Experienced Healthcare Executive Joins Management Team at Local Health Plan
Santa Barbara, CA – July 9, 2019 – CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, recently welcomed Terri Howell to the organization as its new Director of Provider Services. Howell will lead the Provider Services department, overseeing contract negotiation, improving overall health outcomes of members, and ensuring positive relationships with contracted providers of the health plan. Reporting to CenCal Health Chief Operating Office Paul Jaconette, she will supervise a department of twenty-five employees.
Howell has more than 30 years of managed care experience and 25 years of Medi-Cal knowledge. She has demonstrated success in sales and marketing, and developing strategies to drive membership growth. “Terri brings a breadth and depth of Medicaid experience to this organization,” said Jaconette. “We’re delighted to have her join our team.”
Prior to joining CenCal Health, Terri Howell worked at both Health Net, Inc. and Foundation Health. Launching her career at Foundation Health, she served as the Customer Contact Center Manager, directing daily operations within a statewide, multilingual 24/7 call center, encompassing two sites with 17 languages represented. While there, she successfully built the Member Relations Department, an outbound call center to welcome new members and help them access the care they needed.
Howell also served as Provider Relations Manager at Health Net, establishing and maintaining critical relationships with providers in Stanislaus County. She served as the Director of State Health Program Sales, managing eight Central Valley counties, earning two awards for membership growth in the Medi-Cal arena. Most recently, Howell served as Health Net’s Director of Provider Relations, overseeing the development and operation of the statewide department.
Howell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing from the University of Phoenix. She also participated in the Harvard Negotiation Project, and has had extensive leadership training from the Central Valley Health Policy Institute. Howell has relocated to Santa Barbara from the Sacramento area.
About CenCal Health: CenCal Health’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve by providing access to high quality health services, along with education and outreach, for our membership. As a public entity, CenCal Health is a community-accountable health plan partnering with over 1,500 local physicians, hospitals and other providers in delivering exceptional patient care to more than 175,000 members – about one in four residents of Santa Barbara County and one in five residents of San Luis Obispo County. Established in 1983, it is the oldest managed Medicaid plan of its kind in the nation. CenCal Health employs close to 250 people at offices in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and contributes approximately $50 million a month into the local economy, primarily through payments to healthcare providers who serve their membership. wwwqa.cencalhealth.org/
CenCal Health Contact: Nicolette Worley Marselian 1 (805) 685-9525 ext. 1993 nworleymarselian@cencalhealth.org