Precis subsidiary selling Care Entree programs in California

A subsidiary of Norman-based Precis, Care Entree, is now selling its non-insurance health care savings program in California.

Last month California's director of the Department of Managed Health Care, Daniel Zingale, rescinded an earlier opinion that had blocked the sale of such services without a license. The action allowed Care Entree to market its program to Californians. It is designed to help them save on visits to the doctor, prescriptions, hospital stays, dental needs, eye exams as well as many more related services.

The Care Entree programs are intended to provide reduced fees for patients while helping medical organizations receive accelerated payments. Because these are non-insurance solutions, there are no pre- existing condition limitations, no claim forms to complete and no waiting periods for most services (except hospitalization).

Precis is a national membership marketing company. Through its subsidiary Foresight, the company provides product enhancements in the form of club benefits to financial institutions, rental purchase dealers, consumer finance companies, retail outlets, employee groups and member-based associations.

Business

Unicare Health Plan of Oklahoma, a subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks, has opened its Oklahoma City Community Resource Center. Its multi-cultural outreach staff is assisted by a community advisory committee to help support Unicare's cultural and linguistic diversity among its plan programs. Unicare offers SoonerCare Plus programs in the central and southwest service areas of Oklahoma, serving more than 15,000 beneficiaries in the Oklahoma City service area and more than 21,000 throughout the state.

Education

The Oklahoma State University Center for Aerospace and Hyperbaric Medicine in Tulsa has acquired a CAT-II flight simulator from Environmental Tectonics Corp. of Southhampton, Pa. The center will use the device to train civilian pilots on spatial disorientation during flight.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center's Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, the OU College of Nursing, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network have produced CHAIN, the state's Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Information Network (http://chain.ouhsc.edu). It was funded by the National Library of Medicine.

"As far as we know, there is not a Web site like this that specifically targets Oklahoma," said Shari Clifton, assistant professor and head of reference and instructional services at Robert M. Bird library.

People

Ute Hochgschwender, an associate member of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's developmental biology program, has received a $65,000 grant from the Edward Mallinkrodt Jr. Foundation. He will use the grant to continue studying the genetics of obesity.

Now directing nursing at Epworth Villa's Susanna Wesley Center is Lynda McKenney. The graduate of the University of Texas and Texas Women's University also will oversee the entire center in the administrator's absence.

Mark Hoffman is the new vice president of group marketing, east, for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma in Tulsa. The graduate of Columbia University is a 25-year industry veteran.

Marinell Guild, assistant professor of nutritional sciences in the OU Health College of Allied Health, has been honored by the American Dietetic Association as the 2001 Outstanding Dietetics Educator for Area IV. Guild also received the 2001 Oklahoma Dietetic Association Award for Outstanding Educator, which qualified her for the ADA honor. Guild is director of Oklahoma's only coordinated dietetics program, which integrates classroom learning and clinical experience. For the past 10 years, graduates of the program have attained a 93 percent pass rate on the dietetics registry exam.

Yukon pharmacist James Osborn has been elected president of the OU College of Pharmacy Alumni Association. Duncan's Robert Richardson III is president-elect, Dani Lynch of Piedmont is its secretary and Edmond's Brooke Van Horn is treasurer.

Laura L. Cross, a director of the Oklahoma City law firm Day, Edwards, Propester & Christensen, will discuss the legal implications of end-of-life care in three presentations this month: on Thursday with the Chickasaw National Health System, on Monday at the 2001 Summer Judicial Conference in Shangri La, and July 19 at Bone & Joint Hospital. On Friday, she will discuss approaches to advance planning at the State Department of Health's Adult Protective Services quarterly meeting.

Events

At 1 p.m. Thursday, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority will hold its monthly meeting at the Northeastern State University College of Optometry in Tahlequah. Among the agenda items are discussions on conflict of interest rules and Medicaid coverage.

Etc.

Sooner Health>>>On the Go has several community education programs on tap this month, with topics ranging from diabetes and health insurance options to pain and foot care. For details, call 942-8500.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience will present a panel discussion on "The Brain and Emotion" at the Westminster Presbyterian Church. For details, call 271-6267.

Kirby Lee Davis welcomes your comments and contributions. You may reach him by phone at 278-2843, by fax at 278-2890 or by e-mail, kdavis

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