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Hudson Health Plan, through a Chronic Illness Demonstration Project, is investigating the value that integrated behavioral and medical health case management brings to stakeholders of a comprehensive assessment and patient assistance program. The New York State Department of Health funds the pilot program dubbed the Westchester Cares Action Program. Hudson Health Plan and its behavioral health vendor, Beacon Health Strategies, are engaged in a 3-year study aimed at improving quality of life and health outcomes while reducing costs for 250 of New York State's highest utilizing, most costly "fee-for service" patients. This article describes the program, the team, and the tools that the program uses. It also discusses the challenges, successes, and lessons learned during its first 15 months of operation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of area of practice, educational level, and membership in a professional organization to political participation and political expectations among a group of 108 registered nurses. "The Political Expectations and Participation Questionnaire" (PEPQ) (Daffin, 1988) was used to identify the nine political roles of voter, campaigner, player, monitor, networker, spokesperson, negotiator, leader, and lobbyist. It was found that nurses with master's or doctoral degrees had significantly higher levels of political participation than did nurses with baccalaureates, associate degrees, or diplomas. Nurse educators were found to have significantly higher levels of political participation than nurses in clinical practice. Members of professional organizations had significantly higher levels of political participation with respect to campaigner, player, and leader roles. No significant differences in levels of political expectation were found with respect to area of practice or membership in a professional organization.