Partnership HeathPlan of California, Your Managed Care Plan

Partnership HealthPlan of California (PHC) is a non-profit, community-based health care organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits through local care providers to ensure Medi-Cal recipients have access to comprehensive, cost-effective care. PHC provides high-quality health care to over 600,000 individuals in 14 counties, including Mendocino County.

PHC is a County Organized Health System (COHS) Plan, which means it is a public plan that is sensitive and responsive to the health care needs of its members and encourages community involvement and participation on PHC advisory committees.

Partnership’s approach to health care is looking at the whole person and their health. Their Population Health Department works to keep the Community Resource Pages updated with local information and resources to help members with the things that aren’t health care related. These pages are comprised of 25 different categories ranging from Children and Family Resources, Re-Entry Resources, to Public Assistance Resources, and everything in between. The pages are a great resource for members and community partners alike; if you’re a community partner and would like your agency’s information listed, please send an email to PopHealthOutreach@partnershiphp.org.

Partnership’s mission is “to help our members, and the communities we serve, be healthy,” and it is truly something PHC keeps in mind every day when working with members. PHC’s Care Coordination Department has a robust team of nurse case managers, licensed clinical social workers, medical social workers, and health care guides who are available for members to contact whenever they need extra support. This department can help with a variety of levels of care, everything from assisting with basic access needs and general case management to transitions of care and complex case management. All of these services are available to members Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be accessed by calling (800) 809-1350 or community partners can refer by filling out the referral form online. Additionally, PHC’s transportation specialists in the Care Coordination Department are available to help coordinate rides for members who don’t have another way of getting to a Medi-Cal covered appointment and work alongside MTM Transportation staff to get transportation set up for members in an effective manner.

“Partnership’s Amanda Bernal, Health Educator, and Cynthia VanNostrand, Community Outreach Representative, at Family Day at the Park on August 7, 2021. The event was put on by Solano County’s Breast Feeding Coalition at Andrews Park in Vacaville, CA.”

An important program offered to pregnant Partnership members is the Growing Together Program. This is an incentive program centered on perinatal care and has recently expanded to focus on well-baby health. The program offers $25 gift card incentives for pregnant members who attend their prenatal and postpartum visits and additional $25 gift cards for the baby attending well-child visits with their provider. PHC encourages anyone working with pregnant members to refer them to this program, as it is an extra level of support and beneficial to all. Members can also self-refer by calling (855) 798-8764.

Partnership’s Health Education Team works to create the Population Needs Assessment, or PNA, every year for the organization and the counties they serve. The PNA identifies member health statuses and gaps in services related to these issues. It also serves as a helpful tool for community partners to delve into the demographics, social determinants of health, and quantitative data of PHC members. The assessment is updated annually and available to the public on the Partnership HealthPlan website.

Partnership HealthPlan of California’s main goal is to help its members, and the communities it serves, be healthy. For PHC, the mission is more like a motto, as it is interwoven into everything it does on a daily basis and is the core of its existence. Partnership’s Care Coordination Department, Growing Together Program, and Population Needs Assessment are just a few of the ways that PHC  work to ensure it lives out that mission. To learn more about Partnership, and the work it does, please visit the PHC website, www.partnershiphp.org.

Nicole Curreri is a Community Outreach Representative within PHC’s Population Health Department. She has been with the organization for a little over two years and covers the counties of Sonoma, Marin, Mendocino, and portions of Lake. Nicole focuses on finding resources within those counties, as well as attending community collaborative meetings and fostering relationships with community partners. She is passionate about population health, community health, and helping people. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Health to have the ability to do more within the public health field and for Partnership’s members.