WellCare Donates $25,000 to Georgia Pediatricians to Help Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ATLANTA and TAMPA, Fla., March 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of Georgia, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), today announced that it donated $25,000 to the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Georgia AAP) to improve care and outcomes for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Georgia.

ADHD is the most common childhood neurobehavioral disorder affecting approximately 9.5 percent of children ages 4-17 years, and its prevalence continues to grow. The disorder can continue into adolescence and adulthood causing prolonged academic, conduct, social and mental health problems. The economic impact of ADHD is estimated to be between $143 billion to $266 billion (adjusted to 2010 U.S. dollars) in the U.S. each year.  

In 2011, AAP issued a comprehensive update of guidelines for the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of ADHD. However, research shows much of today's care is still delivered in ways that are not consistent with best practices regarding treatment.

The Georgia AAP provides quality improvement training, resources and implementation support to Georgia pediatricians in providing optimal care for children with ADHD.

During a 12-month period, the Georgia chapter leadership team consisting of physician lead Dr. Melissa Boekhaus, a general pediatrician, and Drs. Alan Weintraub and Doris Greenberg, both board-certified developmental pediatricians, will coach participating practices on how to make quality improvement changes based on AAP ADHD guidelines.

"The Academy has made quality improvement a major focus of its activity during the past few years," said Dr. Ben Spitalnick, Savannah, president of the Georgia chapter. "The ADHD QI project is another way we are helping our members in learning QI techniques and integrating them into their practice. We very much appreciate the support of WellCare in this important endeavor."

"WellCare is proud to continue our work with the Georgia AAP chapter to help equip pediatricians with the continuing education and resources needed to better serve children in the state," said Dr. John Alexander Johnson, senior medical director, WellCare of Georgia. "ADHD is a serious disorder that, if left untreated, can have serious negative, lifelong outcomes. Early intervention is critical to addressing this disorder so that children can begin the treatment they need to become productive, healthy adults."

For more information on the AAP Georgia chapter, visit www.gaaap.org.

As of Dec. 31, 2016, WellCare serves approximately 571,000 Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® plan members, 40,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 23,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Georgia. To learn more about how WellCare cares for Georgians, watch Gloria's story at http://youtu.be/qyn-nywze04.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The company serves approximately 3.9 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2016. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.