Anthem Blue Cross 2002 Annual Report Download - page 11

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7
Before Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield nurse care manager Tammy Tyndall became
involved, Janice Lotz was a frustrated, struggling asthma sufferer.
Initially diagnosed with emphysema, Janice came down with bronchitis three years ago. She
was told she could keep smoking and live no more than six months, or quit smoking and live
perhaps another two or two-and-a-half years. But a pulmonary specialist found Janice also
suffered from asthma.
Although she got some relief from her asthma medications, Janice was still in trouble. Quitting
smoking caused her to gain a great deal of weight. No one worked with her to make sure
she used the medication properly. “I fooled around with it a lot, but my breathing wasn’t
getting any better,” she says. “I wasn’t able to walk at all. I couldn’t even laugh…my breath got
too short.”
In September of 2002, Tammy connected with Janice and offered to put her in Anthem’s
asthma management program. The results have been dramatic.
“She has helped me. Period,” says Janice, an Anthem member in Staunton, Va. “At first she
was calling me every other day to check up on me. She answered all of my weird questions. She
got me stable on my medications. She contacted my doctor, and he worked out a treatment
plan for me.”
Today, Janice walks a mile at a time, weather permitting. Managing her medications has
allowed her to work without constant discomfort and improved her state of mind. Tammy still
calls every couple of weeks to monitor her progress, “and I know I can call her anytime I need
help and she’ll be there,” Janice says. “If she calls and I’m not here, she has permission to make
my husband tell her if I’m OK.” She laughs as she says it. Something she couldn’t have done
just a few months earlier.
Janice Lotz