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

Did you know BCBSRI has an entire team of nurses on staff to help you work on specific health goals? Our Care Management team has long worked with members to improve their health, and now they have launched a free, secure virtual platform to meet face to face with members in the convenience of their home, or preferred location. Rhonda Somyk, RN, manager of the BCBSRI care management team joins us to discuss how this new virtual offering can enhance communication and strengthen the nurse-patient relationship.

The CDC's research shows that home modifications and repairs may prevent up to 50% of all home accidents among aging adults, including falls in older homes. Habitat for Humanity of Rhode Island-Greater Providence (HabitatPVD) recently received a $610,000 grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island to support HabitatPVD's new Aging in Place home modification and improvement program. Designed for Rhode Islanders who are 65 or older and are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, the Aging in Place program helps people who would like to remain in their homes to do so in a healthy and safe space. Joining us for this episode are Carolyn Belisle, BCBSRI managing director of corporate social responsibility, and Mark Kravatz, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Providence to discuss the critical need for safe and affordable housing in Rhode Island and how we can help support our neighbors in need.Resources mentioned in this episode:•habitatpvd.org•rilifeindex.org•RIHousing.com•United Way 2-1-1

Let's talk about Juneteenth! This is the third in our series highlighting BCBSRI’s employee business resource groups, or EBRGs. Our employee led groups at Blue Cross are doing great work that impacts how our company operates and the connections we have with our members and the Rhode Island community. In this episode we talk with Aneesah Cameron and Chante Foster from the Black Council @ Blue about their ongoing initiatives and the company’s decision to observe Juneteenth as an official company holiday for the first time.Resources mentioned in this episode: - https://www.juneteenthri.com/ - https://fortune.com/2020/06/19/what-to-watch-juneteenth-netflix-amazon-hulu/ - https://www.amazon.com/Juneteenth-Annette-Gordon-Reed/dp/1631498835 - https://www.bcbsri.com/about/diversity

Many of us are now vaccinated or in the process of getting vaccinated for COVID-19, but we still have SO. MANY. QUESTIONS. So, BCBSRI's own Dr. Matthew Collins, M.D., M.B.A., executive vice president and chief medical officer, is back for another round of Ask the Doc where we discuss questions like, "what happens if I miss my second dose?", "is the vaccine safe for kids?", "am I going to need to keep getting COVID boosters like a flu shot?" and "could a pandemic like this happen again?"Resources mentioned in this episode: - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html - https://www.stitcher.com/show/american-scandal/episode/tuskegee-syphilis-study-first-do-no-harm-1-61826369 - https://www.amazon.com/Warmth-Other-Suns-Americas-Migration/dp/0679763880 - https://www.bcbsri.com/keepinformed/ - https://covid.ri.gov/**As of publication time on 5/26/21, all information was accurate and current. The contained information may become outdated as new information becomes available.**

This is the second in our series highlighting BCBSRI’s employee business resource groups, or EBRGs. Our employee led groups at Blue Cross are doing great work that impacts how our company operates and the connections we have with our members and the Rhode Island community. In this episode we will talk with Katie Taylor from Disability Inclusion Network and Rosaly Cuevas from our behavioral health team about disabilities and the EBRG’s work around Mental Health Month. Resources:•CDC information on disability inclusionhttps://bit.ly/3tIB5CR•RespectAbility - A resource for employers and employees https://www.respectability.org/•Disability:In - A resource for disability etiquettehttps://disabilityin.org/resource/disability-etiquette/

Advance directives, palliative care, hospice care – what do these terms mean to you? Do they feel like uncomfortable topics? Do you know what your loved ones want if the day comes that they receive a difficult diagnosis and might need a care plan? Does what you would want match what provides the best quality of life for your loved one? Many of us have never considered these questions in advance of family crisis. But some of these may be the most important questions you’ll ever ask or be asked. Gus Manocchia, M.D., senior clinical consultant at BCBSRI, and Jennifer Ritzau, M.D., medical director and director of palliative care at Hope Health, join us to discuss having the tough conversations around end of life care.Resources discussed in this episode: - https://www.hopehealthco.org/ - https://health.ri.gov/lifestages/death/about/advancedirectives/ - https://www.hopehealthco.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/RI-DurablePowerOfAttorneyForHealthCare.pdf - https://molst.org/

After a national search, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island recently announced the appointment of Martha L. Wofford as the eighth president and CEO in the 82-year-old company's history. She graciously agreed to sit down with us for a Q&A as she begins her tenure at BCBSRI. Join us as we learn more about her background, her leadership style, what drives her and more!Links mentioned in this episode:https://www.bcbsri.com/newsroom/press-releases/bcbsri-announces-new-president-and-ceohttp://www.rhodeahead.com/howto/unboxing-healthcare

This is the first in our series highlighting BCBSRI’s employee business resource groups, or EBRGs. Our employee led groups at Blue Cross are doing great work that impacts how our company operates and the connections we have with our members and the Rhode Island community. In this episode we talk with Jason Furlan and Mason Im from BluepRIde and highlight a really great campaign they’ve launched around gender identifiers.Resources mentioned in the episode:pflag.orgpflag.org/glossaryglaad.orghrc.orgsage-ri.orglgbtqiahealtheducation.org/publication/textbook/wpath.org

On the heels of BCBSRI's 7th consecutive score of 100 on the annual Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, Jenny Bautista, BCBSRI’s new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) manager, joins us to talk about the various dimensions of diversity, what DEI looks like across our company, goals for the future, and how to be more inclusive both at home and at work. For more information about some of the topics discussed in this episode:https://www.diversitybestpractices.com/https://www.ywcari.org/https://www.bcbsri.com/about/diversityhttps://www.bcbsri.com/safezones

We finally have a COVID-19 vaccine starting to roll out to the public - rejoice! But, as with all unfamiliar things, this comes along with a lot of questions from people. When and where can I get the vaccine? Do I have to pay for it? Can I catch COVID-19 from the vaccine? Do I still have to wear a mask if I'm vaccinated? BCBSRI's own Dr. Matthew Collins, M.D., M.B.A., executive vice president and chief medical officer, joins us for this Ask the Doc episode where we discuss some common questions around the COVID-19 vaccine, provide some insight into the vaccine process and the vaccine itself, and maybe also dispel some of those vaccine myths that you may have heard.**As of publication time on 1/29/21, all information was accurate and current. The contained information may become outdated as new information becomes available.**