At CHHSM's Annual Meeting in March, Pension Boards-UCC President and CEO Michael Downs presented a practicum session about the expanding CHHSM-Pension Boards partnership. United Church News covered the story in its April-May 2007 issue; read the article online here.
Earlier this month, CHHSM convened a meeting to continue our work with the Pension Boards. On April 18, CHHSM's Business Services Committee, their guests, Vice-President for Business Services Mike Readinger and I gathered with Michael Downs, president and CEO of the Pension Boards-UCC and his leadership team. We are grateful to the CHHSM members and guests who traveled to Cleveland for the meeting:
- Lisa Fichera, Phoebe Ministries
- Greg Cardwell-Copenhefer, Brooklawn Child and Family Services
- Tim Hackett, United Church Homes
- Darlene Sowell, Uhlich Children's Advantage Network
- Ed Poush, Mayflower Homes
- Steve Cicak, consultant to Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF)
- Shana Hart, Medco , Medco Health Solutions
Prior to the meeting, Mike Readinger canvassed the committee by phone and online to determine the most viable programs that the Pension Boards and CHHSM can offer to CHHSM members in the coming months. Four programs emerged as being worthy of further study and investigation: Specialty Pharmacy, Retirement Plans, "just in time" unit dose delivery of pharmaceuticals and CHHSM Health, a program that we began exploring in 2005 and 2006.
At the meeting, we discussed each new prospective program and developed lists of CHHSM members who might be interested in learning more about the benefits available through the CHHSM-Pension Boards partnership. In the coming months, Mike Readinger will be in touch with many of you to discuss your ministry's health care and retirement plan needs, as well as specific pharmacy needs among our members who provide services to the aging.
We're especially pleased to note that, through a staff restructuring, the Pension Boards has increased its capacity to work with CHHSM ministries. New General Counsel Jim Herod has provided Vice President Don Barnes with more time to oversee health plans and other services that serve CHHSM, and new Director of Health Plans, Frank Loiacono, will provide day-to-day management for CHHSM ministries' health services. Ken Ulmer, who is retiring after five years as director of health plans, will continue to consult for the Pension Boards to ensure the continuity of their services to CHHSM members. To learn more now about the Pension Boards expertise can benefit your ministry, read Jim Herod's article on the special advantages available to retirement plans for ministries of the church within the present federal tax code.
Would you like to know more about how CHHSM and the Pension Boards can work together to benefit your ministry? Please email Mike or call him at 866-822-8224 ext. 2258 with your questions.
We are grateful for our continued partnership with the Pension Boards-UCC, and we look forward to providing you with new innovative programs developed in the spirit of our common UCC values.
Bryan W. Sickbert
President/CEO
