UPMC Health Plan Officially Opens New Erie Office with Open House

ERIE, Pa., Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- UPMC Health Plan celebrates the official opening of its new Northwest Pennsylvania regional retail sales office in downtown Erie with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning followed by an open house and family wellness fair at its new location in the Boston Store, located at 716 State St.

Diane P. Holder, President and CEO of UPMC Health Plan, and Erie Mayor Joseph E. Sinnott will officially cut the ribbon in a ceremony scheduled for 10:15 a.m. today.  

UPMC Health Plan – a Pittsburgh-based health insurer which has had offices in Erie since 2000 – moved to its new location at the Boston Store earlier this year. Previously, its offices were located at the Village West in Millcreek.  

The Boston Store location will be the regional retail sales office for UPMC for Life, (UPMC Health Plan's Medicare product), UPMC for Kids (UPMC Health Plan's Children's Health Insurance Plan product), UPMC Small Business Advantage, and UPMC Individual Advantage, its individual plan.

This retail location offers high-touch service to those interested in UPMC Health Plan products. It also offers UPMC Health Plan members one-on-one interaction with a customer service account specialist who can assist them with their personal needs, from finding a doctor, to scheduling a medical appointment, to providing information on their benefits.  

The office features advanced self-service technology with enhanced information on state-of-the art kiosks. The public and members can explore options and receive information at their leisure via touch-screen technology.

"We want to welcome all our members as well as everyone in Northwest Pennsylvania to come and see our attractive new space and celebrate the official opening of this new Erie office," said Ms. Holder.                  

"The enhanced services available at this new location help us fulfill our mission to better deliver unmatched quality and value to our members and the community."    

UPMC Health Plan earned the award for "Highest Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in Pennsylvania" in 2011, according to a study on member experience by J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information company that represents the voice of the customer.

The Health Plan ranked above all the other ten health insurers in the highly competitive Pennsylvania region. The measurement factors included customer service information and communication, approval processes, provider choice,  among others.

(For J.D. Power and Associates award information, go to jdpower.com.)

UPMC Health Plan's Erie regional sales office has a 10-person staff headed by Ki Kim, Office Manager. Other staff includes Rob Watson, Customer Service Account Specialist; Sheri Simmons, Mid-Market Account Manager; Bill Reichert, Medicare Broker Manager; Brian Allegretti, Associate Network Manager for Dental and Vision Products; Dana McIntire, Physician Account Executive; Doreen Buckel, Small Market Account Manager; Jody Dickerson, Mid-Market Sales Executive; Lee Martell, Community Relations; and Kirsten Knorr, Administrative Assistant.  

UPMC Health Plan's office occupies 7,600 square feet on the first floor of the Boston Store. The office includes retail space as well as a 70-seat meeting room.  

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., UPMC Health Plan members and the community are welcome to attend a wellness fair that will include adult health screenings. The public is invited to stop by to learn about the enhanced services that will be available at the new office.

In addition, tonight's Erie SeaWolves' baseball game is UPMC Health Plan Member Appreciation Night presented by UPMC Health Plan. The SeaWolves play the New Britain Rock Cats at 7:05 p.m. at Jerry Uht Park.

About UPMC Health Plan

UPMC Health Plan, the second-largest health insurer in western Pennsylvania, is owned by UPMC, one of the nation's top-ranked health systems. The integrated partner companies of the UPMC Insurance Services Division – which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC WorkPartners, LifeSolutions (EAP), UPMC for You (Medical Assistance), and Community Care Behavioral Health – offer a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, CHIP, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to nearly 1.6 million members. Our local provider network includes UPMC as well as community providers, totaling more than 125 hospitals and more than 11,500 physicians throughout Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com.

SOURCE UPMC Health Plan