IEHP Honors Plan's First Social Worker

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Mar 14, 2022, 14:21 ET

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is celebrating National Social Work Month by honoring their very first social worker Dennis Kaney, who served residents of the Inland Empire for 16 years before his passing earlier this month.

In speaking with Kaney earlier this year to learn more about his experience as an IEHP Team Member, he described his role as "doing what he loved most"—providing individualized, quality care and support to the region's most vulnerable Members through his work as an IEHP Case Manager.

In January, Kaney met an IEHP Member who had sustained life-threatening injuries in a car accident, leaving the Member with paralysis in their limbs (known as a quadriplegia).

Kaney, who was wheelchair-bound himself, understood the need for multi-level support and wasted no time connecting the Member to resources to aid in the massive life transition. "I believe through my work at IEHP, I am able to do exactly what I am meant to do and use my personal experiences to help someone navigate their new beginning," Kaney said.

Through this connection, Kaney helped the Member discover new ways to manage daily life, including how to travel with a chair, how to write, talk, and how to best utilize available resources and tools.

This ultimately provided the Member with hope and a reminder that their life was in no way over.

"A heartfelt connection provides more care to the human spirit than we realize," said Jarrod McNaughton, IEHP's Chief Executive Officer. "As we honor Dennis and observe Social Work Month, we celebrate the spirit of all social workers who bring courage and empathy to a world that desperately needs their light and love."

About IEHP
With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 25^th year, IEHP is supporting more than 1.5 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,500 providers and nearly 2,500 Team Members. Through dynamic partnerships with Providers and Community Organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org.

SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)