Mee Exceeds the Thresholds for Delivery of Healthcare Services to the Central Coast

May 8, 2007 (King City, CA) - The Mee Memorial Clinics, in King City and Greenfield, were the recent recipients of a cash incentive bonus of over $31,000 based on the stellar quality of the facilities’ healthcare services to the underserved and under- or non-insured.

The Central Coast Alliance for Health (CCAH), an organization that oversees healthcare services in the area, including South County, made the quality-based incentive award to Mee Memorial based on a record of healthcare performance in family and general practice that exceeded the thresholds set by the organization.

“This award is a direct result of the dedication and skill of the physicians in our community who are providing medical services to Alliance patients,” says Dr. Barbara Palla, Medical Director of the CCAH. “I am extremely proud of the level of success that our local physicians have achieved with this award.”

Some of the healthcare performance goals for the CCAH include improving medical outcomes, minimizing unnecessary suffering and cost, and promoting self-care and wellness among health plan members throughout the Central California area – in all of which Mee excelled.  In operating with both the patient and provider in mind, the CCAH has successfully developed cost-effective health plans designed to effectively serve plan members while also operating to the satisfaction of healthcare organizations involved in the plan.

“We’re very proud of this incentive award, which is an indication of the high quality of healthcare available throughout the Mee organization.  We believe a large part of our success is due to the dedicated and highly qualified staffs that work in the Mee Memorial Clinics,” says Walt Beck, president and chief executive officer at Mee Health Systems. “Any increased access for the underserved is a good thing because it prevents overcrowding in local emergency rooms and provides care to people who need it at a much lower cost.”

Camille Sana, who manages the Mee Memorial Clinics in King City and Greenfield, says “It’s really a credit to the organization that we can maintain consistently high levels of service over such a widespread area.  By bringing this service to many underserved areas, we feel that we can provide excellent care and early detection before the need for more serious treatment.  This incentive award will also help us improve our healthcare service down the road.”

As Mee continues to evolve its medical services throughout the area, with a staff and employees who are fluent in English and Spanish, its network of clinics will continue to address under-recognized health burdens especially with disease-prevention and health oriented educational programs.

Mee Memorial Hospital is a 123-bed, not-for-profit hospital and the anchor facility of Mee Health Systems, a network of healthcare centers, clinics and outreach programs throughout King City, Soledad, Greenfield and Paso Robles.  Its Mee Memorial Cancer Center will open in 2007 in Paso Robles.  Mee Health Systems is committed to the wellness of our community and providing access to comprehensive healthcare in a caring, professional and responsible environment.

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