SANTA ANA, Calif., April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH), a subsidiary of Cypress, Calif.-based PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. , announced the 100 winners of the company's second-annual Lambert Award.
The PacifiCare Behavioral Health Lambert Award recognizes clinicians and multi-specialty practice groups in the national PBH network who demonstrate superior therapeutic outcomes with PBH members. There are twice as many Lambert Award winners as there were last year.
The Lambert Award is named in honor of Michael Lambert, Ph.D., for his landmark work in the area of psychotherapy outcomes research.
This year's winners include 90 individual clinicians and 10 multi-specialty practice groups in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. All demonstrated superior clinical results with PBH members, based on the company's unique and proprietary outcomes management system called ALERT(R) (ALgorithms for Effective Reporting and Treatment).
More than 7,000 individual clinicians and 100 group practices submitted ALERT patient surveys in 2003 for more than 125,000 patients, a dramatic increase over the 14,000 patients participating during the program's phased implementation in 1999 and 2000.
"This year's Lambert Award recipients exemplify PacifiCare Behavioral Health's fundamental objective, which is to show that our services help make a difference in people's lives," said Jerry Vaccaro, M.D., president and chief executive officer of PacifiCare Behavioral Health. "Whether they're individual clinicians or group practices, this year's award winners have demonstrated their commitment to improving patient treatment and results by using the ALERT system. Because a greater number of clinicians and groups are voluntarily using ALERT, we were able to increase the number of winners over last year."
"The Lambert Award is our way of publicly recognizing those who not only champion the value of measuring clinical progress, but also have achieved superior clinical results with their patients," said Edward Jones, Ph.D., vice president of clinical operations for PacifiCare Behavioral Health and director of the ALERT program. "ALERT is available to all clinicians and group practices in our network today, and our goal is to have everyone in our network use this tool."
ALERT relies on clinicians having their patients complete a simple 30-question, confidential survey -- called a Life Status Questionnaire (LSQ) -- at multiple points during therapy. Completed LSQs are electronically transmitted, scored and compared with clinician assessments, as well as to a large, normative database. The surveys provide 'real-time' insight into patient progress during treatment. LSQs also identify overlooked 'high-risk' issues (such as suicidal thinking or chemical dependency) that are reported back to clinicians so that they can be addressed in the next therapy session. The LSQ is a validated instrument developed by Dr. Lambert and Gary Burlingame, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University
"The LSQ tool has been very useful in adding to our assessment of patients and in identifying problems quickly so that they can be addressed," said William G. Lee, Ph.D., director of Solutions Counseling & Consultation Services with offices in Bethlehem and Allentown, Pa. "The ALERT system helps foster better communication between patients, providers and PBH. We have found that it is one example of how PacifiCare Behavioral Health is attuned to patients and quality care."
"PacifiCare Behavioral Health is the only health plan I work with because of its excellent communication and follow-up," said Karen Krestensen, MFT, therapy practice owner in Santa Cruz, Calif. "I have come to appreciate the LSQ tool, and I have found the ALERT system most helpful in my work with patients."
