Spokane County, Washington:
Tri-Cities/Yakima, Washington:
Northern Arizona:
Travis, Williamson, El Paso, Longview, Tyler, Texas:
Oklahoma region of Fayetteville, Fort Smith, and Texarkana:
Central and Northwest Arkansas, Hot Springs, Fort Smith, Arkansas; and Texarkana:
Texarkana region of Arkansas and Texas:
Lake Charles and Shreveport/Monroe, Louisiana:
Savannah, Athens, Columbus, Macon, Georgia; Charleston, Greenville, Allendale, South Carolina; Eastern North Carolina:
Cumberland, York, Lewiston and Bangor, Maine:
RITA MORENO TO BE FEATURED SPEAKER AT TEXAS COMMUNITY CARE TOWN HALL MEETING
Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award Winning Latina Entertainer
To Speak to El Paso Community about Healthy Aging
Texas Community Care to Hold Town Hall Meeting to Explain Medicare Changes and Coverage Options to El Paso Medicare Beneficiaries
November 30, 2006, El Paso, TX– One of our all-time great entertainers, Rita Moreno has had decades of success on stage, screen and television since the 60’s, when she won an Oscar for her role as Anita in “West Side Story.” A true role model to Latinos young and old, she has continued to keep busy performing in concerts, films, television shows and through volunteer work. Now, as the featured speaker at Texas Community Care’s Town Hall meeting, she will address El Paso community members on the topics of healthy aging, success as a Latina woman and her career in the entertainment industry.
Committed to walking El Paso community members through their Medicare choices every step of the way, Texas Community Care is inviting all Medicare beneficiaries to this Town Hall meeting to hear Ms. Moreno and learn about Medicare changes, benefits and alternatives, the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, enrollment and more. Since the Annual Election Period for Medicare Advantage plans began November 15, many Medicare beneficiaries have been left feeling confused and anxious about their options for coverage. Whether they have received an overwhelming amount of information about the choices available, or not enough, many feel ill equipped to make this important decision.
The Town Hall meeting will take place at the El Camino Real Hotel (second floor ballroom), 101 South El Paso Street, on Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. In addition to the talk by Ms. Moreno and an informational session and forum for questions, Texas Community Care will provide refreshments (pastries, coffee, juice and water) and a free, no obligation raffle giveaway. Parking is available for a discounted $2 in the underground garage. A sales representative will be present with information and Individual Enrollment Forms. For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings call 1-800-658-5161 (TTY/TDD 866-573-8613).
“With the massive changes we’ve seen to the Medicare system over the past couple of years, it’s no wonder there has been a lot of uncertainty,” said Sharon Alvis, Executive Director for Texas Community Care. “But once we get past the initial confusion, I think these new choices improve the health care delivery for beneficiaries.”
While providing all of the same benefits as standard Medicare coverage for a lower cost, Texas Community Care also offers much more, such as additional coverage for routine vision and preventive services, including routine annual physical exams. Extra value-added services like fitness center memberships make Texas Community Care a comprehensive and affordable health care plan.
Texas Community Care offers two plans with zero monthly premiums and one with low co-payments and expanded benefits:
“We’re a locally operated organization,” said Alvis. “These meetings are a great way for people to learn more and have their questions answered by us in person, and we are available in our office to continue to answer any questions they have along the way. And in El Paso, we have a wonderful guest speaker with Ms. Moreno.”
Texas Community Care is provided by Arcadian Health Plan, Inc. Founded in 1996 by John Austin, M.D., Chairman, Arcadian Health Plan, Inc. is a national Medicare Advantage health plan provider. Arcadian’s locally operated Medicare health plans are currently offered in Austin and El Paso Texas, Spokane and the Tri-Cities area of Washington State, Northern Arizona, and Central and Northwest areas of Arkansas. Arcadian is expanding to offer local Medicare health plans in parts of Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia, and Maine and even more counties in Arkansas and Texas. For more information call toll-free 1-800-658-5161 (TTY/TDD 866-573-8613).
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About Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno is one of a select group of performers to have won all four of the most prestigious show business awards, The Oscar, The Emmy, The Tony and The Grammy. The Oscar was for her performance as Anita in the 1962 motion picture, West Side Story. The two Emmys were for a 1977 variety appearance on The Muppet Show and in 1978 for a dramatic guest appearance on The Rockford Files. The Tony was for her 1973 triumph on Broadway as Googie Gomez in The Ritz. The Grammy was for her 1972 performance on The Electric Company Album for children which was based on the long-running television show of the same name.
