Blue Shield of California is pleased to sponsor three in-services through our AwareCaretraining programs, available at no cost to our participating physicians’ office staff.

AGESense is a program designed to help participants become more sensitive to thespecial needs of older patients. Participants receive a personal look at the lives ofseniors by simulating sensory losses and other age-related concerns. Also included isa Cultural Awareness training, which helps participants recognize that patients’cultural beliefs may affect interactions with healthcare providers.

That Extra Touch is designed to teach participants how to incorporate a special,personal touch when interacting with patients. This program includes stressmanagement and telephone skills as well as discussions on maintaining a positiverelationship with patients while emphasizing the importance of patient satisfactionand retention. Also included is an in-depth Cultural Awareness training, which helpsparticipants learn communication skills and become familiar with techniques toimprove interactions with diverse patient populations.

Our newest program, Blue Shield Against Violence is designed to train participants torecognize the signs of domestic abuse (including child and elder abuse), as well as equipthem with the necessary tools to respond appropriately. Participants are taught thefundamentals of what characterizes domestic violence and its victims. Mandated reportersand non-mandated reporters alike will learn about the extremely delicate task ofcommunicating with and gaining the trust of their patients who may have suffered throughsuch abuse and the critical “do’s and don’ts” of approaching a patient about suspected abuse.Legal requirements and restrictions pertaining to the level of involvement and guidanceappropriate for the physician and/or their staff when responding to such a situation arecovered. Local, state and national resources are supplied.

Each in-service is a fully interactive hour-and-a-half to two hour program, usually conductedduring the lunch hour. To maximize the benefits of the program, a minimum of 18participants and a maximum of 30 are recommended.

If you would like to schedule one of these programs,please contact Farrah Fisher in the Blue Shield Provider Relations department

at 800-256-1130.

training programs

Last Revised: April 2003

AwareCare