FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:Leila Rice, 303-6963 leila@artillerymarketing.com
Services Contact: Mary Howell, 963-9220 or mhowell@ssseva.org

SENIOR SERVICES’ NEW MEDCARE ACCESS NOW SERVING RESIDENTS IN WESTERN TIDEWATER
–Ann Okeefe is the program specialist –

(Hampton Roads, Va., Feb. 20, 2008) – Seniors and people with disabilities who need assistance with Medicare Part D “extra help” prescription drug benefits and other healthcare concerns have a new place to turn in the Western Tidewater area.
Senior Services has begun operating a Medication and Care Access Resource Program, and Ann Okeefe is the program specialist.

News of the program – called MedCare Access – was announced in October when the Obici Healthcare Foundation awarded Senior Services a grant in the amount of $146,460 to implement the program.

Serving residents of Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Southampton County and Suffolk, MedCare Access will help locate and assist income-eligible “extra help” beneficiaries who have not enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Individuals can also use the program to connect to an array of services, such as meal delivery to those who are homebound and transportation and wellness programs.

“The Obici Healthcare Foundation’s grant provides the funding for us to reach out and enroll more people from Western Tidewater in medication access programs,” said Senior Services CEO John Skirven. “This is a significant contribution, and we are appreciative of the many opportunities it will allow.”

Okeefe, who holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Saint Leo College in Norfolk, is well suited for her role as the MedCare Access program specialist.
Before joining Senior Services, she was the service center coordinator at the Western Tidewater Community Services Board. There, she managed the Health Planning Region V Project, serving residents in need in the Western Tidewater area. She was also the facility liaison for Eastern State Hospital, Central State Hospital and the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents, where she handled discharge planning that linked patients with community services.

A resident of the Whaleyville community in Suffolk, Okeefe will rotate among the Senior Services’ satellite offices in Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Southampton County and Suffolk. Residents can reach her directly by calling 328-4217.