[November 20, 2014]

SCAN Health Plan Professional Among Elite Group Selected for Prestigious Leadership Program

Sarah Bellefleur, MSW, MHA, a strategic project professional at SCAN Health Plan, has been named one of just ten healthcare executives nationwide to participate in the second cohort of Practice Change Leaders for Aging and Health. This prestigious national program is designed to develop, support and expand the influence of organizational leaders who are committed to achieving "transformative improvements" in the care for older adults.

Bellefleur was selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, each of whom currently hold a leadership role in a healthcare delivery organization, health-related institution, or community-based organization with direct responsibility for care that impacts older adults.

"Sarah's selection speaks to her unique expertise and strong commitment toward improving the healthcare experience for seniors," said Eve Gelb, senior vice president of healthcare services at SCAN. "Now she joins a collegial network of healthcare professionals who share a commitment to improving health and healthcare outcomes in older adults."

Through the 15-month Practice Change Leaders program, participants will implement a new geritric service line or aging program, and receive support from local and national mentors to further develop their leadership skills. Bellefleur's project focuses on substance abuse in the elderly population, a growing and underserved issue. Bellefleur is developing a program to be implemented at Independence at Home, a community service division of SCAN, that emphasizes education and early intervention for older adults with identified substance misuse and abuse issues.

Since joining SCAN in 2003, Bellefleur has been promoted to various positions within the organization including care manager, clinical project specialist, and special needs plan manager. In her current leadership role as strategic project professional, Bellefleur leads integration and collaboration efforts with providers, vendors and research partners as well as actively managing projects aimed to improve healthcare delivery and quality outcomes. Prior to SCAN she was a hospice social worker and discharge planner for frail seniors.

Bellefleur earned a master's degree in healthcare administration at California State University, Long Beach, and a master's degree in social work/families and aging at California State University, Los Angeles. She holds a bachelor's degree in social work from Central Connecticut State University.

The Practice Change Leaders program is made possible by the generous support of the Atlantic Philanthropies, a limited life foundation, and the John A. Hartford Foundation. The program is under the direction of Eric A. Coleman, M.D., and Nancy Whitelaw, Ph.D. To learn more about the program, please visit www.changeleaders.org.

SCAN Health Plan is one of the nation's largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans currently serving 170,000 members in California and Arizona. Further information may be obtained at scanhealthplan.com or on Facebook (News - Alert) at facebook.com/scanhealthplan.

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