Press Release

YWCA Boston and Neighborhood Health Plan Team Up to Keep Boston Women Healthy

Boston, MA - February, 2010 - More than 40 Neighborhood Health Plan (NHP) employees and YWCA Boston staff recently partnered in an unprecedented volunteer effort to support YWCA Boston with its new Woman-to-Woman outreach program, designed to encourage women to be proactive with their breast health.

With technical and administrative support from NHP's corporate headquarters, volunteers staffed phone banks and, over the course of two hours, reached to out to more than 1,000 Boston women to encourage them to get an annual physical exam and mammogram. In addition to personal reminders about upcoming annual exams, dozens of women were connected to health resources to assist with their most immediate health needs and concerns.

A long-time sponsor of the YWCA Boston, Neighborhood Health Plan has recently increased its support of the organization's mission. "The health and wellness missions that both Neighborhood Health Plan and YWCA Boston pursue are closely aligned," said Deborah C. Enos, President and CEO of NHP, who also joined in the volunteer effort as a caller. "Together our organizations can team up to conduct outreach efforts focused on prevention and education to improve the lives of those women whose health needs are often underserved and who are most vulnerable in our communities. We are thrilled to be forging an even stronger commitment to the partnership we have established with YWCA Boston in addressing key health initiatives."

"We are deeply appreciative of the growing support and involvement of Neighborhood Health Plan with our women's health programs," said YWCA Boston President & Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Ferrell-Jones. "With significant health disparities affecting the well-being of many of Boston's lower-income women, this cross-sector collaboration is an excellent example of how we can all work together to improve women's health."

Pam Siren, Vice President of Quality & Compliance at NHP, and a key coordinator and participant of the phone-a-thon, ensures the health plan's focus in meeting and exceeding quality of care standards for members. "Despite continued improvements that we are making, data shows that black and African American women still receive timely breast cancer screenings less often than other groups. This phone-a-thon is one step we're taking in our overall efforts to improve health equity in Massachusetts, not only for members, but for the community at large."

Founded in 1866 as America's first YWCA, YWCA Boston annually provides health outreach and education to more than 3,000 Boston residents. The organization also provides girls health, financial literacy and interracial dialogues programs as part of its mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Neighborhood Health Plan (NHP) provides health care programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid, through small business employer groups, and through Massachusetts' ground-breaking health care reform. Founded in 1986 by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and the Greater Boston Forum for Health Action, NHP serves nearly 200,000 members statewide and has been recognized as a national leader in care for medically complex and severely disabled populations.

Media Contact: Rhian Gregory - Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications - Neighborhood Health Plan - 617-620-0517