PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Inc. - Lambert Press Release

Behavioral Practitioners Honored for Achieving 'Superior' Outcomes-Driven Clinical Results
PacifiCare Behavioral Health’s third annual Lambert Award recognizes top-performing therapists and group practices Growing number of clinicians adopt data-driven system of care that measures and reports on treatment success Santa Ana, Calif. – April 11, 2005 – PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH), a subsidiary of Cypress, Calif.-based PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PHS), today announced 100 winners of the company’s third annual Lambert Award honoring network clinicians who demonstrated superior clinical results treating PBH members during 2004. The award, named in honor of Michael Lambert, Ph.D., for his landmark work in psychotherapy outcomes research, was presented to 90 clinicians and 10 multi-specialty group practices in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. “We congratulate this year’s Lambert Award winners for consistently achieving superior clinical results for our members,” said Jerry Vaccaro, M.D., PBH president and chief executive officer. “These practitioners represent a growing group of forward-thinking therapists who have embraced an outcomes-driven approach to treating their patients. Rather than relying solely on traditional evidence-based protocols, they are guided by the clinical progress of each unique patient because they understand that achieving successful results is what matters most.” Recipients of the Lambert Award voluntarily use PBH’s proprietary ALERTŽ outcomes management system to measure clinical results. ALERT is a scientifically validated measurement system that utilizes patient self-report information collected during the course of treatment to measure clinical improvement. Clinicians have their patients complete a confidential questionnaire called the Life Status Questionnaire (LSQ) at multiple points during therapy. Completed LSQs are electronically transmitted, scored and compared against clinician assessments and a large, normative database of similar patient responses. LSQ scores provide immediate insight into patient progress during each phase of treatment and reveal consistently top-performing clinicians. In addition, the ALERT system identifies often-overlooked “high-risks” such as suicidal thinking, substance abuse or deep depression. These findings are reported back to clinicians so that they can make appropriate treatment modifications. The LSQ is a validated instrument developed by noted behavioral industry leaders Dr. Lambert and Gary Burlingame, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University. More than 10,000 clinicians submitted LSQs in 2004, which is a 30 percent increase in clinician adoption of the ALERT system over 2003. Since ALERT’s inception in 1999, PBH network clinicians have submitted approximately 200,000 individual patient records representing more than 600,000 questionnaires. This information is housed in PBH’s secure outcomes data repository – the largest of its type in the world. Ed Jones, Ph.D., PBH vice president and chief clinical officer, said: “Based on the growing number of clinicians utilizing the ALERT program, we believe ALERT has proved its worth in contributing to effective behavioral health care. Once our network clinicians start using the system, they quickly realize that the LSQ functions like a ‘lab test,’ helping them identify clinical risks. Many consider the patient questionnaire invaluable in their practices, and our goal is for all network clinicians to take advantage of this worthwhile tool.” “Immediate LSQ feedback helps us identify problems, high-risk issues and severe patient distress. It also provides ongoing insight into patient improvement,” said Daryl Quick, Ph.D., president of Western Psychological & Counseling Services, one of this year’s Lambert Award recipients with six locations in the Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., metropolitan areas. “While outcome instruments and studies are often recommended but rarely used, it is refreshing to see PBH recognize clinicians in its network who support the use of outcome measurements. The real winners are the patients, who receive better care as a result.” This year’s Lambert Award winners include: Group Practices California - A Helping Hand, San Diego - Desert Behavioral Health, Apple Valley - Inland Psychiatric Medical Group, Redlands - Riverside Psychiatric Medical Group, Riverside Colorado - Front Range Institute, Colorado Springs - Westside Behavioral Care Inc., Boulder Oklahoma - The Holloway Group, Oklahoma