CYPRESS, Calif.,–(HISPANIC PR WIRE – BUSINESS WIRE)–March 31, 2003–Committed to developing products and services tailored to meet the unique health care needs of Latinos, PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHSY), launched PacifiCare en Español, a Spanish-language Web site that offers health information and education in Spanish for the company’s growing number of Spanish-speaking members as well as the Latino community worldwide.
PacifiCare en Español can be accessed directly by going to http://www.pacificarelatino.com. The site can also be accessed via PacifiCare Health Systems’ home page, http://www.pacificare.com, by clicking on the PacifiCare en Español link at the upper right-hand corner. All health education information on the site is available to the public as there are no members-only sections or other barriers.
“We believe communicating in Spanish, and not just translating, is a significant step in our outreach to the Latino community because many Latinos prefer health care information in Spanish,” said Russell A. Bennett, PacifiCare’s vice president of Latino Health Solutions. “Whether they prefer English or Spanish, most Latinos want to be recognized and addressed as Latinos. With that in mind, we developed PacifiCare en Español in response to increasing demand for health care information in Spanish that is both linguistically accurate and culturally appropriate.
“PacifiCare en Español is not simply a translation of PacifiCare’s English-language Web site,” Bennett continued. “It is a unique resource for health care information specifically tailored to address the health care concerns of our growing Spanish-speaking membership and the Latino community at large.”
PacifiCare en Español offers numerous health care information topics including Tips de Salud (Health Tips), Artículos de Interés (Articles of Interest), Recetas (Recipes), Palabras Médicas (Medical Terms) and Noticias (News). Special sections include men’s and women’s health (Salud del Hombre and Salud de la Mujer), both of which include detailed, extensive information about cancer screening, work safety, menopause and more. Cambie de Hábitos (Change Your Habits) offers tips on healthy lifestyle changes such as how to prevent obesity and stop smoking and provides extensive information about other health-improvement and disease-management services. Spanish-speaking PacifiCare members may also log on to PacifiCare en Español for help in finding a doctor.
PacifiCare partnered with the Monterrey Tec University System, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, to develop site content. The Web site was evaluated by Spanish-speaking doctors and nurses in the United States and Mexico as well as many of the company’s more than 1,400 Latino employees.
“PacifiCare collaborated on a strategic alliance with the Health Science Division, Monterrey Tec University System in launching PacifiCare en Español because we have 60 years of experience partnering with large, international organizations committed to reaching out to the Latin American population,” said Dr. Jaime Zozaya, Director of Extension and Continuing Medical Education, Health Sciences Division, Monterrey Tec. “With its Spanish-language Web site, PacifiCare is reinforcing its commitment to address the health care needs of the Latino community. We are proud to support PacifiCare in improving the lives of Latinos, not only in the United States, but throughout the Spanish-speaking world.”
PacifiCare en Español is part of PacifiCare’s Latino Health Solutions division, a new outreach initiative to build stronger ties with Latino members and organizations including Latino physicians, brokers and employers.
“Currently, there are more than 37 million Latinos in the United States; and Latinos represent more than 12 percent of the entire U.S. population,” Bennett added. “According to a report released last month by the Commonwealth Fund1, Latinos are substantially more likely than non-Hispanic whites and African Americans to lack health insurance. Additionally, Latinos who are not English-language proficient face the greatest barriers to care, especially if they are uninsured. Through PacifiCare en Español, we are reaching out to Latinos with health care information that is easier for Latinos to understand. It is the latest in a host of products and services developed via our new Latino Health Solutions initiative to increase health care access and service to the Latino community.”
PacifiCare already provides literature from its health improvement programs, such as StopSmoking and Taking Charge of Diabetes, in Spanish. A Spanish-language video describing PacifiCare’s consumer health products and services is also available and can be accessed directly via the PacifiCare en Español site.
More information regarding PacifiCare and the PacifiCare en Español Web site is available in Spanish via email at latinohealth@phs.com. To reach a Spanish-speaking customer service representative, members may call 800-730-7270.
Later this year PacifiCare intends to roll out a Spanish-language advertising campaign designed by Anita Santiago Advertising of Santa Monica, Calif. In addition, the company recently announced it is sponsoring the Newman/Haas Racing team during the 2003 CART season, motivated in part by the sport’s large Latino fan base. The CART circuit features several well-known Latino drivers and popular races in Monterrey (in March) and Mexico City (in October).
PacifiCare Health Systems serves more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 9 million specialty plan members nationwide, and has annual revenues of more than $11 billion. PacifiCare is celebrating its 25th anniversary as one of the nation’s largest consumer health organizations, offering individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and insurance products. Specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, life insurance, and complete pharmacy and medical management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com.
Russell A. Bennett is vice president of Latino Health Solutions, at Cypress, Calif.-based PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. He lived in Mexico for 30 years. Before joining PacifiCare, Bennett served as executive director of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, U.S. Section. Earlier he was the director of international and multicultural services for Sharp HealthCare in San Diego.
1 Hispanic Patients’ Double Burden: Lack of Health Insurance and Limited English, The Commonwealth Fund, February 2003
–30–
CONTACT:
Tyler Mason
PHS Media Relations
(714) 226-3530
or
Suzanne Shirley
PHS Investor Relations
(714) 226-3470
