The Connex Benefits Network Podcast

Featuring a conversation with Mike Mousseau, PhD (Neuroscience), National Wellbeing & Engagement Consultant at Gallagher Benefit Services. Neuroscientists focus on the brain and its impact on behaviour and cognitive functions. You do not come across neuroscientists every day, particularly in the employee benefits field, so it was refreshing to have a conversation with Mike Mousseau (Dr. Mike)...

Featuring a conversation with Leanne MacFarlane, BSc. Pharm., PhC, Director of Advocacy and Preferred Pharmacy Networks with Sobeys National Pharmacy Group. March is Pharmacists Appreciation Month and now is the perfect time to hear about how pharmacists have risen to the challenge during COVID-19, playing a critical role in patient care during the pandemic. Leanne will speak to the impact of COVI...

Featuring Chris Dalseg, BSc. Phm, R.Ph., Vice President, Strategic Growth and Marketing, BioScript. The world of specialty drug access is complex. In this podcast, Denise Balch from Connex Health speaks with Chris Dalseg, who will describe the role of specialty pharmacy in facilitating access to specialty drugs for patients. He will explain how specialty pharmacy fits into the larger drug access l...

Featuring Alan Birch, Drug Access Facilitator and Founder, Drug Access Canada. In this podcast, Denise Balch from Connex Health will be speaking with Alan Birch, who will describe his role in assisting oncology patients to secure access to the drugs they are prescribed and the challenges he faces on a day to day basis. You will also learn more about the real impact on patients, physicians and drug...

In this podcast, Denise Balch from Connex Health will be speaking with Laura Blair, Director of Sales at Express Scripts Canada. Laura will explore how claim trends changed during COVID-19 and how the Express Scripts trends report has changed to deliver more meaningful analysis of claims data. Laura will also describe how the PBM sector has evolved from a transaction focused service in its early d...

Featuring Bev Herczegh, Pharmacist and Director, The Pangaea Group and Denise Balch, Principal Consultant and President, Connex Health. In this episode we’ll be giving listeners a preview into the Benefits Breakfast Club webinar on November 26th by discussing the motivation for the Simplify Prior Authorization white paper. Bev and Denise will reveal some of their overall observations from the rese...

In this episode we are speaking with Dr. Sasha High, Medical Director at High Metabolic Clinic. Dr. High is an Internist with a practice focus in Obesity Medicine. She is also a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, a certification held by only a handful of physicians in Canada. Dr. High has been practicing bariatric medicine since 2013. Our discussion with Dr. High covers obesity fa...

Featuring Fabricio Naranjo, partner at RSM Canada and David Mamane, leader in RSM’s cutting-edge Industry Eminence Program. In podcast #9 Fab Naranjo and David Mamane, both consulting actuaries with RSM Canada, speak with Denise Balch of Connex about how the insurance industry has responded to COVID-19 and the medium and long term impact COVID-19 will have on group benefits in Canada. They discuss...

Featuring Micheline Mamone, Bear Management Technician, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Recorded August 4, 2020. Cover photo by Zdeněk Macháček via Unsplash.

In this episode, Dr. Michael Nelson and François Couillard of the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) join Denise Balch to explore the role of the CAO and the value it brings to optometrists and Canadians, guided by its four strategic priorities, one of which involves changes to vision care benefits in Canada. François discusses his experience in vision care and how he leads the team at CAO...

Featuring Beth Stefaniuk, CEBS, CHN, Vice-President, Administration, Jones DesLauriers Blevins Insurance Group and AdminPlex. In this episode we speak with Beth Stefaniuk and explore some of the important preparation as well as ongoing challenges of group benefits plan administration during COVID-19. We will discuss the role of Third Party Administrators, client lay-offs and coverage extensions, a...

Featuring Durhane Wong-Rieger, PhD, President & CEO, Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD).In this episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Durhane Wong-Rieger and exploring rare disorders in a world struggling to cope with COVID-19. Durhane explains the important role of CORD in advocating on behalf of rare disorders. She also speaks to the definition of a rare disorder and the...

Featuring Tim Clarke, President, tc HEALTH CONSULTING.Listen to part one here: https://soundcloud.com/benefits-connexion/episode-5-digital-health-and-covid-19-part-1-of-2In part two of this two-part podcast, host Denise Balch, President of Connex Health, speaks with Tim Clarke, consultant to many of today’s digital health start ups. They explore how employers can navigate this new environment, wha...

Featuring Tim Clarke, President, tc HEALTH CONSULTING.In part one of this two-part podcast, host Denise Balch, President of Connex Health, speaks with Tim Clarke, consultant to many of today’s digital health start ups. They explore what services fall into the digital health bucket, the challenges and successes of delivering digital health pre-COVID-19, and how the services available to plan sponso...

Featuring Pamela Fralick, President, Innovative Medicines Canada. With host Denise Balch, President of Connex Health, Pamela Fralick provides new insights into the pharmaceutical industry response to COVID-19. Pamela will quantify the extent of international research into treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 and provide examples of the unprecedented collaboration between pharmaceutical companies l...

Featuring Doug Kube, President, KUBE Environment, Health, Safety & Risk Consulting. With host Denise Balch, President of Connex Health, Doug Kube discusses how you and your clients can get back to business, safely. We will explore what makes COVID-19 different to other infectious diseases, where to look for industry specific information on reopening your business, and how to minimize the risk...

Featuring Michael Cavanagh, Owner, Kawartha Lakes Pharmacy and Past President, Ontario Pharmacists Association. With host Denise Balch, President of Connex Health, Mike Cavanagh speaks about how pharmacy is responding to COVID-19. He’ll discuss when COVID-19 first came onto the radar of pharmacy, how pharmacies have adapted, including changes from the physical experience at the pharmacy counter, a...

Welcome to the first Benefits Connexion Podcast! In this episode, we have the opportunity to speak with Joan Weir, Executive Director, Health and Disability Policy at the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. With host Denise Balch, President of Connex Health, Joan shares how insurers are responding to COVID-19, when they began to take preparatory action and how claims eligibility and pr...