City Oregon and Washington - Western Psychological & Counseling Services, Portland Pennsylvania - Solutions Counseling and Consultation Services, Bethlehem Texas - South Texas Behavioral Medicine, San Antonio Clinicians Northern California - Geraldine Banks, MFT, Modesto - Nancy Bascom, MFT, Grass Valley - Sharon Booth, LCSW, Cameron Park - Reva Camiel, MFT, Sacramento - Linda E. Carlos, MA, MFT, Elk Grove - Rosalie Chaffee, MFT, Grand Terrance - Marcia Craig-Smith, PsyD, Auburn - Marcy DaCosta, MFT, San Leandro - Rose Gee, MFT, Elk Grove - Lionel Gottschalk, MD, Davis - Karen Krestensen, MFT, Scotts Valley - A. Brooks Larsen, LCSW, Modesto - Mary Loughren, MFT, Millbrae - Gary Malone, MFT, Fresno - Milciades Morales, LCSW, Antioch - Connie Pearson, MFT, San Jose - Alexis Rabourn, MFT, San Francisco - Frank Russell, MFT, Elk Grove - John Stewart, MFCC, Grass Valley - Bronwyn Warren, MFT, Oakland - Katherine Wilson, MFT, Santa Clara Southern California - Les H. Alhadeff, MD, Palm Desert - Bruria Alon, MFT, Thousand Oaks - June Argo, MFT, San Clemente - David Atkins, MFT, Bakersfield - Diane Auburn, PhD, Ventura - Roberta Barnes, PhD, MFT, Redlands - John Bartholow, PhD, LaMesa - Jack K. Benson, MFT, Covina - Bea Betzner, MFT, Encino - Burton Bialik, MFT, Oceanside - Becky Brown, MFT, Whittier - Barry Cardiner, MFT, Los Angeles - Richard Crowley, PhD, Burbank - Thomas Delaney, PhD, San Dimas - Gerald Duprez, PhD, Rancho Cucamonga - Joel Foxman, PhD, Rolling Hills Estates - Karla Gates, PhD, Pomona - Marilyn Gottdank, MFT, San Clemente - Sherry Hutchins, MFT, Long Beach - Ethel Katz, MFT, Bakersfield - Ronald Korn, MFT, North Hollywood - William LaForge, PhD, Temecula - Sylvia Landon, MFCC, North Hollywood - Fern Lippert MFT, Calabasas - Bonnie Lipton, MFT, Palm Desert - Robert Marozas, MD, Rancho Mirage - Rick McCarthy, MFT, Torrance - Constance McDonald, MFT, Victorville - Ira Nathanson, PhD, Beverly Hills - Marti Parker, MFT, Downey - Deborah Reed, MFT, Newhall - Kristine Rickards, LCSW, La Mesa - Barbara Rock, MFT, San Pedro - Dorothy Ross, MFT, Granada Hills - James L. Schaefer, PsyD, Calabasas - Lois Ann Schunk, MFT, Manhattan Beach - Jacqueline Sorenson-McDaniel, MFT, Long Beach - Danielle Spiegler, PhD, Long Beach - Judith Turian, PhD, Victorville - Tina Vince, MFT, Long Beach - Virginia Watford, PhD, Mission Viejo - Gina Weiss, MFT, Big Bear Lake - Teresa Wilshin, MFT, Dana Point Colorado - Beverly Brauer, PhD, Denver - Barbara Cohen, LMFT, Fort Collins - Gail Crowley, LPC, Fort Collins - Glenn Gravelle, PhD, Denver - Catherine Johnston, PhD, Boulder - Robert Lawrence, MD, Fort Collins - Francine Marmor, LCSW, Fort Collins - Marta McKay, LPC, Colorado Springs - Brenda O'Reilly, PhD, Fort Collins - Victoria Peters, PhD, Fort Collins - Susan Pyne, PhD, Denver New Mexico - Nancy Haverkos, LPC, Los Alamos Oklahoma - Charles 'Sid' Kramer, LCSW, Edmond - Dorothy Millican-Wynn, PhD, Norman - Anita Walker, LPC, Oklahoma City Oregon - Sarah Deeby, LPC, Portland - Juva DuBoise, LPC, Corvallis - Stephen Huggins, PhD, Gresham - Judith Lindsay, PhD, Eugene - Gail Marten, LCSW, Portland - Glenn Maynard, LPC, Portland - Mary McNassar, PhD, Portland - Craig Montgomery, PhD, Gresham - Vickie Whitehead, LCSW, Hillsboro Texas - Nitza Tolfa, LPC, Grandview Washington - Nancy Paul, CMFT, Federal Way About PacifiCare Behavioral Health PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Inc. provides mental health, chemical dependency and employee assistance services to covered members and maintains a national network of behavioral health care practitioners. All PacifiCare Behavioral Health service centers hold three-year, Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), as well as URAC Health Utilization Management and Case Management Accreditation. PacifiCare Behavioral Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems (NYSE: PHS), with clients including health plans, union trust funds, employers, school districts and public sector agencies. More information on PacifiCare Behavioral Health can be obtained at www.pbhi.com. About PacifiCare Health Systems PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation’s largest consumer health organizations with more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 10 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Currently, more than 99 percent of PacifiCare’s commercial health plan members are enrolled in plans that have received Excellent Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). PacifiCare’s specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy benefit management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at www.pacificare.com.