Health Net Launches Senior Stars Talent Competition

Watch out Susan Boyle, Connecticut’s senior citizens have Got Talent too. Health Net of the Northeast launched its Health Net Senior Stars program last week in New London and Stratford with an additional seven events planned before the state championship on Dec. 16 at Hamden Senior Center.

More than 45 Connecticut senior centers have signed up to participate in the state-wide karaoke competition. Contestants sing songs of their choice and perform as part of a group or as an individual. A panel of three Connecticut-based professional musicians will judge performances.

Once all nine regional events have been completed, contestants’ videotaped performances will be uploaded to a soon-to-be launched Health Net Senior Stars YouTube site. At that point, the public will be able to vote online for the top 10 contestants. Those finalists will perform at the championship event, where a final winner will be chosen. The top three performers will receive a Senior Stars trophy, and all finalists will receive a certificate of recognition.

"Last year’s Health Net Cup, a virtual bowling tournament, was so popular among older adults in Connecticut that we decided to take it on the road to other states in the company’s footprint,” said Katy Zalinsky, government programs officer and vice president at Health Net of the Northeast. "It was during last year’s bowling competition that a player asked about a singing contest and Senior Stars was born.” Health Net Senior Stars is another way for the company to promote healthy socialization and interaction among Connecticut’s seniors.

"Whether it’s through sponsorships of athletic events, our associates’ volunteer efforts or through the numerous donations Health Net makes to non-profit organizations, we take great pride in being a contributor to the local communities we serve,” Zalinsky noted.

Health Net Senior Stars is a follow-up activity to last year’s popular Health Net Cup virtual bowling tournament that just wrapped up its second season here in Connecticut. Last year, more than 90 Connecticut-based senior centers participated in the first annual Health Net Cup, with Torrington Senior Center’s Lightning Strikes team taking the gold in the championship event.

"After the success of the Health Net Cup, seniors were really excited and enjoyed the social interaction the program offered,” said Bob Beckwith, community relations specialist at Health Net of the Northeast and the emcee for the Health Net Senior Stars competition. "It’s terrific to see seniors having so much fun entertaining their peers. They are fantastic bowlers and an all-around talented group of individuals, so I was not surprised to see how great they are as performers too.”

Health Net of the Northeast Inc. headquartered in Shelton, Conn., is one of the largest health plans in the northeast, offering a full array of open-access products and coordination for multi-region employers. Through its subsidiaries, it offers full-service health plans that serve nearly 546,000 members in the tri-state area and a physician network comprising more than 160,000 physician and provider office locations, 5,440 pharmacies and 244 hospitals throughout Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Over 1,300 associates are employed throughout the tri-state region. Health Net of the Northeast has received an "Excellent” accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for both its HMO and POS commercial product lines in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Other products offered include Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Medicare and Medicaid plans. For more information about Health Net, visit its Web site at www.healthnet.com.