Anthem Blue Cross 2007 Annual Report Download - page 10

8Customer First : : www.wellpoint.com/annualreport/2007
ADRIEN BONG : : Medicaid member
Fresno, California
On Easter Sunday 2005, Adrien Bong had a severe anaphylactic reaction. It was the  rst sign
of allergies the 8-year-old boy had ever shown. The reaction left him covered from head to
toe with red patches that looked like hives. From that day on, Adrien, a Medicaid (known
as Medi-Cal in California) member, was hypersensitive to more than 80 different allergens.
After his  rst attack, Adrien suffered these reactions so frequently that he was in and out
of the emergency room almost every week. He couldn’t play with his own toys, let alone
play outside. Because he could not be around other children, he was home-schooled.
His parents, Rachelle Castillo and Eric Bong, were told by two specialists that they had
only three choices: keep Adrien isolated and hope that he might grow out of the condition,
begin a risky new treatment, or continue using a medication that wasn’t working.
“Those choices weren’t good enough for me,” said Pat Browne, R.N., a WellPoint
state-sponsored business pediatric specialty manager. She got Rachelle a referral to
Dr. William Ebbeling, a renowned allergy/immunology specialist. (See story at right.)
Adrien was also helped by Anthem Blue Cross of California’s Community Resource
Center (CRC), a walk-in facility that works with other community-based organizations to
secure individualized care for Medicaid members. The CRC coordinated Adrien’s care,
making sure that both he and Dr. Ebbeling had access to all the local resources that
might aid in Adrien’s treatment.
For example, Karen Kitchen, a WellPoint senior health promotion consultant, helped
Rachelle work with her landlord, her utility company, and other organizations to conduct
an environmental assessment. Together, they “allergy-proofed” her apartment.
“When I  rst paid the family a visit, Adrien was so sick that he had to wear a mask.
He couldn’t even come close to me,” said Karen. “Since seeing Dr. Ebbeling, Adrien is
back to doing what 10-year-olds should do — going to school with his friends, playing
sports, and being a kid.”
“I couldn’t have gotten through this without Karen and Pat,” Rachelle said. “They
were in touch almost every day. We were at a breaking point — without Karen and Pat,
Adrien wouldn’t be here today.”
DR. WILLIAM EBBELING : : Immunology
specialist, Fresno, California
Adrien’s family was eager to have him
evaluated by a local specialist, in order to
minimize the boy’s travel time and further
exposure to irritants.
Dr. William Ebbeling is one of the few
allergists in Fresno who is certi ed both
by the American Board of Allergy and
Immunology and by the American Board
of Pediatrics. Dr. Ebbeling does not usually
treat Medicaid patients, however, so
Anthem Blue Cross arranged for him to
be brought into its network to work with
unique patients such as Adrien.
“There was a new substance on the
market that had a very high potential for
helping Adrien,” Dr. Ebbeling said. “So we
went through the whole process of getting
approval for the treatment. Within weeks,
he was back to normal. The insurance
company, the case managers, and the
physician all worked together. It’s that
kind of good relationship that works to
the bene t of the patient.”
Dr. Ebbeling started his practice in
Fresno after a distinguished 27-year
military career, which included heading
the Allergy/Immunology Division at the
National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda
from 1989 to 1993, during which he was
the U.S. Navy allergy consultant to the White
House for President George H.W. Bush.
Finding local help for a child with severe allergies