Horizon NJ Health Offers Work-Based Learning for Special Needs Students

(West Trenton, NJ — February 11, 2005) — Horizon NJ Health today announced its participation in a Mercer County Special Services (MCSS) School District program that will bring five Mercer junior-senior high school students for weekly visits to the company for a firsthand experience of the world of work. The students, who began the experience on January 31, 2005, return weekly to Horizon NJ Health offices for seven work experiences, accompanied by their job coaches or mentors from MCSS. The students have been assigned to various departments to learn skills to help them obtain employment after school.

"We welcome these students and know that they can benefit from an opportunity to do more than observe — they now have the chance to explore, learn, and improve upon their skills as individuals for a better future through a variety of work-based learning experiences," commented Karen L. Clark, President and Chief Operating Officer for Horizon NJ Health, the state's largest managed health care company for the publicly insured. "Horizon NJ Health is a part of the Mercer County community, and we are indeed honored to participate in this program with the Mercer County Special Services School District."

"We appreciate the participation of Horizon NJ Health in this school-based, structured learning experience," commented Liz Flynn, MCSS Job Coach. "Our mission, for these students with significant disabilities and special needs, is to help provide innovative and integrated programs to better equip the students for a more successful and productive life."

One of the Horizon NJ Health employees, Pamela Persichilli, RNC, Director for Utilization Management, has had personal and direct experience with a similar program at MCSS. Persichilli noted, "I have found this program to be quite successful, and I am delighted to be a part of it here at Horizon NJ Health. Because of this experience, a young man with special needs now has a job in the community — a job he has held for the past two and a half years. He never would have had such success without this experience."

Two students have been assigned to Pamela Persichill's department.

Horizon NJ Health is New Jersey's largest managed health care company serving the publicly insured, providing health services to more than 276,000 people in all 21 New Jersey counties. Headquartered in West Trenton, NJ, Horizon NJ Health is a subsidiary of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ). Horizon NJ Health's Web site is located at www.horizonNJhealth.com.

Horizon BCBSNJ, with headquarters in Newark, is New Jersey's largest health insurer, providing coverage to more than 3.1 million people. Horizon BCBSNJ's Web site is located at www.horizonblue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.