by Mashi Nyssen and Juliane Matignas
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is closing healthcare gaps by bringing essential services directly to underserved communities through a series of well-child visit events for its members.
Since the start of the year, Blue Shield Promise has hosted 18 well-child events in San Diego and Los Angeles counties, with 16 more planned in San Diego and 34 more in Los Angeles by year-end — which is five times as many events hosted since 2023. The purpose of the well-child visit events is to expand access to critical health services while promoting prevention and bolstering Blue Shield Promise's broader mission to improve care delivery and outcomes for Medi-Cal families across Southern California.
In April, Blue Shield Promise announced it received a Health Equity Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in recognition of establishing a strong operational foundation to address health disparities. Earlier this year, Blue Shield Promise announced it received a 4 out of 5 in the NCQA Medicaid Health Plan Ratings 2024, earning high scores in key areas including disease prevention, overall care and member satisfaction.
“The well-child visit events are a vital part of our mission to improve health outcomes in the communities we serve. This community-focused approach brings essential health screenings directly to families, removing barriers to care and emphasizing prevention,” said Christine Nguyen, director of clinical quality at Blue Shield Promise.
The well-child visit events are typically prioritized in neighborhoods where data shows the highest number of annual exams were missed in the previous year. In collaboration with local organizations, Blue Shield Promise provides preventive health screenings, such as development, dental and vision checks, to its Medi-Cal members between the ages of 1 and 21 in trusted community settings such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and at Community Resource Centers (CRCs) in Los Angeles County that are jointly operated by L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield Promise. The goal is to make it easier for families to prioritize preventive care by bringing health care services to their neighborhoods and making visits convenient.
“Providing well-child visits in familiar community settings and on evenings or weekends allows us to reach families who may otherwise face barriers to care,” said Nguyen. “These events help ensure that children receive the preventive services they need, and we are committed to making health care more accessible for our members.”
At a recent event in San Diego, Blue Shield Promise collaborated with Quality Health Partners to contact 30 families to schedule appointments for 79 children who were due for annual checkups.
“These visits are a great opportunity to provide whole-person care to the children — not just from a health perspective, but a social and environmental perspective, too,” said Amanda Ruiz, a program manager at Blue Shield Promise. “With the prevalence of chronic health conditions, it’s important to identify and address early signs before they become more serious.”
In Los Angeles County, well-child visits take place at more than a dozen Community Resource Centers jointly operated by L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield Promise. There is strong participation from local families, reflecting the need for accessible preventive care. Approximately 85 children are seen at each well-child event in Los Angeles.
Ruiz noted that providers discuss healthy behaviors while building trust with families during the visits. In many cases, families feel comfortable sharing additional needs, such as help finding housing or food — and can get connected to resources on the spot at the resource center.
“I was not aware that transportation help was available to members, so that we can get to any of our medical appointments or lab tests without feeling stressed,” said one parent at an event. “It’s a big relief to know we have help getting access to care when we need it.”
To read more about well-child visit events, visit Blue Shield of California | Promise Health Plan | Non-Traditional Settings for Closing Care Gaps Spell Success — and a New Program — for Blue Shield of California Promise Members.
To learn more about Blue Shield Promise, visit Medi-Cal (Blue Shield Promise) | Blue Shield of CA Promise Health Plan.
