Care Choices Receives Gold Pinnacle Award for its Comprehensive Quit Tobacco Program

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – Care Choices recently won two prestigious awards from the Michigan Association of Health Plans (MAHP). Based on Care Choices HMO Quit Tobacco Program, they received the Gold Pinnacle Award for the top overall entry for exemplary best practice. They also received First Place in the Health Care Programs Category. Care Choices was selected over 37 other entries that were submitted to MAHP. MAHP established an annual award program this year for Managed Care Organizations for Best Practices in three categories: Business Administration/Operation, Health Care Programs, and Community Outreach/Partnerships. A Gold, Silver and Bronze Award are given for overall top three entries, and a First, Second and Third Place winner within each category.

"Care Choices is very proud of this award, it shows our strong commitment to helping our members stay healthy. We understand smoking is a complex habit and that every individual responds to a cessation program in their own way," said Dr. Michael Baker, Chief Medical Officer for Care Choices. Care Choices HMO has been providing this comprehensive Quit Tobacco Program to its members since 1997. The 12-month program is offered free to all Care Choices HMO members. Care Choices HMO’s commitment to working with smokers, even if they are not quite ready to quit, differentiates this program from other tobacco cessation programs. Each person who enrolls in the program talks with a trained counselor to discuss their smoking habit and determine which program is right for them. Program participants choose from one of several convenient quit options – telephone counseling, a group class, a self-directed program or a program specially designed for pregnant women. People who enroll in the program are also eligible for coverage of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and/or Zyban.

Care Choices is a non-profit health care organization and a subsidiary of Trinity Health-Michigan, one of the nations leading providers of health care services. Since 1986, Care Choices HMO has been providing quality health care to thousands of members throughout Michigan. Care Choices offers a broad, fully integrated network of physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals all sharing a strong commitment to improving the health status of the communities we serve by delivering effective and affordable healthcare.