Giving Back to Our Communities

Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation Award $1.1 Million to The Jed Foundation to Protect the Mental Health of New York’s Youth

Funding will help expand emotional well-being resources, educational workshops, and training programs for community-based organizations that foster communities of care statewide

September 20, 2024, NEW YORK CITY — Fidelis Care, a leading health insurer providing quality, affordable coverage to New Yorkers, and the Centene Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation, announced today a $1.1 million grant to The Jed Foundation (JED), a national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults.

With this grant, JED will expand its current services, providing at least five youth-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) with consultation or strategic planning services, including expert guidance, educational workshops, and training programs, equipping young people with life skills and connecting them to mental health care when they are in distress.

“We are thrilled to support the vital work of The Jed Foundation with this grant,” said Vincent Marchello, Chief Medical Officer at Fidelis Care. “At Fidelis Care, we recognize the importance of mental health services in creating healthier communities. This investment underscores our commitment to ensuring youth and adolescents have access to the critical support they need to thrive.”

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), it is currently estimated that nearly one in five 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States experience a major depressive episode every year, and almost half of teens 13 to 17 say they would seek out professional help only as a last resort. In New York State, the need for enhanced mental health support for school-aged youth is critical: in 2021, 57% of New York 12- to 17-year-olds with depression had not received any care in the last year.

“JED is grateful to Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation for their commitment to supporting the emotional well-being of New York youth and for providing the resources to help them thrive,” said John MacPhee, JED Chief Executive Officer. “This partnership will allow us to bring JED’s lifesaving work to community-based organizations across the state and help them build on their mental health safety nets and approaches, while positively impacting the lives of thousands of young people.”

The inaugural group of CBOs includes Bottom Line, an organization that partners with degree-aspiring students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds as they get into and through college and launch mobilizing first careers; Hetrick-Martin Institute, which provides free, year-round programs and services for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies aged 13 to 24 in New York City; and Prep for Prep, which provides first-rate educational, leadership development and professional advancement opportunities for young people of color in New York City.

"Through decades of experience at Bottom Line, we have seen that the condition of a student's mental health plays a significant role in their overall journey to becoming a college graduate and professional,” said Sheneita R. Graham, Director of Culturally Responsive Programming at Bottom Line. “Our role at Bottom Line is to build strong relationships that assist us in determining need and connecting students to resources that will help them thrive personally to persist academically. Partnering with The Jed Foundation grants us the opportunity to expertly assess our mental health policies, processes, and resources to ensure we provide our students with thoughtful, high-quality support."

"Hetrick-Martin Institute is pleased to be working with The Jed Foundation to improve our ability to recognize young people in distress and conduct suicide risk assessments," said Bridget Hughes, Chief Program Officer at Hetrick-Martin Institute.

"We are so grateful to The Jed Foundation for hosting two workshops for our incoming college freshmen as part of our annual College Transition Retreat,” said Corey Rhoades, Director of Undergraduate Affairs at Prep for Prep. “The presenters shared their expertise and tailored the sessions in a way that was uniquely relevant and engaging for our students."

To learn more about ways to provide community-based organizations with consulting, evidence-based best practices, and data-driven guidance to protect youth mental health and prevent suicide, visit JED’s website .

Screener Program Provides Support to Families Impacted by Social Determinants of Health

SDoH-chart

Fidelis Care’s innovative SDoH screener program was launched two years ago as a grassroots health equity initiative to address conditions in the environments where people are born, live, work, and play that affect their health, well-being, and quality of life. Social Determinants of Health can affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes – particularly among vulnerable populations and in underserved areas.

The screener enables trained Fidelis Care representatives to assess an individual’s immediate needs and challenges related to SDoH through a brief series of questions covering areas such as access to transportation, food, and secure and safe housing. More than 450,000 Fidelis Care members have participated to date.

Click here to learn more about the different Social Determinants of Health and find available resources.

Learn how Fidelis Care impacts the communities we are privileged to serve.

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New York State Residents Can Help Play Critical Role in Protecting Local Communities by Scheduling Immunizations

9/15/2022 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Corporate News

Back-to-School-New-York-State-Immunizations

Long Island City, New York (September 15, 2022) – As children head back to school, there is one thing parents and caregivers should not overlook: routine vaccinations against serious infections such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and hepatitis to name a few. Fidelis Care is dedicated to ensuring New York State residents have access to information and resources about routine immunizations to help protect children and communities against preventable illnesses.

“Pediatric vaccination has shown to reduce the rate of vaccine-preventable diseases. We want to ensure families have the information they need to make informed decisions about immunizing their children and accessing vaccines such as the flu. It is important for families to schedule their regular well-child visits and talk with their pediatricians about any questions they may have regarding childhood immunizations,” said Chief Medical Officer Vincent Marchello, M.D. “With the start of the school year around the corner, now is the perfect time to catch up on immunizations to reduce the spread of preventable illnesses.”

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, immunizations have declined, with all populations showing a downward trend from pre-pandemic routine immunization rates. Routine vaccinations have proven effective in preventing serious illness within schools and communities. Despite phased school reopenings and the restart of student activities in some states, the immunization rate for children in kindergarten dropped between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. This leaves thousands of young students at risk for preventable illnesses when re-entering the classroom for in-person learning.

Fidelis Care partners with providers across New York State, making it convenient for parents and caregivers to access quality care for their children and to ensure they are up to date on routine vaccinations in time for the new school year.

One of Fidelis Care’s key pediatric providers, Pediatric Associates in Syracuse, has a high rate of childhood and adolescent immunizations, and continuously focuses on the importance of immunizations as part of caring for growing children.

“Vaccinations are a proven technology and there is such great value in protecting children from preventable diseases,” said Steven Nicolais, M.D., of Pediatric Associates. “Thankfully, at Pediatric Associates, we have parents who understand the importance of vaccinating their children and recognize the role parents play in our practices’ high rate of childhood vaccinations.”

The more immunized a community is, the harder it is for preventable illnesses to spread. Immunizations not only protect the individuals who are vaccinated, they also protect everyone who interacts with them. As students prepare to return to school, it is as important as ever to ensure children are up to date with their routine immunizations to help prevent illness in children. The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for children ages 5-11 and is the best way to keep children safe from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older and boosters for everyone 5 years and older.

Fidelis Care continues to invest in educational opportunities around vaccinations for members through programs such as Fluvention, which provides comprehensive information about the impact of receiving an annual flu vaccine can have for the health of individuals, their families, and their community.

Overall, childhood immunizations help protect against nearly 14 serious diseases. Without this protection, it is likely communities will see a surge of serious illnesses. Individuals can learn more about specific vaccines, immunization schedules, and safety information by contacting the New York State Department of Health or referring to materials developed by the CDC by visiting cdc.gov/vaccines.

For more information about Fidelis Care services and benefits, visit https://www.fideliscare.org/.

About Fidelis Care
Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 2.5 million members statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/fidelis-care, on Twitter at @fideliscare, Instagram at @fideliscare, and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.