PRESBYbulletin -- November 1 by Penn Medicine

Volume 8

Issue 22

November 1, 2013

PRESBYbulletin Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

National Recovery Month

THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKE OUT Make November 21 Your Quit Day!

In recognition of September’s National Recovery Month, staff from PPMC’s Addition Treatment Services last month hosted an information table outside the Atwood Cafeteria to spread the word about treatment services offered at the hospital for patients and their families. A national observance, Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System is proud to join the American Cancer Society in promoting the Great American Smoke Out on Thursday, November 21, 2013! Did you know that tobacco use is the single-most preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States? In fact, tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in this country.

Recovery Month highlights individuals who have reclaimed their lives and are living happy and healthy lives in long-term recovery and also honors the prevention, treatment, and recovery service providers who make recovery possible.

This year you can earn Healthy Reward points for joining the Great American Smoke Out challenge in the Healthy Rewards site and quitting for the day OR supporting a loved one or coworker quit for the day.

For more information on our addiction services, please call 215.662.8793.

A beacon of hope in the heart of West Philadelphia, faculty and staff at PPMC’s Addiction Treatment Services offer a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services for mental health and addiction treatments. Penn Presbyterian’s dedicated staff offer specialized programs for alcohol and narcotics addition, HIV prevention, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, family education, anger management and more.

To learn more about the FREE UPHS Tobacco Cessation Program (for employees and dependents covered under a medical plan) through Health Advocate call 1.866.695.8622 and check out additional resources on the UPHS HR and You Wellfocused website under the Tobacco Cessation – Quit Smoking section. Please see the Presby Bulletin online for direct links.

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4th Biennial Symposium – Cultural Competence November 4-5 Delivering on the Promise of Justice, Equity and Equality, the topic for the upcoming two-day 4th biennial symposium on cultural competence, will address the concepts of health disparities, equity and equality. Speakers will discuss cultural competence as it relates to eliminating health disparities, and promoting a welcoming and respectful healthcare environment for vulnerable and unique populations.

APPEARANCE IDENTITY CONFERENCE Looks DO matter; experts explain why – November 2 & 3 Join Penn’s Center for Human Appearance and international experts for a discussion about issues of self and identity, the impact of appearance on individual and corporate success, medical advances in facial aesthetics, as well as ethical and psychological considerations regarding appearance interventions. Please see the e-Bulletin for a direct link to register today!

Topics and areas of focus include: women, the LGBT community, behavioral health issues, health literacy, and health disparities. Program participants will leave the symposium with new knowledge and skills to practice and lead cultural competence in the clinical setting. Please see the Presby Bulletin online for a program schedule, fees and registration information.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Health Plan Benefits Dependent Eligibility Audit At the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) we are committed to providing affordable health care benefits for all employees and their eligible dependents. One way to ensure we effectively spend our benefits dollars and provide an equal level of benefit to all employees is to verify that we are only paying the expenses of eligible dependents as specified in the UPHS Summary Plan Description. UPHS has decided to partner with Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) to conduct a Dependent Eligibility Audit. ADP will work as a third-party contractor to verify the eligibility of all dependents covered under a UPHS Health plan. The audit is scheduled to occur from November 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. In a couple of weeks, ADP will directly correspond with those employees who are currently covering dependents on a UPHS Health plan requesting the documentation necessary to verify eligibility of covered dependents. If you are not covering a dependent on a UPHS Health plan no action is required. UPHS Benefits Department