Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson joined Department of General Services Acting Secretary James Creedon and a host of state government agency representatives yesterday to announce $2.2 million in savings through the multi-agency Health and Human Services Call Center (HHSCC).

"Governor Rendell challenged his entire administration to look for more innovative and efficient ways to improve the quality of services and programs we provide, while lowering the costs of serving our customers at the same time," Dr. Johnson said. "Nearly a year and $2.2 million in savings later, we are able to say we made it happen -- a 45 percent reduction in the HHSCC's commonwealth help line expenditures."

"In addition to saving Pennsylvania's taxpayers $2.2 million, the consolidated health and human services call center will streamline call center operations across state government and improve the speed and quality of service for Pennsylvanians," said Creedon.

The HHSCC, which opened on Aug. 1, 2004, consolidates seven separate, but related, help lines from four state agencies - Health, Public Welfare, Aging and Insurance. Currently the help lines are: Healthy Baby; Healthy Kids; Special Kids Network (CHIP and Medicaid); Recreation & Leisure; adultBasic; Lead Information Line; and Long-Term Care.

According to Department of Insurance Deputy Commissioner Patricia Stromberg, the call center provides her department an opportunity to promote the CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) and adultBasic programs.

"CHIP and adultBasic provide critically needed health insurance to adults and children in Pennsylvania," Stromberg said. "As part of the Health and Human Services collaborative effort, callers asking for information about our programs can be directed to other services that are available to them."

Plans for the future include using the HHSCC as the framework for a statewide 211 program, which would bring together all the state's information-referral networks. This way, there would be one easy system where all Pennsylvanians could turn for their human services needs.