Dan’s Rosé Soirée coming to Nova’s Ark in Water Mill 
 MetroPlusHealth ranks No. 1 in 2020 Medicaid Quality Incentive Program 
 BY QNS STAFF 
 In a year that saw unprecedented  
 challenges within the  
 entire  health  care  community, 
  MetroPlusHealth, New  
 York City’s Health Plan, was  
 ranked number one among all  
 15 New York State Medicaid  
 plans in overall quality, according  
 to the New York State  
 Department  of  Health’s  2020  
 Quality Incentive results. 
 “While  we  have  consistently  
 scored  high  in  quality, 
  having achieved the No. 1  
 spot during a global pandemic  
 speaks volumes about the dedicated  
 people at our company  
 who rose to the occasion,” said  
 Dr. Talya Schwartz, president  
 and CEO of MetroPlusHealth. 
 As  New  York  City  shut  
 down in March of 2020, the  
 staff  of  MetroPlusHealth  pivoted  
 to remote work as entire  
 departments were redeployed. 
 As  part  of  COVID-19  operations, 
  while family, friends  
 and co-workers were dealing  
 with personal challenges as a  
 result  of  the spreading virus,  
 new protocols were put into  
 place and support and communications  
 to members were  
 intensified. 
 “Navigating through unchartered  
 territories was key  
 during  this  time,”  said  Dr.  
 Schwartz. “We were there for  
 our  members  assisting  with  
 needed care, COVID-19 testing  
 and day-to-day essentials. It  
 was during this time that our  
 membership surged by 15 percent  
 to  over  600,000  and  then  
 continued growing to over  
 620,000  members  this  year,”  
 she added. 
 Key factors contributing  
 to the top ranking, where MetroPlusHealth  
 scored above  
 90  percent  of  state  benchmarks, 
   included  care  related  
 to diabetes, hypertension,  
 substance abuse disorders  
 and  mental  illness.  The  plan  
 cites its streamlined process  
 of  working  with  NYC  Health  
 + Hospitals and its community  
 TIMESLEDGER   |   Q 18     NS.COM   |   JULY 23-JULY 29, 2021 
 providers in exchanging  
 data, education and member  
 support, and working to bring  
 members in for care, especially  
 those with the highest and  
 most immediate needs. 
 The New York State Quality  
 Incentive program is based  
 on reporting and measurement  
 from medical care in the  
 prior calendar year. A plan’s  
 score and ranking in the program  
 indicates the quality  
 of  care provided  to  the plan’s  
 members relative to all plans  
 in  the  Medicaid  Managed  
 Care market.  The  data  evaluated  
 considers  national  standards  
 of  care,  state-specific  
 measures and consumer input  
 and assessment. 
 Rates of performance in  
 Medicaid managed  care  have  
 increased  steadily  over  the  
 last decade. 
 New York State Medicaid  
 plans have demonstrated a  
 high level of care compared to  
 national averages. For many  
 domains of care, the gap in  
 performance between commercial  
 coverage and Medicaid  
 managed care has been decreasing  
 and,  in  some  cases,  
 has  been  completely  closed  
 since the Quality Incentive  
 Program was implemented. 
 “Just a few months ago,”  
 Dr. Schwartz said, “we and  
 other Medicaid Managed Care  
 plans were concerned about  
 the viability of this program  
 given  some  of  the  state  cuts.  
 Fortunately,  some  of  those  
 cuts  were  partially  restored  
 and allowed us and others to  
 continue to focus on quality  
 and adherence to standards of  
 care for our members.” 
 Partial restoration of state  
 funding  also  allowed  Metro- 
 PlusHealth  to  support  the  
 provider community, through  
 monetary means, as well as  
 operationally,  to  create  and  
 sustain the infrastructure  
 and the personnel needed to  
 focus  on  this  aspect  of  care  
 delivery. 
 “We could not be prouder  
 of our team and our provider  
 partners,” Dr. Schwartz  
 said. “We are grateful to the  
 MetroPlusHealth staff who  
 once again demonstrated the  
 enormous value of Metro- 
 PlusHealth  and  the  Health  +  
 Hospitals’  system  to  all  New  
 Yorkers.” 
 BY QNS STAFF 
 Did you miss your chance  
 to  purchase  tickets  to  Dan’s  
 Chefs  of  the  North  Fork?  Or  
 have  you  attended  both  the  
 2021  Chefs  of  the  Hamptons  
 and  Chefs  of  the  North  Fork  
 events  and  you’re  ready  for  
 round  three?  Either  way,  
 we’ve  got  just  the  thing  for  
 you: Dan’s Rosé Soirée! 
 Typically  our  Memorial  
 Day  kickoff  to  summer,  Rosé  
 Soirée  has  moved  to  the  end  
 of  July  this  year,  now acting  
 as  the  epic  conclusion  to  the  
 first wave of Dan’s Taste 2021  
 events.  You  read  that  right:  
 We’ve  got  another  exciting  
 wave  of  can’t-miss  events  
 coming  this August and September, 
  but for now, let’s talk  
 Rosé Soirée. 
