FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2010
Network Health Chief Medical Officer Receives Health Champion Award
Network Health’s Pano Yeracaris honored for empowering men to take charge of their health
(Medford, Mass.) — Network Health, a Massachusetts health plan that provides high-quality health care coverage to more than 160,000 Massachusetts residents with low and moderate incomes, announced today that Whittier Street Health Center’s Men’s Health Collaborative bestowed its 2010 Health Champion Award to Dr. Pano Yeracaris, Network Health’s vice president and chief medical officer.
“Network Health is thrilled that Whittier Street Health Center has recognized Pano as a leader in promoting men’s health and securing healthier futures for Massachusetts residents,” said Christina Severin, president of Network Health. “Pano personifies Network Health’s mission by leading a clinical team that is dedicated to providing the best possible care for our members and improving the health of the diverse communities in which they live.”
Whittier Street Health Center’s Health Champion Award recognizes individuals for outstanding leadership in promoting men’s health in urban environments. Dr. Yeracaris will receive the award during this year’s Men’s Health Summit on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at the YMCA Roxbury in Roxbury, Mass. The event will feature keynote speaker Madieu Williams, a member of the Minnesota Vikings professional football team.
Under Dr. Yeracaris’ clinical leadership, Network Health has built a strong partnership with the Whittier Street Health Center’s Men’s Health Collaborative, which connects at-risk populations to primary care providers to address health outcome disparities. By mobilizing men of diverse backgrounds to maximize health opportunities and resources, at-risk populations can improve their health and the health of their families and communities.
Dr. Yeracaris is responsible for Network Health’s clinical affairs team, which includes medical management, behavioral health, social care management, integrated care management, pharmacy services, and quality. He also oversees Network Health’s clinical programs for members with chronic and acute medical conditions and special needs, such as asthma, diabetes, and physical disabilities, and the plan’s population wellness programs. Additionally, Dr. Yeracaris remains directly involved in men’s health by practicing primary care at his primary care practice at East Cambridge Health Center in Cambridge, Mass.
Prior to Network Health, Dr. Yeracaris served as chief medical officer of Health Services Partnership of Dorchester, Mass. and as medical director for its two member health centers; served for 13 years as physician leader at Health Care Plan in Buffalo, NY; was an assistant clinical professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine; and worked as a consultant for Capital University of Medical Sciences in Beijing, China and for a USAID Managed Care Project in Zimbabwe through the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Yeracaris earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University. He earned his medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Yeracaris is board certified in family medicine and is a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School.
About Network Health
Since 1997, Network Health has provided access to high-quality health care to Massachusetts residents with low and moderate incomes. Based in Medford, Mass., Network Health is a comprehensive health plan serving members through its Network Health Together® (MassHealth) and Network Health Forward® (Commonwealth Care) plans.
Network Health provides its Network Health Together members with all the benefits of MassHealth, plus additional free and discounted benefits. Network Health’s Commonwealth Care plan extends access to affordable health care for qualified Massachusetts residents 19 years or older who earn at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or up to approximately $32,496 a year for an individual (up to approximately $66,156 a year for a family of four). In addition to core health care benefits, Network Health offers its Network Health Forward members extra benefits designed to encourage wellness.
Network Health is nationally recognized for its integrated model of care, which provides a team of in-house medical, mental health, social service, and pharmacy professionals to coordinate the care of members with complex health needs and address their nonmedical barriers to care. In its efforts to improve the health and well-being of its members and their diverse communities, Network Health partners with a growing network of nearly 18,000 primary care providers, specialists, hospitals, and community organizations to serve members in more than 300 cities and towns across Massachusetts.
Individuals must be eligible for MassHealth to join Network Health Together, a MassHealth plan. To learn about MassHealth eligibility, Massachusetts residents can contact the MassHealth Enrollment Center at 888-665-9993 (TTY: 888-665-9997), Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Once enrolled, MassHealth members can learn about their MassHealth health plan options by calling the MassHealth Customer Service Center at 800-841-2900 (TTY: 800-497-4648), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn about Commonwealth Care health plan options, call the Commonwealth Care Customer Service Center at 877-MA-ENROLL or 877-623-6765 (TTY: 877-623-7773), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Or visit www.mahealthconnector.org.
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