WellCare Honors Elizabeth, New Jersey Director of Health and Human Services with CommUnity Hero Award

NEWARK, N.J. and TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of New Jersey, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc., WCG, announced today that it awarded its annual CommUnity Hero Award to Krishna Garlic, director of Health and Human Services for the city of Elizabeth, in recognition of her commitment to improving the lives of Medicaid members and the social safety net upon which so many rely.

WellCare's CommUnity Hero Awards recognize unsung community members who are dedicated to improving their communities through health care, community action and advocacy.

"Krishna's entire career has been dedicated to improving her community," said Aviva Woog, a community advocacy manager for WellCare of New Jersey. "She leads by example to empower others to strive for excellence and to improve systems for those most in need by focusing not only on the state of their health, but on the care and services they need. She collaborates with local organizations on initiatives to improve the lives of those in her community."

Garlic has been the director of Health and Human Services since 2013. Prior to that, she was the longtime chief executive officer for Brand New Day, Inc., a housing development organization dedicated to providing affordable housing for low-income residents in Elizabeth. Garlic is also a member of WellCare's HealthConnections Council, which supports the social safety net through collaboration with local social service agencies and community leaders.

"Supporting the health and wellness of our residents, Director Garlic continues to spearhead programs that raise awareness as well as increase knowledge throughout our community," said Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. "From walkathons to health fairs, she works closely with local organizations to enhance the distribution of information, apply innovative approaches and increase the accessibility to resources. Her dedicated efforts are deserving of this honor."

Garlic said her motto is: "Carpe Diem, which means seize the day, and put aside all differences, fears and worries and just go for it."

"Krishna exemplifies the kind of community partner we seek to honor with this award," said John Kirchner, state president of WellCare of New Jersey. "She connects the community's underserved populations with much needed resources, empathy and care to help them live better, healthier lives."

As of Dec. 31, 2015, WellCare serves approximately 54,000 Medicaid members, 2,300 Long-Term Care members, 1,000 Medicare Advantage members and 23,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in New Jersey.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. WCG focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2015. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.