AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Suicide is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., and the second-leading cause among 10-34 year olds. In fact, more than 47,000 people took their own lives in 2019, including close to 4,000 in Texas alone.

Choose Tomorrow™, a new initiative from Superior HealthPlan, aims to reduce suicides and suicide attempts in Texas and improve the mental health of members.

"We have an opportunity and a responsibility to do more to prevent people from taking their own lives," said Dr. Sandy Vale, Sr. Medical Director at Superior HealthPlan. "Choose Tomorrow uses data analytics to help identify people who may be at increased risk for suicide, so they can be connected with proven behavioral health resources. It also leverages national tools and expertise for local providers and case managers who are on the front lines of treatment."

Through a combination of expert clinical direction and innovative machine learning, Choose Tomorrow uses data-driven identifiers for potential risk that then provides case managers with enhanced information to better identify members for assessment, early intervention, and support. That could include identifying people with social or physical risks, such as loneliness, or debilitating physical illnesses, such as severe pain or opioid use disorder. Superior then tailors evidence-based interventions for the individual member.

One important facet of Choose Tomorrow is Superior's work with providers and care managers who are on the front lines of providing behavioral health care. More than 80% of individuals who die by suicide see a behavioral health or primary care provider within a year before their death, and almost half have seen their primary care provider in the prior 30 days. That's why one of the central strategies of the initiative is engaging care management staff – nurses, therapists and social workers. By ensuring they have the tools they need to enhance care for at-risk patients, it increases the likelihood of saving a member's life.

As part of the Choose Tomorrow initiative, Superior is partnering with Zero Suicide, a quality improvement model that transforms system-wide suicide prevention and care to save lives. In practical terms, that means integrating the seven elements of the Zero Suicide framework, which experts in the field of suicide prevention have identified as the core components of safe care for individuals with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, into Superior's program development.

In addition to saving lives, Superior's Choose Tomorrow initiative, which is being supported by Centene Corporation, will also help lower health care costs in Texas by decreasing emergency room and inpatient admissions associated with suicide attempts.

"Choose Tomorrow leverages technology to connect people in need with help; it will reduce suicide deaths and prevent the emotional and economic damage that each one represents," said Vale. "It's another example of how Superior is meeting the needs of its communities to improve health care and the lives of our members during unprecedented times."

About Superior HealthPlanFounded in 1999, Superior HealthPlan is a managed care company that delivers quality healthcare throughout Texas. Committed to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time, Superior supports active local involvement in all 254 Texas counties with approximately 4,000 employees in 8 offices throughout the state. Superior is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services. More information on Superior can be found at www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.

About Centene CorporationCentene Corporation, a Fortune 25 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach – with local brands and local teams – to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.

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SOURCE Superior HealthPlan