Spotlight on provider partner Salud Para La Gente
June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and we are excited to feature the work of our provider partner, Salud Para La Gente (SPLG)! Dr. Devon Francis, Chief Medical Officer at SPLG, shares the importance of a holistic approach to health equity while caring for Monterey and Santa Cruz counties’ farmworker families. Get a closer look at the organization’s work developing Child Safety Plans. Read the full article on our website!
June 11 Depression Screening Lunch and Learn Webinar
Don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming Lunch and Learn! Visit the event page for registration and more information.
Encouraging men to seek preventive care
June is National Men’s Health Month. As part of our larger Care Can’t Wait campaign, the Alliance is underscoring how important it is for men to keep up with screenings, vaccines and checkups to prevent larger issues later. Preventive care is offered at no cost to Alliance members.
Mental health is also a key component in men’s health outcomes. Providers can support male patients by identifying concerns early, screening and referring to the appropriate resources.
Although stigma may prevent some men from seeking help, recognizing warning signs and accessing medical or mental health care can significantly improve well-being and quality of life.
Please join us in these efforts to improve outcomes for patients!
Preventive care resources
- Alliance Care-Based Incentive program: offers financial incentives for providers for a number of preventive care-related measures.
- Alliance Health and Wellness program: no-cost programs for members covering topics such as weight management, chronic conditions, diabetes and tobacco cessation. Learn more on our Health Education and Disease Management page.
- Immunization resources.
- Care Can’t Wait flyer.
Mental health
After age 60, men’s mental health is influenced by major life changes such as retirement, physical health issues and loss of loved ones. Depression and loneliness are common, but often underrecognized. Symptoms may appear as fatigue, irritability or physical complaints rather than sadness. Social isolation and reduced sense of purpose are key contributors.
Cognitive changes and anxiety are also important concerns. While mild memory decline is normal, some men develop more serious conditions like mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Anxiety can arise from health worries or fear of losing independence, and some may turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Protective factors include:
- Staying socially connected, physically active and mentally engaged.
- Maintaining a sense of purpose through hobbies or volunteering.
The Alliance directly manages mental health services for our members. You can learn more on our behavioral health page or submit an online referral for an Alliance member.
Caring for patients with PTSD: Screening and referral
June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, and June 27 is National PTSD Screening Day — an opportunity to partner with providers to identify trauma-related concerns early and support members’ access to care.
PTSD can impact both children and adults. In any given year, about 5 out of every 100 adults have PTSD. Women are more likely to have PTSD than men, and veterans are more likely to have PTSD than civilians (National Center for PTSD).
PTSD is treatable. Please consider routine PTSD and trauma screening when clinically appropriate, and review the following information on symptoms, screening and member resources.
Symptoms
- Nightmares.
- Intrusive memories.
- Flashbacks.
- Intense emotional distress.
- Irritability or aggression.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Avoidance.
- Hypervigilance.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Emotional numbing.
- Depression.
- Increased substance use.
Screening
Use brief, validated tools to support early identification
- PC-PTSD-5: a practical five-item screening tool for medical settings.
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Screening: The Alliance requires that providers use ACEs tools for trauma screening. Learn more about screening tips and incentives on our website.
Discuss the results
- Normalize the screening. Explain that a positive result or high score is not a diagnosis and ask permission to discuss next steps.
- Assess immediate safety concerns, offer referrals and document the plan.
- Provide educational materials. The U.S. Government Publishing Office provides free materials.
Refer for further assessment
- Use the Alliance’s Behavioral Health Provider Referral Form (preferred).
- Leave a voicemail for Alliance Care Management at 800-700-3874, ext. 5512.
Member resources
TotalCare on the airwaves and beyond!
856 members are now enrolled in TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)! As trusted providers, your conversations with patients play an important role in helping eligible individuals learn about TotalCare and how the plan’s benefits may support their health care needs. Patients may also have questions about the advertisements they see or hear in the community, so we are sharing some examples of our current outreach and brand awareness campaign efforts.
- Monthly direct mail materials to about 24,400 dual-eligible Alliance Medi-Cal members whose primary care providers are in the TotalCare network. The outreach continues to generate strong engagement.
- Radio ads in Merced County on KLOQ Radio LOBO and KYOS radio.
- TV ads: English and Spanish TV ads in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties on KSBW and Estrella. Ads are also running on connected TV and streaming platforms, including Roku, Sling, Univision, Paramount and YouTube.
- Ads on our Facebook page.
- Google paid search ads to drive traffic to a request to contact page. An agent will then follow up to provide more information about how TotalCare combines Medicare and Medi-Cal services in one plan.
Thank you to all our TotalCare providers for your continued partnership as we work together to improve access to coordinated care for members. If you have any questions, please contact your Provider Relations Representative.
If you are not contracted as a TotalCare provider yet, you can find out more on our website!
