Press Releases: 2012

AmeriHealth Mercy, Big Brothers Big Sisters Team Up for Chester-Area Students

January 24, 2012
PHILADELPHIA, PA – AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies (AMFC) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania kicked off the Beyond School Walls mentoring program today at AMFC’s headquarters.

AMFC employees and students from the Widener Partnership Charter School met for lunch in the company cafeteria for the first of their meetings that will take place every other week. The students heard from AFMC President and CEO Michael A. Rashid and spent time getting to know one another.

The Beyond School Walls one-to-one youth mentoring program began in 2005 and involves company employees hosting children from a nearby school at their corporate office. The children meet in the workplace with the employee volunteer mentor twice a month during the school day for about an hour. The ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ play games, do arts and crafts, tour the office or just talk with one another.
 
The program introduces children to jobs at an early age, giving them an opportunity to learn about the corporate world firsthand. Through relationships with "Corporate Bigs," Littles experience what it means to work for a corporation and the educational requirements needed to achieve professional success.

“AMFC selected Chester-area students because it saw tremendous potential for making a positive difference in the lives of these students,” said Rashid.

Speaking to the students, Rashid said, “Through my life’s journey, I have had great mentors, including my family, ministers, teachers and employers. The mentor relationships that I have had still impact my life in a very positive way.”

He added, “The Big Brother or Big Sister you’ll meet today will be a mentor to you. Your ‘Big’s’ role is to be a part of a special journey that each of you is taking, to inspire you, to help you achieve your potential through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.”

"We're excited and proud to partner with AmeriHealth Mercy on this new Beyond School Walls program. Together, we can expose children facing adversity to a positive work environment and help them connect the dots between academic and real-world success," said Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania CEO Marlene Olshan.  "In similar programs, we have seen measurable improvements not only in the behaviors and attitudes of the children involved, but also in their attendance and grades."

AMFC is involved in a variety of community outreach activities, including its “Diamonds in the Rough” program, a job creation and skills development course created to help Medicaid/
welfare recipients develop the critical skills they need to find a job. This program also includes a mentoring component that focuses on communication, decision-making and interpersonal skills.

About AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies

The AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies is one of the nation’s leaders in health care solutions for the underserved. AmeriHealth operates in 11 states and serves more than 4 million Medicaid, Medicare and SCHIP members through its Medicaid managed care products, pharmaceutical benefit management services, behavioral health services, and other administrative services. Headquartered in Philadelphia, AmeriHealth Mercy is a mission-driven company with more than 25 years of experience serving low-income and chronically ill populations. AmeriHealth Mercy’s divisions include:

• Keystone Mercy Health Plan, a Medicaid managed care health plan servicing over 321,000 members in five southeastern Pennsylvania counties;
• AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan, a Medicaid managed care health plan servicing 108,000 members in 15 Pennsylvania counties;
• Select Health, a Medicaid managed care health plan serving 214,000 members throughout the State of South Carolina;
• MDwise Hoosier Alliance, a Medicaid managed care health plan serving 133,000 members throughout the State of Indiana;
• PerformCare/CBHNP Behavioral Health Services, servicing almost 1.1 million members in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, and South Carolina;
• Perform Rx, a pharmacy benefits manager servicing over 1.8 million members.

The AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies also provides other administrative services in New Jersey and Kentucky.