I am happy to report that L.A. Care Covered™ had a successful 2015 and is well positioned to have an even better 2016. To better serve our members, we expanded our network to include more than 2,700 providers, 30 independent physician associations (IPAs), 2,550 specialist physicians and 40 hospitals throughout Los Angeles County. We have also added new resources to help our members access all of the features of their health plan. For example, with PayNearMe, members can make cash payments at more than 700 locations throughout the county, including any 7-Eleven, Family Dollar or ACE Cash Express stores.
As Director of Sales, my job is to make sure that you have the tools that you need to do your job well. In 2015, we held more than 300 enrollment events and are hoping to host even more this year. We are always looking to expand our reach and now have 97 community partners to make this possible. Partners include safety net clinics, provider clinics, faith-based organizations, school districts and community colleges.
In addition, to better serve you, we will soon debut our agent portal that will provide you with the tools that you need to grow and retain your membership. Features include self-service tools that are available 24 hours a day, eliminating the need for most emails and phone calls.
We firmly believe that these changes highlight our deep commitment to serving Los Angeles County. L.A. Care Health plan has been serving the County since 1997, and with more than 1.8 million members, is the nation's largest publicly operated health plan.