ADVISORY/Forum Looks at the Impact of State and Federal Cultural and Linguistic Regulations on the Delivery of Health Care.

Business/News Editors & Health/Medical Writers

ADVISORY for Thursday (Sept. 20)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

WHAT:   A half-day forum on the federal and state regulations that
        were created to ensure that approximately 1 million Medi-Cal
        beneficiaries in Los Angeles County receive health care
        services from medical professionals and staff that speak their
        language and respect their cultural beliefs. The program will
        feature state and federal officials, and local experts in
        these issues.

WHO:    L.A. Care Health Plan, in partnership with UHP Healthcare,
        Tower Health, Maxicare, Community Health Plan, Care 1st Health
        Plan and Blue Cross of California, is sponsoring the event.

        Guest speakers include:

    --  Hector Flores, MD, co-director, Family Residency Program,
        White Memorial Medical Center

    --  Jean Gilbert, PhD, cultural competency consultant

    --  Karin H. Wang, JD, deputy regional director, Regional Office
        for Civil Rights, U.S. Health and Human Services Agency

    --  Greg Franklin, MHA, chief, Office of Multicultural Relations,
        California Department of Health Services

    --  Lorraine Brown, MS, MSPH, deputy director of benefits and
        quality monitoring, California Managed Risk Medical Insurance
        Board

WHEN:   Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001, from 8:30 a.m. to noon

WHERE:  Good Samaritan Hospital, 637 S. Lucas Ave., Los Angeles

ETC.:   L.A. Care Health Plan is a nonprofit, community-accountable
        HMO serving Los Angeles County with more than 700,000 members
        who receive coverage through Medi-Cal (Medicaid), Healthy
        Families (Children's Health Insurance Program) or the
        CaliforniaKids programs. L.A. Care is governed by 13 board
        members who represent medical and health care professionals,
        consumer advocates and Medi-Cal consumers. It is one of the
        state's largest health plans and the nation's largest public
        health plan.