundation was established in 2010 and is a
nonprofit, private foundation. Its mission is to foster and promote
the health, well-being and quality of life for the poor, distressed
and other medically underserved populations – including those who
are elderly, young and indigent – and the communities in which they
live. The WellCare Community Foundation carries out this mission by
supporting work that helps people live healthy, safe and productive
lives, and by assisting groups with serious and neglected health
needs. Underscoring this mission is the WellCare Community
Foundation's goal to serve as a national resource that fosters an
environment where there is a continuum of education, access and
quality health care, all of which improve the overall health,
well-being and quality of life of targeted beneficiaries.
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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.