Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri Wins Best of Blue Award for Diabetes Coalition Efforts.

ST. LOUIS -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri (BCBSMo) recently received a Best of Blue Award from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) for its partnership with the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition. Sharon Hoffarth, M.D., medical director, accepted the award on behalf of BCBSMo at an association conference.

BCBSMo's partnership with the Diabetes Coalition received recognition in the Innovations in Quality Improvement Partnerships award category. BCBSMo partnered with the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition, International Diabetes Center and SSM DePaul Medical Group to implement effective, member-directed interventions to help diabetics in Missouri.

"Research indicates that 65 percent of patients prefer to receive diabetes education at their physician's office and that only 45 percent had received any within the last year," said Hoffarth of a September 2001 survey by the St. Louis Diabetes Coalition. "Our collaborative program is designed to increase patient education and standardize physician guidelines with the intent of improving patient care."

The member organizations of the coalition have collaborated to improve diabetes awareness, education and adherence to standards of care, implementing a number of member- and provider-directed initiatives. Patient outreach has included health fairs, charitable walks and community events. Provider initiatives have included standardized practice guidelines disseminated to physicians statewide, community- and employer-based education workshops and physician training to develop practice-based diabetes care and education programs.

"BCBSMo is dedicated to providing the community with the best health education and resources to help people lead healthier lives," continues Hoffarth. "We are very honored to be recognized for community outreach efforts."

Expert jurors who are independent of the Blues System and BCBSA selected the winning entries. BCBSMo was one of eight Best in Blue Award winners this year. The BCBSA received more than 100 award entries. In 2000, BCBSMo received two Best of Blues awards, one for the company's work with the diabetes coalition and one for the company's asthma program.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri serves more than 1.1 million medical members and is the oldest and largest health benefits company in Missouri. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri is an operating subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., the nation's largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company serving the health care needs of approximately 28 million medical members nationally. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri is independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and can be found on the web at www.bcbsmo.com

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri is the name RightCHOICE Managed Care Inc. (RIT) uses to do business in most of Missouri. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Company (HALIC) and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. HMO Missouri, Inc. does business as BlueCHOICE. RightCHOICE and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. RightCHOICE, HMO Missouri, Inc. and HALIC are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.