Riverside County Official Receives National Honorable Mention Award

Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Regional Manager

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., March 1, 2021 Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Regional Manager, has been awarded one of this year’s honorable mentions by the Association for Community Affiliated plans (ACAP). Nominated for the Leadership in Advocacy Award by Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), Daniels was recognized for his decade-long partnership and immense dedication to providing healthcare access to underserved populations in the community. 

In a nomination letter to ACAP, Jarrod McNaughton, IEHP chief executive officer, commended Daniels for being a tireless advocate in the support and promotion of Medicaid and the populations it serves in Riverside County, including low-income individuals, seniors and persons with a disability, and those with significant health needs.

“In order for a community-based health plan to thrive, partners like Matt are essential,” said McNaughton. “Matt continues to fight with passion and purpose to ensure care and support for more than 870,000 Medicaid eligible individuals in Riverside County. Matt’s efforts illustrate what it means to care for your neighbors. We look forward to continued collaboration in our efforts to heal and inspire the human spirit and are thrilled ACAP has recognized him in this way.”

ACAP, an association comprised of 78 not-for-profit, community-based Safety Net Health Plans across the country, awards one individual each year for their advocacy of Medicaid and other safety net health programs. Due to the overwhelming number of outstanding nominations, ACAP has included honorable mentions in this year’s Annual ACAP CEO Summit.

“Thank you, IEHP for the nomination and to ACAP for recognizing me and the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) with this honorable mention,” said Daniels. “It is the mission of Riverside County DPSS to serve the residents of Riverside County and to establish partnerships with other agencies, such as IEHP, with the goal of exceptional service delivery.  There are many wonderful, dedicated people in Riverside County DPSS who work hard to ensure our partnerships are a success and that our residents receive the healthcare benefits they need.”

In his nomination letter, McNaughton also highlighted several projects and key initiatives Daniels and his team collaborated with the health plan on—noting these projects were the first of their kind. Projects included the development and implementation of processes to help Members keep their benefits, collaboration to reinstate more than 1,000 Riverside Medicaid residents who were mistakenly disenrolled during the pandemic, and efforts to better support various Member groups by leveraging data.

“We’re truly inspired by Matt and his dedication to his community and are proud of him for receiving this award,” said Thomas Pham, IEHP vice president of strategy. “The insight Matt brings to the table is genuine, comes from the heart and has really made a difference, especially in the meaningful and urgent work we’ve done to address the on-going public health crisis.”

In recognition of his honorable mention, Daniels was presented with a plaque and has been invited to virtually attend this year’s Annual ACAP CEO Summit in June.

To learn more about ACAP and the Leadership and Advocacy Award, visit: https://www.communityplans.net/acap-leadership-in-advocacy-award/

About IEHP

IEHP, Inland Empire Health Plan, is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. With a network of more than 6,400 Providers and more than 2,000 employees, IEHP serves more than 1.3 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan). Through a dynamic partnership with Providers and Community, award-winning service and innovative products, IEHP is fully committed to advocating for our Members and providing them with quality, accessible and wellness-based health care services. For more information, visit iehp.org.