HEALTHY FAMILIES: Management Changes May Increase Enrollment
Management changes made to the "problem-plagued" Healthy Families program "will open it up even further to residents of Claremont, Diamond Bar, La Verne, Pomona, San Dimas and other nearby Inland Valley communities," according to Donald Thomas, associate director of health services for Los Angeles County. "We're attempting to maximize what we consider a flawed program," he said. "The bedrock of problems that need to be looked into include organizational management, marketing and enrollment," he continued. The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports that in recent months "health officials have made management changes, implemented a 16-step marketing plan and developed strategies on how the program and its fee structure are described to potential applicants." In addition, health officials have "met with county school district officials to arrange the use of area schools as enrollment sites, sent staff members to Healthy Families seminars and increased enrollment." Additionally, Steven Escobosa, director of the county's Office of Managed Care, "was reassigned in the wake of" lower-than-expected enrollment rates. County Supervisor Gloria Molina said, "I'm hopeful we can get back on track."
Numbers Game
As of Tuesday, Thomas said "3,386 Los Angeles County children had been enrolled in the program, about one quarter of the state's total enrollment of 13,196." Approximately 300,000 county children are thought to be eligible for Healthy Families, according to the Daily Bulletin (Anderson, 9/23). Click Healthy Families for past CHL coverage of the program.