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For Immediate Release

Health Plus Celebrates Reading
HMO Supports Ninth Annual B.E.A.R. Day at P.S. 169

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Brooklyn, New York - April 27, 2007 — Yesterday, at P.S. 169 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, managed care organization Health Plus participated in the school’s ninth annual BE EXCITED ABOUT READING Day, better known as B.E.A.R. Day.  Each year, Principal Josephine Santiago explains, the school invites community leaders to visit its classrooms and show the children the importance of literacy by reading aloud to them.  Since the conception of the event, nearly a decade ago, Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus, has been a regular guest reader. (The company’s operational headquarters are located nearby.) This year he was back once again, along with several others from the managed care organization, to spend time reading with the children.

The daylong event kicked off with an assembly in the school’s auditorium where the guest readers were introduced to the students.  The children welcomed their guests with a performance by the school choir, The Special Time Chorus.  The group also enjoyed poetry readings from Darnell Collier, of Legal Lives 91.5 FM, and comedian Alba Sanchez. 

The concept behind this yearly event is to demonstrate -- by having parents, elected officials and local community leaders read aloud to the children -- the importance of reading every day. The children get to enjoy some story time,  which is fun for everyone, but they also get to see how much fun adults have reading, too, which will help them value reading even more as they mature into the community leaders of tomorrow. 

“Each year I look forward to taking part in this event,” said Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus.  “In fact, most of my staff gets pretty excited about B.E.A.R. Day, too.  But it’s more than just a fun day of reading.  P.S. 169 is really giving these kids something special, showing them that reading is something to treasure.  I’m very proud that we at Health Plus can participate and be part of something so important, and I know we all look forward to being back next year.”




Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus, and Melissa Leitman from Pencil, the education advocacy organization, read to students in Mrs. Tom’s class at P.S. 169 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn – just part of Be Excited About Reading Day, (B.E.A.R. Day).

Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus, introduces himself to the fourth-grade students in Mrs. Tom’s class at P.S. 169 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn – just part of Be Excited About Reading Day, (B.E.A.R. Day), an annual event.

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Health Plus, a not-for-profit, multi-cultural organization, is one of the fastest growing managed care organizations in New York City. It was established in 1984 with a commitment to provide coordinated quality health care and improving access to health care for uninsured and underserved families. In its annual review of managed care plans, the New York State Department of Health ranked Health Plus as the top plan for quality in its 2002 and 2003 "Consumer's Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in New York City." Health Plus is New York City's leading provider of Child Health Plus, a New York State Department of Health program that offers parents FREE or low-cost health insurance for children under the age of 19. "CRAIN'S New York Business" magazine ranked Health Plus fifth among the largest health maintenance organizations in the New York area.