Despite torrential rainfall that almost made it easier to navigate Kensington Avenue by kayak rather than car, Health Partners Plans (HPP), a hospital-owned, not-for-profit managed care health organization, opened a new and improved Community Outreach Office on Wed., April 30. Located at 826 E. Allegheny Ave. in a historic bank building, this new location provides a larger space for the organization to offer service to its members and the community.

To celebrate HPP’s new location, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in the morning. Those who trudged through the rain in order to attend included William George, HPP President and CEO,  various HPP staff members , community leaders and representatives from the Department of Public Welfare and Medicaid Health Plans of America. Citations were also presented to HPP on behalf of Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and State Representative Angel Cruz.

“I hope we didn’t ruin anybody’s shoes getting you into the building!” George said, addressing the crowd in attendance. “We’ve actually been serving this area for years—we did have an office down here at 1829 E. Allegheny. Although we moved a very short distance, it does reflect some very large changes in our company as we are growing like crazy.”

HPP currently serves more than 187,000 members in the Greater Philadelphia Area—what equates to roughly 1-in-9 Philadelphians. It provides health coverage options through Health Partners Medicare, Health Partners for Medicaid recipients and its KidzPartners, HPP’s CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) plans. According to George, HPP Medicare Advantage Plan had an enrollment of 1,500 new members in its first year, a number that has now reached 3,500 and is expected to double again by year’s end. George explained that these numbers are significant because most other plans reach enrollment numbers of only 100 in their first year. A large concentration of these members also happens to live in the Kensington area—hence the apparent need for a Community Outreach Office.

“A while ago, we started getting a lot of enrollments from this area and we have a couple of key providers, doctors and hospitals in the area,” Lovell Harmon, Senior Vice President of Business Development at HPP, said. “That’s why this is an ideal community for us, an ideal situation. By putting this office here in the middle of the community, we give people not just the opportunity to enroll, but to get their questions answered, get the services that they need.”

These services will include health screenings, weekly computer training classes, health and wellness workshops and demonstrations, ranging from fitness and prenatal care to men’s health and diabetes management, Zumba classes and onsite member relations representatives available for one-on-one information sessions.

“Our focus is on our members having a wonderful experience,” George said. “We want them to be happy, we want them to go see their doctor and we want their doctor to be happy seeing a Heath Partners Plan member. If members see the doctor and take care themselves, they get better. And that’s part of our mission: improving health outcomes.”

Along with the ribbon cutting, HPP’s also held its first Chopper Check event of the year. Done in partnership with St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, Chopper Check brings a fully equipped mobile dental clinic— the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile van— to children in underserved communities. Children can have their teeth checked and treated in their own neighborhood and at no cost to them.

“I want to ask people to get engaged,” George said. “For so many people with health challenges, they allow their challenge to manage them when in fact you can manage it. If you can successfully manage your disease then you can take your life back. Come on in and we’ll give you ideas on how to manage your disease and make your life better, that’s what we are all about.”

Stop by and visit Health Partners’ new office at 826 E. Allegheny Avenue.  You can also visit their website at www.healthpartnersplans.com.