For Immediate Release	Contact: Patricia Giramma
May 14, 2007	508-961-5272
	girammap@southcoast.org
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NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group recently became a contracted provider with Senior Whole Health (SWH) to deliver and coordinate care for low-income seniors. SWH is now accepted at all Southcoast locations.

Senior Whole Health is a new health care plan for people who are 65 years old or older who qualify for MassHealth and who live in the Senior Whole Health service area, which includes all of Massachusetts. People who are 65 or older who have both MassHealth and Medicare can also join Senior Whole Health.

"Like Southcoast Hospitals Group, Senior Whole Health has significant experience in and commitment to serving low income populations," said Melissa Rose, Director of Contracting & Reimbursement for Southcoast Hospitals Group. "This program will help us provide better care for these patients, from a simple taxi ride to and from offices to coordinating home-based services that keep members at home and in the least restrictive environment possible."

SWH offers comprehensive care, including preventive services, physician services, hospital care, pharmacy, home-based services, care in a nursing homes and many other services. Members choose a primary care doctor. Senior Whole Health nurse coordinators and service coordinators will work patients and doctors to determine what types of care and services are needed and preferred and will help arrange those services.

"SWH can provide many benefits to our patients and there are no premiums or co-payments for services or prescriptions," Rose said. "Their commitment to helping low-income seniors get the health care they need in the least complicated way possible made them a good match for Southcoast and its mission to care for the health of our community."

Senior Whole Health is a Senior Care Organization made available to members under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and MassHealth.

About Southcoast

Southcoast Health System, a not-for-profit charitable organization, is a community based health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of advanced health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes Southcoast Hospitals Group, formed in 1996 from the merger of Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

Southcoast has more than 40 ancillary facilities, including the Southcoast Health Van, home health care, hospice and infusion services, numerous outpatient medical services, an assisted living facility and a wellness center. For more information visit www.southcoast.org.

Southcoast is one of three community hospitals approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to perform open heart surgery and primary angioplasty beginning in Spring 2002.

Media Contact

Patricia Giramma
Phone: 508-961-5272
Pager: 978-859-6077
Fax: 508-961-5876
girammap@southcoast.org