The Rhode to Health: A Podcast from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island

A survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign found that 50 percent of employees in the United States are not out in their place of employment. Join host Guillaume Bagal, lead diversity and inclusion consultant at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, as he discusses BCBSRI’s commitment to supporting the LGBTQ community. Guillaume is joined by a panel of BCBSRI colleagues for this two-part episode: Charlotte Crist, managing director of clinical programs, Michelle Im, account coordinator, and Jason Furlan, manager of contact center oversight.

Did you know you can earn rewards for participating in a wellness program? Join Jessica Marfeo, Director of Product Strategy at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and George Tager, Director of Small Business Sales at BCBSRI as they discuss wellness plans, why they’re so important, and how you can incorporate a wellness plan into any size company.

BCBSRI President and CEO Kim Keck spends some time talking about the 7th annual Blue across Rhode Island, a statewide day of service. On September 21 hundreds of BCBSRI employees will fan out across the state to serve at community projects supporting local nonprofit organizations. Kim is joined in this episode by Michelle Clark, director of development at the March of Dimes, and Jason Furlan, the BCBSRI associate serving as one of the project captains for the March of Dimes project.

Please join us for the second half of our discussion around BCBSRI's social mission...Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is a health insurance company. But we are so much more than that. We are deeply committed to the health and well-being of our fellow Rhode Islanders. It's all part of BCBSRI’s social mission. In this episode host Philip Hawthorne, director of creative services at BCBSRI, welcomes guests BCBSRI President & CEO Kim Keck, and Carolyn Belisle, managing director of community relations at BCBSRI, to discuss the organization’s community investments, specifically those targeting childhood obesity.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is a health insurance company. But we are so much more than that. We are deeply committed to the health and well-being of our fellow Rhode Islanders. It's all part of BCBSRI’s social mission. In this episode host Philip Hawthorne, director of creative services at BCBSRI, welcomes guests BCBSRI President & CEO Kim Keck, and Carolyn Belisle, managing director of community relations at BCBSRI, to discuss the organization’s community investments, specifically those targeting childhood obesity.

The first time Shannon Pierce and Kristina DiMatteo Fields met at Your Blue Store, they cried together out of sadness. The second time, out of hope. And the third time? Pure joy.

BCBSRI's Erika Pietrunti hosts this discussion about BCBSRI's three Your Blue Store locations in East Providence, Lincoln and Warwick. To explain why BCBSRI has physical storefronts and how they can help customers, Erika is joined by guests Melissa Cummings, BCBSRI executive vice president and chief customer officer, and Paul Ryan, director of retail strategy and operations at BCBSRI.

This episode highlights a very important topic that affects an increasing number of Rhode Islanders - mental and behavioral health. To discuss the current state of behavioral health in Rhode Island and what’s being done to address this need, Rena Sheehan, BCBSRI's managing director of behavioral health, interviews Dr. Karyn Horowitz, director of outpatient child psychiatry and behavioral health services at Lifespan and director of outpatient services at Bradley Hospital, and Dr. Matt Collins, vice president of clinical integration at BCBSRI.

BCBSRI’s Char Crist and Mike Kolodij join clinical pharmacist Jen Leavitt to discuss the Patient-Centered Pharmacy Program, which promotes improved medication practices by better integrating pharmacists into the healthcare delivery system. Since its launch in 2014, the program has created $15.9 million in total health care cost savings, but more importantly, it has helped patients on-site in real time during their primary care practice visits.

In this episode host Dan Xavier speaks with John Auger and Bill Maxwell about the wide array of digital solutions available to help manage your health and wellness.