Along the way she received dozens of other show business awards, most notably the Golden Globe Award for her role in West Side Story and in 1968 the Joseph Jefferson Award as best actress in Chicago's theatrical season for her brilliant performance as Serafina in The Rose Tattoo. In 1985 she repeated her Chicago triumph and was awarded the prestigious Sara Siddons Award for her portrayal of Olive Madison in the female version of The Odd Couple. In 1995 Ms. Moreno received a star on The HolIywood Walk of Fame.
Ms. Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alverio in Humacao, Puerto Rico. When she was five years old she and her mother moved to New York. At age 13 she had her Broadway debut in Skydrift which starred Eli Wallach. Then, in the true tradition of Hollywood, a talent scout arranged a meeting for the seventeen-year old with Louis B. Mayer and she was signed to a contract with MGM.
She made some thirty films early in her career, too often typecast as a Mexican Spitfire or an Indian Maiden. During that period she appeared in films with Richard Widmark, Esther Williams, Mario Lanza, Susan Hayward, Tyrone Power and Gary Cooper. She appeared in the marvelous Singin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly. She was also featured as Tuptim in the classic The King and I with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, but it was only after she won an Academy Award for her outstanding performance as Anita in West Side Story that she was finally recognized as a major talent
In 1962 she moved to London where she appeared in Hal Prince's production of She Loves Me. She then returned to New York to star in Lorraine Hansbury's The Sign In Sidney Brustein's Window. On Broadway she also appeared as the female lead opposite Robert Shaw in Gantry and with Jimmy Coco in The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, followed by a Tony Award nomination for her role in The National Health. Ms. Moreno then starred in The Ritz for which she received the Tony Award. In 1981 she once again appeared opposite Jimmy Coco in Wally's Cafe. She was most recently seen on Broadway in the female version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. In 1997 she starred in the London production of Sunset Boulevard. In 2004 Ms Moreno received rave reviews for her interpretation as Maria Callas in the Terrance McNally play Master Class. In 2006 she received similar acclaim for her portrayal of Amanda Wingfield in The Berkelry Repertory production of The Glass Menagerie.
In 1967 Ms. Moreno resumed her screen career playing opposite Marlon Brando in The Night of the Following Day, then with James Garner in Marlowe, as Alan Arkin's girlfriend in Popi and in Mike Nichol's production of Carnal Knowledge. She then starred in the film version of The Ritz and went on to do Alan Aida's The Four Seasons followed by the highly acclaimed Columbia Picture release I Like It Like That. In 1995 Ms. Moreno appeared in the Showtime film Wharf Rat and in the feature film Angus with George C. Scott. More recently she was the lead in the independent feature Carlo's Wake and in 1999 she starred in the film Blue Moon opposite Ben Gazzara. The following year she appeared in the highly acclaimed movie Pinero starring Benjamin Bratt and in 2002 she completed work in the John Sayles film, Casa de los Babys. In 2004 she had a featured roIe in the independent film, April Showers.
Ms. Moreno has also been the guest star on a wide variety of television productions both here and abroad. She is proud to have been a featured artist for many years on The Electric Company, the highly regarded educational television program for children. She has starred in her own TV series, the sitcom version of the film 9 to 5. She then played opposite Burt Reynolds in B.L Stryker. In 1994 Ms Moreno returned to New York to appear as a series regular with Bill Cosby in the NBC Cosby Mystery Series. Most recently she was one of the leads in the highly acclaimed HBO series OZ. In 1995 Ms Moreno returned to the New York stage in Anne Meara's After Play and in Circle Pepertory's production of Size of the World.
In addition to her film, stage, television and concert careers, Ms. Moreno fills her spare time by lecturing to various organizations as well as to university audiences. She is also involved with a number of civic and charitable organizations and events; she has served on the National Endowment for the Arts and as commissioner on the President's White House Fellowships. Ms Moreno has also served as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
At a White House ceremony in June 2004 Ms Moreno was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the President. The medal is the highest honor given to a civilian and ranks second only to The Congressional Medal of Honor as the nation's highest award. It is conferred on individuals for a lifetime of meritorious service.
Ms Moreno is married to Leonard Gordon, a retired physician. Their daughter, Fernanda, is an artist and a mother.