Worcester, Mass., August 7, 2007― Summit ElderCare, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), announces the appointment of Ashraf F. Elkerm, M.D., as a member of the Summit ElderCare medical team at the planned Leominster site. An internal medicine specialist with extensive experience in treating older patients, Dr. Elkerm will provide comprehensive medical care, including chronic disease management, acute care and preventive care. He will work with other Summit ElderCare geriatrics team members to provide coordinated care and services that allow participants to remain in their own homes and avoid nursing home placement.
Dr. Elkerm comes to Summit ElderCare from the Fallon Clinic Medical Group, where he practiced internal medicine. His interest in providing high-quality medical care for older adults led him to join the medical team at Summit ElderCare.
A resident of Acton, Mass., Dr. Elkerm received his medical degree and master of surgery degree from Alexandria University in Egypt, and completed his residency and fellowship in surgery at Alexandria University Hospitals in 1987. Dr. Elkerm also completed a residency in medicine at Saint Vincent Hospital in 1997, where he served as Chief Medical Resident.
He is board certified in internal medicine and currently serves as an instructor of medicine at UMass Medical School, and is an active member on the UMass Memorial—HealthAlliance medical staff.
Summit ElderCare is sponsored by Fallon Community Health Plan, and is one of six PACE programs in Massachusetts and more than 40 programs nationwide.
About Summit ElderCareSM
Summit ElderCare is an insurance, medical care and social support system all in one convenient package that includes: home care, personal care and even prescription drugs, when approved. Summit ElderCare is one of approximately 40 Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in the country, and the only one in Worcester County. For over a decade, Summit ElderCare, sponsored by Fallon Community Health Plan, has served the needs of elders and their caregivers in Worcester County, Marlborough and Hudson at its locations in Worcester and Charlton.
About FCHP
Founded in 1977, Fallon Community Health Plan provides health care services designed to meet the unique and changing needs of all we serve. FCHP is the only health plan in Massachusetts that is both an insurer and provider of care. Our product portfolio includes a variety of group and individual health plan options (HMO, POS, PPO, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans) featuring flexible and innovative benefit designs. We administer fully-insured and self-insured funding arrangements with customized services for employers. Our uniquely developed provider networks offer high-quality, cost-effective, coordinated care and give our members access to doctors and hospitals throughout Massachusetts. We also offer a broad spectrum of services and programs to ensure our members, at every stage of life, remain as healthy and productive as possible. FCHP is a provider of care through its Summit ElderCareSM program, an advanced and completely integrated program that offers seniors and their caregivers an alternative to nursing home placement. Our continued commitment to deliver high-quality health care and exceptional customer service has earned FCHP consistent ratings as one of the nation’s top health plans. And, FCHP is the only health plan in Massachusetts to have been awarded "Excellent" Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for our HMO, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid products.