ST. LOUIS, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today that it has convened a group of medical, non-profit and community leaders to form the Centene Health Disparities Task Force. The task force will further enhance Centene’s leadership and commitment to ensuring underserved populations have access to quality healthcare.
“Centene has served vulnerable communities for more than three decades, and we have a long-standing commitment to support these populations during their time of need,” said Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO of Centene. “We have seen first-hand how the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated disparities in healthcare access and outcomes among vulnerable populations, and we are committed to finding ways to narrow this gap. We are proud to pull together top leaders from across the country to assist and advise us on this effort.”
The Task Force will meet on a regular basis to provide advice and recommendations to Centene through the pandemic and beyond. The group will act in an advisory capacity to Centene to do the following:
- Study the causes of healthcare disparities among the most vulnerable during the COVID- 19 pandemic and recommend actions to address such disparities.
- Recommend improvements in Centene policies and practices to further address healthcare disparities among the most vulnerable.
- Perform outreach to key leaders in impacted areas to ensure all stakeholders are informed, educated, and empowered to address disparities. This outreach will include members, providers, community leaders, non-proit organizations, tribal governments, and government officials.
The task force will initially include the following leaders and will expand with future appointments:
Dr. Nelson Adams, MD Former President National Medical Association
Dr. Reed Tuckson, MD Managing Director, Tuckson Health Connections &
Former Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs United Healthcare
Dr. Michael Brooks, MD CEO, Family Health Centers of Georgia
Dr. Elena Rios, MD CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association
Kelly Buckland, Executive Director, National Council of Independent Living
The. Hon. Rex Lee Jim, Former Vice President, Navajo Nation
Cassandra Jennings, President and CEO, Greater Sacramento Urban League
Dr. Aletha Maybank, MD American Medical Association Chief Health Equity Oficer Marvin Lindsey, CEO of Community Behavioral Health Association
Dr. Takeisha Davis, MD CEO, New Orleans East Hospital
About Centene Corporation
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The company takes a local approach – with local brands and local teams – to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high- quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts
with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.
Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene’s investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/