 Rosé  Soirée  takes  place  
 Saturday,  July  24,  at  the  renowned  
 Nova’s  Ark  Projectin  
 Water  Mill  —  the  Hamptons’ 
   largest privately owned  
 sculpture  park  and  art  center, 
   featuring  the  works  of  
 founder  Nova  Mihai  Popa.  
 The  event  is  hosted  by  Fox  5  
 Good  Day  New  York  anchor  
 Rosanna  Scotto  and  features  
 reserved  outdoor  seating  
 with  a  multi-course  tasting  
 and  pairing  menu  from  the  
 East End’s top chefs, but more  
 on the food later. 
 As  always,  Rosé  Soirée  
 boasts a wide selection of the  
 Hamptons’  favorite  summer  
 drink,  rosé  wine,  as  well  as  
 other  wines  from  vineyards  
 across  the  East  End  and  beyond, 
   tons  of  specialty  spirits, 
   cocktails  and  beers.  Featured  
 wineries  include  local  
 favorites Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 
   Paumanok  Vineyards,  
 Palmer  Vineyards,  RGNY,  
 Pindar  Vineyards,  Clovis  
 Point  Vineyard,  Borghese  
 Vineyard  &  Winery,  McCall  
 Wines,  Jamesport  Vineyards  
 and Chronicle Wines, as well  
 as renowned wines from Monte  
 Xanic,  The  Expressionist,  
 The Great Oregon Wine Company  
 and  Jesse  Bongiovi’s  
 Hampton Water. A sommelier  
 will circulate throughout the  
 event  providing  details  and  
 explanations  of  each  wine.  
 (Check DansTaste.com for  the  
 latest  updates  on  wine  offerings!) 
 Each  course  features  
 dishes prepared by the Hamptons  
 and  North  Fork’s  most  
 beloved  chefs  and  perfectly  
 paired with a refreshing rosé.  
 These  chefs  are  masters  of  
 bringing  the  richest  flavors  
 out  of  the  freshest  ingredients, 
   and  they’re  sure  to  impress  
 even food connoisseurs  
 with  the  most  discerning  of  
 palettes.  And  where  there’s  
 wine,  there’s  often  chocolate  
 or  another  sweet  to  enjoy  it  
 with,  and  Rosé  Soirée  delivers  
 in a big way — showcasing  
 two  innovative  North  Fork  
 chocolatiers and the queen of  
 the  Westhampton  Beach  ice  
 cream scene. 
 The  2021  Dan’s  Rosé  
 Soirée  chef  roster  includes  
 the following: 
 SCOTT  KAMPF:  Union  
 Sushi  &  Steak  in  Southampton 
 BOB  ABRAMS:  Calissa  
 in Water Mill 
 SPIRO  KARACHOPAN:  
 Spiro’s in Rocky Point 
 SAMEER  MOHAN:  
 Saaz  Indian  Cuisine  in  
 Southampton 
 RAUL  CRUZ:  Bamboo  
 Restaurant in Southampton 
 STEVEN  AMARAL:  
 North  Fork  Chocolate  
 Companyin Aquebogue 
 URSULA  XVII:  Disset  
 Chocolate in Cutchogue 
 ELYSE  RICHMAN:  
 Shock Ice Cream in Westhampton  
 Beach 
 ZACH  ERDEM:  75 Main  
 in Southampton 
 EVAN  SAYER:  NAIA  
 Hamptons in Southampton 
 ED  MCFARLAND:  Ed’s  
 Lobster Bar in Sag Harbor 
 A  portion  of  Rosé  Soirée  
 ticket proceeds will be donated  
 to  local  nonprofit  organizations. 
  These groups include  
 Little  Flower  Children  and  
 Family Services of New York,  
 a charity serving people with  
 developmental  disabilities  
 across  Long  Island  and  New  
 York  City;  All  For  The  East  
 End  (AFTEE),  which  raises  
 funds  for  more  than  1,000  
 East  End  charity  organizations  
 and helps those in need  
 directly through its Feed the  
 Need  program;  and  US  Autism  
 Homes, which provides  
 safe,  independent  and  joyful  
 living  for  autistic  adults  
 living in Southampton and  
 beyond. 
 Once  again,  Dan’s  Rosé  
 Soirée  is  on  Saturday,  July  
 24, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Nova’s  
 Ark  Project. Nova’s  Ark  is  located  
 at  60  Millstone  Road,  
 Water  Mill.  Early  bird  general  
 admission  tickets  are  
 $150,  and  VIP  tickets,  which  
 include lounge seating and an  
 exclusive bar, are $250. 
 Get  tickets  at  DansTaste. 
 com before you miss out on this  
 unique wine and dining  experience. 
  The website also offers  
 a sneak peek of our next wave  
 of  events:  Dan’s  Grill  Hampton, 
  Dan’s Taste of Two Forks,  
 Dan’s Dinner in the Vines and  
 more!  All  Dan’s  Taste  2021  
 events  are  intended  only  for  
 adults at least 21 years of age. 
 The chefs of Dan’s Rosé Soirée 
 Photo via Getty Images 
 
				
/NS.COM
		/DansTaste.com