First Choice Community Center makes going back to school easy and fun
July 6, 2016
Seventh annual event offers health screenings, school supplies, backpacks and more
COLUMBIA, SC – Select Health of South Carolina and its First Choice Community Center will host the seventh annual Jump-Start Back-to-School event, featuring back-to-school information, health screenings, children’s activities and backpacks with school supplies provided at no cost, while quantities last, Saturday, July 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To expedite their entry into the event, participants are asked to register in advance by calling 1-888-676-9588. Select Health of South Carolina is the state’s oldest and largest Medicaid managed care organization and is part of the AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies.
“This event will serve more than 500 families who want to make sure they’re healthy before the school year begins,” said Lillian Suarez, director of community education at Select Health. “We’re very fortunate that more than 40 health care providers, agencies and community partners are willing to join us in helping children get the checkups and school supplies they need.”
Children will be entertained with a variety of activities, giving parents and caregivers an opportunity to talk with medical professionals and community resource providers. Select Health’s bilingual staff will assist Spanish-speaking families, and interpretation services will be available for attendees with limited English proficiency.
“Good health is proven to help children perform at their best in school,” said Dr. Greg Barabell, pediatrician and market chief medical officer at Select Health. “School-aged children up to age 21 need yearly well visits with a primary care physician, and our staff can help First Choice members schedule these appointments with their doctors.”
The First Choice Community Center opened in 2009 in the Widewater Square Shopping Center at 3315 Broad River Road in Columbia as a place for individuals and families with limited incomes to learn about programs, services and resources available to assist them. For more information, call 1-888-676-9588 or visit www.selecthealthofsc.com and click the Community tab.
Select Health of South Carolina Mission:
To help people get care, stay well and build healthy communities.
About Select Health
Select Health of South Carolina, part of the AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies, contracts with South Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) to offer First Choice, the state’s oldest and largest Medicaid managed care health plan, in all 46 counties statewide. First Choice by Select Health is the top-rated Medicaid health plan in South Carolina, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2015-2016, and has been since 2010. First Choice is the first health plan in South Carolina to earn NCQA’s Multicultural Health Care Distinction, an honor it has achieved three times since 2011. For more information about First Choice by Select Health, visit www.selecthealthofsc.com.
Select Health also offers the First Choice VIP Care Plus Medicare-Medicaid Plan in 39 South Carolina counties. Visit www.firstchoicevipcareplus.com for more information.
About AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies
AmeriHealth Caritas is part of the Independence Health Group in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the nation’s leaders in health care solutions for those most in need. Operating in 19 states and the District of Columbia, AmeriHealth Caritas serves more than 5.3 million Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP members through its integrated managed care products, pharmaceutical benefit management and specialty pharmacy services, behavioral health services and other administrative services. Headquartered in Philadelphia, AmeriHealth Caritas is a mission-driven organization with more than 30 years of experience serving low-income and chronically ill populations. For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritas.com.
