Empire Plan NurseLine ready to help you 24/7 Have you ever delayed seeking care for


an illness or injury because you weren’t sure if it merited professional care, or because you didn’t know where to seek care at night, on a weekend or holiday, or when you were far from home? Should you go immediately to the


emergency room or to an urgent care center? Should you wait until you could see your primary care physician? Should you try to treat yourself with a few supplies or over-the-counter products from a drug store? Help is available. PEF members enrolled in the Empire


Plan may call toll-free at any time and on any day to a registered nurse for advice. Call 877-7-NYSHIP (877-769-7447) and


select prompt “5” for the NurseLine. The NurseLine staff has the experience,


training and tools to advise enrollees on questions about: • Acute and chronic illness or injury; • How, when and where to seek


treatment; • How to develop a list of questions for


their next doctor’s appointment; and • Programs and resources available to


Empire Plan enrollees. The NurseLine nurse can help you


The drive and beauty of a PEF volunteer


By DEBORAH A. MILES It’s often been said volunteers don’t get


paid because they are priceless. Linda Baker is among the hundreds of


PEF members who volunteer their time. Although most volunteers usually stay under the radar, Baker’s community involvement has placed her in the spotlight. Baker, a health program administrator,


received awards from the state Department of Health (DOH) early in her career for being part of a team that provided nutrition and education to more than 480,000 participants per month in the federal Women, Infants, Children (WIC) program. She has been a co-chair and chair of the


“Take Your Future to Work Day” and for the Mentor-Protege Program. She is the 2013 Intra-Agency Task Force on Women’s Issues/DOH chair for the Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan (CDPHP) Workforce Challenge. The PEF Region 8 Women’s Program


selected her as a recipient of the Women of Merit Award in 2012. “She never stops. Linda is an inspiration


to so many,” said Pat Pafundi, a pharmacy consultant at the state Office of the Medicaid Inspector General. “The Intra- Agency Task Force on Women’s Issues honored her in March. She has accomplished some amazing things.” Baker’s daughter, Amanda, has been


one of the motivating forces for her volunteerism. Amanda was two-years old when she was diagnosed with autism. “I wanted her to have a normal life, as


much as possible,” Baker said. “I’ve always treated her as if she didn’t have a disability.” Baker enrolled her daughter in a


baseball team for disabled children when she was five. Now at 23, Amanda is still playing. During the interim, Baker with other parents opened the first Miracle


www.pef.org


it difficult for young adults with disabilities to attend a high school prom,” Baker said. “The Elks Club prom attracted about 70


people. The funny thing is they ranged in age from 15 to 70. The invitations went to many area group homes for people with disabilities. We had some older folks who had never attended a prom, and they the time of their lives.” Baker credits her husband, mom and


ATTHE PROM – Cyndi andAmanda join theirmother Linda Baker for a photo at the special promheld at the Kinderhook Elks Club in November. —Photo courtesy of Sarah’s Studio


League Field in East Greenbush. It is the only one in the U.S. that was built for various sports. “The kids can play baseball, soccer,


track and field, and flag football. It’s a rubberized turf field, so there is nothing that can cause an injury. Even the bases are flat, so no one can trip and fall. More than 100 families are involved in the Miracle League. Kids come from as far as Manhattan to participate. Once you build one, you can’t have another within a 100- mile radius. We serve anyone who wants to come, and all the programs are free. “We depend on fundraisers and


corporate sponsors. Each child receives a uniform, a trophy at the end of the season and attends a banquet,” Baker said. Although an important component in


her life, the Miracle League doesn’t fully satisfy Baker’s need to do more. She joined the Kinderhook Elks Club eight years ago and recently asked the lodge leader to request a community grant. He got it, and Baker was off and running, organizing a prom for children with disabilities. “Some school districts and parents find


oldest daughter for support, which gives her the time to volunteer and also be involved in PEF activities, where she serves on the Women’s, Scholarship, Workplace Violence, and Health and Safety committees. “Volunteerism is extremely important,”


Baker said. “A lot of people think they don’t have the time to do what I do. And they may not. But more hands make less work. I couldn’t have organized the prom without the help of people who donated desserts, or pinned on corsages and arranged the flower decorations. Even if people could donate a little time to something, it would help our communities, individuals and organizations. “State cuts motivate people to think


about volunteering. If you belong to something, it may help you in your time of need. Both my daughters volunteer. The one with autism goes to a day program where the workers take them to sort and bag plastic bottles at animal shelters, or help at food pantries, or sort clothes at thrift stores. “We feel very strongly that one hand


washes the other. I am involved with some pretty cool things,” Baker said. “They are part of being a mom, a PEF member, a DOH employee and member of my community. Knowledge is the key. If you pass that key, you allow another to unlock their hidden potential.”


The Communicator May 2013—Page 13


determine the level of care you need, and help you find an Empire Plan in-network provider near you. Getting the right treatment at the right


time can affect your health significantly. Who treats you and where can make a


big difference in how much it will cost. You want to be certain you’re using an in- network provider and you’re only using an emergency room when necessary since care provided there is more expensive than at other places of service. —Lorraine Simpkins


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24