CHC BRINGS FEDERAL COMPLIANCE TO GUAM’S PUBLIC WELFARE SYSTEM Public Health Replaces Old System with New, Federally Compliant PAGU System to Better Serve Public Welfare Clients MANGILAO, GU – January 17, 2006: Long lines and long waits will soon be a thing of the past for Guam’s public welfare recipients, much to the relief of clients and caseworkers alike. Surrounded by mounds of application folders, caseworkers at Public Health are frustrated at their inability to respond quickly to the needs of their clients – people who are often in crisis and need immediate assistance. Help is on the way. CHC, Inc. announced today the transition and training stage for PAGU (Public Assistance for Guam), the new, federally compliant computer system for the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS). The transition and training period will run from February to April of 2006. Projected to go live on or about May 1, 2006, PAGU creates a paper-free, on-line application process eliminating the current 16-page paper application. PAGU allows clients to be interviewed the same day they apply, often allowing them to receive benefits the following day. By automating the entire process, PAGU eliminates the current six to eight week processing time. Joseph Diaz, Acting Administrator of the Bureau of Economic Security said, “PAGU will dramatically increase customer service and decrease the time it will take to deliver benefits.” PAGU’s flexible on-line inquiry capability facilitates production of reports providing management insight into the operation, while releasing caseworkers from performing repetitive steps, allowing them to re-focus their priorities on core competencies. The system also automatically compiles all mandatory federal reports to ensure federal grants are not jeopardized. Additionally, PAGU detects fraud by automatically interfacing with federal and local agencies to validate reported client information. Gregg Saxton, Regional Manager for Food & Nutrition Services of the USDA stated, “With PAGU, Guam meets all requirements to ensure federal compliance and has the potential to lead the nation in public assistance systems.” PAGU seamlessly handles TANF, Food Stamps, General Assistance, Medicaid, Medically Indigent Program (MIP), Child Care Resource Referral, and Employment Tracking to ensure comprehensive client service. About CHC At CHC, our mission is to harness information to enable clients to make better, more informed decisions. CHC systems gather, store, analyze, and provide access to this needed data for business and government. CHC clients obtain and retrieve reliable, consistent, understandable data that is both timely and easily manipulated. CHC is a privately held, Austin, Texas based corporation providing software and hardware solutions internationally to Fortune 500® corporations, government entities and small business. About DPHSS For more information on DPHSS, visit http://www.dphss.govguam.net/. About USDA Food & Nutrition Service For more information on the USDA Food & Nutrition Service, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/default.htm Contact Information Jennifer Rush Business Development Manager 808-217-7099 jrush@chc-usa.com |
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