Community Health Plan of Washington adds Regional Manager for Grays Harbor/Pacific counties area

Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW), the Washington managed care plan providing Apple Health (Medicaid), Medicare and Individual & Family health plans, has appointed Debra Duplessis to the role of Regional Manager, Regional Systems Integration, for the Great Rivers and Thurston Mason regions of the state. 

This includes Grays Harbor, Pacific, Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. 

CHPW says that Duplessis’ appointment is an important step in advancing CHPW’s on-the-ground support for its members across Washington.  

“Our community partners play a critical role in providing CHPW members with a team of locally-based health care experts and service providers. By fostering these partnerships, CHPW’s regional managers are true champions of our members’ health and well-being,” said Connie Mom-Chhing, Senior Director of Regional Systems Integration of Community Health Plan of Washington. “With Debra’s vast experience in behavioral health and social work, she brings a fresh perspective to both the growing regional team and the work to address health disparities in her community.”

Duplessis will serve as a liaison between the communities and the health plan to meet the unique health needs of CHPW members. A resident of the Centralia area, Duplessis is already familiar with the behavioral health providers, hospitals and cross system partners in the region and statewide. 

She will be working alongside community partners to strengthen the integrated health care experience in her communities and for CHPW’s growing statewide regional manager team. 

Duplessis comes to the role with over 30 years of experience in social work, counseling and mental health along with knowledge of local resources.

Prior to CHPW, Duplessis served as a Crisis Services Counselor and Psychiatric Emergency Services Counselor at Providence Saint Peter’s Hospital, as well as positions in social work and mental health and served in the U.S. Army for more than two decades.

Duplessis has received endorsements as a Washington State Child Mental Health Specialist and a trainer in the Domestic Violence Perpetrator Training Program and the Critical Incident Stress Management Course.

“I am excited for the opportunity to serve a team that values whole health and cares about the members in our local communities. After meeting with CHPW’s staff and understanding their mission statement and core values, I believed I was a perfect match for the organization. I understand this is an important role for the community and look forward to helping CHPW carry out its mission,” said Duplessis.

 Duplessis’ addition to the regional team follows the appointment of Gerardo Perez-Guerrero as the North Central Regional Manager. These regional managers are responsible for collaborating with health care providers and cross-sector partners on strategies to advance health care integration (physical health, mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment services into one system).

 

To learn more about CHPW, visit chpw.org.