Clinical Excellence Award – Cindy LaCour

United Healthcare presented its Clinical Excellence Award to Cindy LaCour, Director of Social Services at Candlewood Valley Health and Rehabilitation (C.V.H.R.) located at 30 Park Lane East, New Milford, CT on Wednesday, May 12, 2021.

Erin Platt, United Healthcare’s Optum Physician Assistant, who works on-sight at C.V.H.R. with Ms. LaCour, said, “The award is given to individuals who work in long-term skilled nursing facilities and go above and beyond to care for residents, or make an impact in clinical care within their nursing home.”

Nicole Logue, United Healthcare’s Optum Clinical Services Manager, added that, “Cindy is someone who has always advocated for the nursing home residents. As Cindy humbly said, ‘That is my job, I’m a social worker. And any social worker that doesn’t care for the residents or patients isn’t doing their job.’ She helps families and patients understand the options they have at the end of life to make informed decisions. Cindy’s role isn’t always easy…especially when she has to deliver bad news of a poor prognosis. She has had to deliver this information alongside our Physician Assistant, Erin Platt. Sometimes it can be challenging to help a family understand when goals of care are not appropriate for the member. Cindy does all of this in stride, and confidence. Families trust Cindy and often want her input.”

“Throughout the past year and all of the hardship that has resulted, she continues to support our Optum members and their families.”

In response to receiving the award, Cindy LaCour says, “I am shocked and honored to receive this award. I was just doing my job. The folks at Optum make it easy to work with them – so we are all a team, and it is a team effort.”

Ms. Logue continues by explaining, “Optum is a benefit of the United Healthcare plan and by implementing it patients receive better care at more affordable rates. What sets our model of care apart from others is we do more of a preventative care approach for our members. We see all of our members every single month to prevent a change in condition. We review their medications, and chronic conditions to ensure they have the best treatment plan in place for them. Where others models of care only see patients when they have a change in condition or acute illness. We also provide a lot of communication to our families. For example, having goals of care conversations. We strive to ensure our families are well informed and educated to know what options they have. For example, treating a patient in place at the nursing home instead of transferring them to the hospital for all of their care.”

For more information on Candlewood Valley Health and Rehabilitation visit www.candlewoodvalley.com or call 860-355-0971. For more information on United Healthcare’s Optum benefit contact Nicole Logue, APRN, Clinical Services Manager at Nicole.logue@optum.com.

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