This year's awardees include: Clinicians Northern California Arthur Baker, LMFT Modesto Geraldine Banks, MFT Modesto Nancy Bascom, LMFT Grass Valley Sharon Booth, LCSW Cameron Park Reva Camiel, Ph.D., MFT Sacramento Rosalie Chaffee, MA, MFT Grand Terrace Jacquelyn Church, MFT Fresno Sandra Neumann Cohen, Ph.D. San Francisco Carol Cross, MFT Citrus Heights Marie Derrick, MFT Manteca Lori Feldman, LCSW San Francisco Rose Gee, MFT Elk Grove Kathleen Hare, LCSW Nevada City Barbara Israels, MFT Modesto Elaine Iwanski, MFT Sacramento Karen Krestensen, MFT Scotts Valley Darrol Lyon, MFT Chico Gary Malone, MFT Fresno Milciades Morales, LCSW Antioch Mary Pyke, MFT Millbrae Hilliard Rogers, MFT Sacramento Karen Sanders, LCSW Kentfield Ann-Catrin Van, Ph.D. Davis Katharine Wilson, MFT Santa Clara Paul Woodrum, MFT Modesto Central/Southern California Bruria Alon, MFT Thousand Oaks June Argo, MA, MFT San Clemente David Atkins, MFT Bakersfield Carol Cole, LCSW Huntington Beach David Condiff, Ph.D. Glendora Thomas Delaney, Ph.D. San Dimas John Derenski, MFT Encino Sheila Dobbs, Ph.D. Laguna Hills David Forden, MFT Bakersfield Joel Foxman, Ph.D. Rolling Hills Estates Ginger Gabriel, MFT Crestline Margaret Gannon, MFT Bakersfield Paul Gardner, Ph.D., MFT San Diego Marilyn Gottdank, MFT San Clemente Sherry Hutchins, MFT Long Beach John Jay, MFT Long Beach Ethel Katz, MFT Bakersfield Peggy L. Knodel, MFT Temecula Debra K. Kresch, LCSW, MFT Encinitas William LaForge, Ph.D. Temecula Kate Levy, LCSW Newhall Fern Lippert, MA, MFCC Calabasas Bonnie K. Lipton, LMFT Palm Desert Lowell Lueck, MFT, PPSC Bakersfield Loretta McBride, RNMN, MFT Los Angeles Rick McCarthy, MFT Torrance Janice Meshkoff, MFT Cambria David Middleton, Ph.D. Bellflower Linda Owen, MFT Santa Monica Kirby Palmer, LCSW San Bernardino Jeanie Price, LMFT Pasadena Barbara Rock, MFT San Pedro Dorothy Ross, MFT Granada Hills Thomas Runyan, LCSW Newhall Vicki Salvin, LCSW Palm Springs Cary Schwartz, MFT Simi Valley Harry Shuster, MFT Covina Nancy Silbert, LCSW Torrance Jacqueline Sorenson-McDaniel, MFT Long Beach Gaius Steiner, Ph.D. Hacienda Heights Nicole Stelter, MFT Long Beach Ann Tarlow, MFT Valencia Elizabeth S. Taylor, Ph.D. Burbank Christine Valdez, MFT Carlsbad Teresa Wilshin, MFT Dana Point Colorado Beverly Brauer, PsyD Aurora Judith Catlett, LPC Denver Gail Crowley, LPC Fort Collins Glenn Gravelle, Ph.D. Denver Marta McKay, LPC Colorado Springs Brenda O'Reilly, Ph.D. Fort Collins Vicki Robbins, LCSW Denver Martin J. Smith, PsyD Denver Oregon Carol A. Carver, Ph.D. Corvallis Sarah Deeby, LPC Portland Barbara Kennedy, LPC Portland Gary W. MacKendrick, LPC Forest Grove Gail Marten, LCSW Portland Elsbeth Martindale, Ph.D. Portland Glenn Maynard, LPC Portland Mary McNassar, PsyD Portland New Mexico Nancy Haverkos, LPCC Los Alamos Thomas Steward, LICSW Los Alamos Texas Nitza I. Tolfa, LPC Grandview Oklahoma Anita Walker, LPC Oklahoma City Group Practices California Helping Hand Counseling San Diego Desert Behavioral Health Apple Valley Inland Psychiatric Medical Group Redlands PsyCare Inc. San Diego Riverside Psychiatric Medical Group Riverside Colorado Westside Behavioral Care Inc. Lakewood Oklahoma The Holloway Group Oklahoma City Oregon Western Psychological & Counseling Clackamas Texas South Texas Behavioral Medicine San Antonio Pennsylvania Solutions Counseling & Consultation Bethlehem About PacifiCare Behavioral Health
PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH) provides mental health, chemical dependency and employee assistance services to covered members and maintains a national network of behavioral health care practitioners. All three PBH Service Centers hold three-year, Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the most comprehensive and rigorous accrediting body for managed behavioral health care organizations. PacifiCare Behavioral Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems, with clients including health plans, union trust funds, employers, school districts, and public sector agencies. More information on PacifiCare Behavioral Health can be obtained at http://www.pbhi.com/.
About PacifiCare Health Systems
PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation's largest consumer health organizations with more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 9 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Currently, more than 99 percent of PacifiCare's commercial health plan members are enrolled in plans that have received Excellent Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). PacifiCare's specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy and medical management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/.
For further information please contact: Dagmar King of PacifiCare Behavioral Health, +1-714-445-0453, dagmar.king@phs.com, or Dan Miller of PacifiCare Health Systems, +1-714-226-3726, dan.miller@phs.com.
PacifiCare Behavioral HealthCONTACT: Dagmar King of PacifiCare Behavioral Health, +1-714-445-0453,dagmar.king@phs.com, or Dan Miller of PacifiCare Health Systems,+1-714-226-3726, dan.miller@phs.com
