Noted State Government Medical Director Dr. Stephen Saunders To Join APS ...( WHITE PLAINS N.Y. Dec. 8 /- APS Healt...),Health

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- APS Healthcare, Inc., one of the country's leading specialty healthcare companies, has announced that Stephen E. Saunders, MD, MPH, will join as its chief medical officer. As the company's medical leader, Dr. Saunders will oversee company-wide quality improvement activities, guide clinical product development, and provide oversight to APS medical directors and physicians.

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Dr. Saunders previously served as the medical director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. He provided medical direction for Medicaid and other public programs and acted as physician provider liaison. Saunders developed and implemented statewide disease management and care coordination projects focusing on the physical and mental health for 220,000 participants and establishing a comprehensive Primary Care Case Management ("medical home") program for 1.7 million beneficiaries. He is viewed nationally as a leader in disease management and total health management, and was part of the team that developed and implemented the groundbreaking Illinois Medicaid program.

"Dr. Saunders is a great addition to our team. He is a national thought leader in the design of new approaches to managing chronic illnesses and promoting wellness among Medicaid populations and other special needs groups," said Jerry Vaccaro, MD, president and COO of APS. "He will be a tremendous asset to APS at a time when our nation is gearing up for accelerated healthcare reform. Steve has a proven ability to create new programs that improve peoples' lives and control government spending on healthcare."

Dr. Saunders' distinguished career includes service as associate director of the Illinois Department of Human Services and as division
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