March 13, 2015 Contact: Michael F. Barkey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chair, CentraCare Board of Directors

(616) 551-9678

Alexandria Lueth, CPA, Named as New Chief Executive Officer of CentraCare PACE

SERVING CALHOUN, KALAMAZOO AND EASTERN VAN BUREN COUNTIES --

On Thursday, March 12, Alexandria Lueth, CPA, was named as the new CEO for CentraCare, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization. CentraCare provides high quality medical care and social support for more than 250 frail elderly adults who wish to remain living at home as they age, even though they would otherwise qualify for nursing home placement.

“We are thrilled that Ms. Lueth has accepted our offer as CEO, as she has repeatedly demonstrated the qualities and commitment it takes to successfully run a complex organization like PACE,” said Michael Barkey, Chair of CentraCare’s Board of Directors. “Alex is a natural-born leader with an impressive background of supporting various areas of long-term care, including all that she has accomplished thus far with CentraCare.”

PACE is a unique managed care program that provides community-based care and services for frail older adults who would otherwise not be able to live independently. PACE provides comprehensive services for persons eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits in a day center setting, supplemented by in-home services in accordance with each individual’s needs.

Currently, there are more than 100 PACE programs in the United States serving upwards of 34,000 frail elderly, including 8 PACE centers in Michigan with 6 more under development. CentraCare’s two centers currently serve 3 counties, and have the capacity to grow up to 450 participants over the next few years. Lueth assumes responsibility for more than 100 employees in 12-15 different health care disciplines.

Before joining CentraCare PACE as their Chief Financial Officer in 2012, Lueth was with Plante Moran for more than 7 years as both an auditor and consultant for hospitals and senior care facilities.

“Although I achieved a thorough understanding of the inner workings of many successful companies, I was always auditing the past and unable to impact the future. When I decided to make a career change, I purposely sought out an organization that served older adults so that I could impact both the operations and financial side of all current and future decisions,” said Lueth. Adding, “This has been a very rewarding shift in my focus.”

“As our CFO and especially over the last 7 months while serving as CentraCare’s Interim-CEO, Alex has proven that she is the right person for this job. With her leadership, we are certain that CentraCare will continue to excel at delivering the best quality service through the most efficient and effective operational approaches to support our participant’s quality of life, independence and dignity,”
said Barkey.

Lueth graduated from Hope College in 2005, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, and later went on to obtain her CPA license. Lueth currently serves on the Boards of the Friends of the Portage Senior Center, The Wesley Foundation and The Inforum Southwest Regional Council.

“We are especially pleased to have Alex overseeing such a talented leadership team and group of employees and working so closely with CentraCare’s Medical Director, Elizabeth Cogbill, MD [who is also a board-certified geriatrician specializing in older adult care]. Together, they are able to balance the numbers with the medical history to provide the best possible outcomes,” said Barkey.

“If you only look at one aspect of care, your team can’t be successful at supporting frail populations. Under the direction of Lueth’s vision, CentraCare’s holistic approach allows staff to provide a better quality of life, optimal medical care, and support for the entire family unit,” said Cogbill.

CentraCare’s PACE program assumes full financial risk for participants' care without limits on amount, duration, or scope of services. In short, PACE treats the whole patient, not just the episode that puts someone in the hospital or pushes them beyond the limits of what their caregivers can provide.

Lueth reflected on her goals as CEO by adding, “I am thankful for the opportunity to lead CentraCare beyond this start-up phase and into a new era where we will surely become a regional leader in all that we do.I am committed to providing everything we can to maximize the dignity and value of our participants, giving them the highest quality care from our interdisciplinary team. This is not an easy task for a capitated model delivering complex, coordinated care – but I’m up for each of the challenges that lie ahead.”

“I wish something like this would have existed for my Great-Grandmother Cassie,” said Lueth. “We could have definitely supported her at home with PACE services instead of visiting her at the nursing home for so many years. She would be very proud of this accomplishment, as am I.”

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Background Info About PACE:
Likely candidates who could benefit from the PACE model of care include those who are having difficulty managing appointments, finances, medications and health conditions. Often, PACE participants have declining ability to perform duties such as meal preparation, housework, or transportation, and an increased need for assistance with bathing, dressing and moving around their home. They often also experience an increase in falls and visits to the ER or urgent care.

Typical PACE services include:

·  Nursing care; physical, occupational and recreational therapies; meals; nutritional counseling; and social work

·  Medical care provided by a PACE physician who is familiar with the history, needs and preferences of each participant

·  Home health care and personal care/chore service

·  Pharmacy medication management and disbursement (as a Medicare Part D provider)

·  Socialization at the day health center to decrease isolation/boredom and to provide safe exercise and activity

·  Transportation to the day health center and medical specialty appointments

·  On-site audiology, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, and speech therapy

·  Durable medical equipment, supplies and lab tests (as needed)

·  Respite and spiritual care