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

We’re revisiting a segment from April 2022 in which we celebrated Earth Day by taking a trip to Southside Community Land Trust’s City Farm. There, we sat down with guests Jazandra Barros and Jake Stanton to discuss how they’re transforming city blocks into farm space.  SCLT’s annual Plant Sale features thousands of vegetable, herb and fruit plants grown from seed (without chemicals) in their green...

We're continuing our celebration of 20 years of the BlueAngel Community Health Grant with an organization that was a grantee back in 2002 and 2003: Youth In Action. Youth In Action is a Providence-based organization working to create opportunities for youth to become agents of change through transformative leadership opportunities. Join us as we sit down with Youth In Action's Executive...

It’s Women’s History month. As March comes to a close, we’ll be talking about the issues, challenges and triumphs that affect women and their health. And once again I’ve called on some co-hosts to help me navigate these waters. We’ll hear from Kelly Nevins, CEO of Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, an organization investing in women and gender equity; talk about efforts to promote access to women’s men...

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. One in 23 men and one in 25 women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime. It’s a cancer that often begins as a growth called a polyp. Finding and removing polyps can prevent colorectal cancer or catch it early, when it’s easier to treat. Yet, this seems to be a screening that many of us put off or avoid. And the statistics on who gets...

 In last month's Rhode to Black Heath podcast one of the topics our Black Council at Blue discussed was stigma and how it can be a real barrier to folks accessing behavioral health services. So on this BACK RHODES episode we're going to explore the topic a little deeper with a discussion we had back in May with Dr Victor Pinkes. I started us off with a story that gets a little personal. ...

Last month on the Rhode to Health, we started our look back at twenty years of BlueAngel Community Health Grants (BACHG) . Today, we hear from the first of our 2023 BACHG Grantees, Jonnycake Center for Hope. Join us to hear from Executive Director Kate Brewster about the ambitious new project Jonnycake has embarked on to address housing access in southern Rhode Island.  Jonnycake has spent nearly...

It's Black history month and we're exploring issues important to Rhode Island's African American community. We join a lively discussion with Blue Cross's Black Council @ Blue, as they discuss the state of health and wellness in their community. We hear from Kaitlyn Rabb of Rhode Island Kids Count as she talks about a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island funded brief entit...

In this month’s BACKRHODES episode,  Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Care Manager Anna-Marie Folan details her journey of starting a family through fertility treatment with her wife. Delving further, she touches upon the barriers the couple faced throughout the process and how, despite these challenges, her desire to become a mother never wavered. Anna-Marie Folan shared her thoughts...

It’s February, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and as kids are cutting out paper hearts in classrooms we’re going to talk about cutting out heart disease. We’re here promoting two amazing events, both associated with saving hearts and by extension saving lives. I’m speaking of course of the GoRed for Women luncheon on February 10 and the American Heart Association Heart walk on June 10...

We’re having a birthday party as the BlueAngel Community Health Grant program turns 20 years old. Even if you’ve never heard of The BlueAngel Community Health Grant program, chances are someone you know has been touched by its funding – we’re talking about an annual, competitive grant program focused on addressing critical health issues in Rhode Island. The program achieves this by partnering with...

The start of a new year ushers in feelings of hope and motivates us all to become better versions of ourselves. In this episode of the Rhode to Health, our host, Mark Sheldon, and our guests discuss how to strengthen the resolve to build a better you physically, emotionally, and even as part of your community. For tips on how to improve our physical well-being, we were joined by Laura Beltz, a reg...

In this look back, we're joined by wellness expert Nicole Grace who will teach us to put words to our thankful thoughts in a gratitude journal. More information about Nicole Grace and Cultivate Wellness can be found at cultivatewellnessri.com .

The 4th annual RI Life Index launched on November 14. A presentation of the findings was followed by a conversation with RI Life Index Coalition members and other community leaders facilitated by Lifespan’s Vice President of Community, Health and Equity, Carrie Bridges Feliz. This episode features an excerpt from that conversation.

In this episode, we gather to count all our blessings as we pause to think about what it means to give thanks. We're joined by wellness expert Nicole Grace who will teach us to put words to our thankful thoughts in a gratitude journal. We'll visit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and talk to Lisa Roth Blackman, the Food Bank's chief philanthropy officer, about gratitude in the f...

Today we’re talking about how an innovative approach to retail ensures that Blue Cross of Rhode Island members get the most value from their health plans. How that same space can get help them with tough health questions, and how Your Blue Store can even get them up and moving. I’m Mark Sheldon and this is the Rhode to Health, a podcast from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Today's...

Hello everyone and welcome to the Rhode to Health a podcast presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island! I’m Rosaly Cuevas. My friend Mark Sheldon asked me to be your host for this special episode in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. I’m here with Marcela Betancour, Executive Director of the Latino Policy Institute, and Jennifer Gaviria, Co-Founder of Latino Mental Health Network of RI...

¡Hola a todos y bienvenidos al Rhode to Health, un pódcast presentado por Blue Cross y Blue Shield de Rhode Island! Yo soy Rosaly Cuevas. Mi amigo Mark Sheldon me pidió el favor de ser su presentante para este episodio especial en honor del Mes de la Herencia Hispana. Estoy aquí con Marcela Betancour, Directora Ejecutiva del Latino Policy Institute, y Jennifer Gaviria, Cofundadora del Latino Menta...

On Friday September 16th, hundreds of Blue Cross employees mobilized across the ocean state for the company’s annual day of service, Blue Across Rhode Island. In this special episode, we’re going to hear stories from organizations whose service projects ranged from painting fences to sorting shoes. We'd like to thank all the organizations that participated in this years Blue Across: Amenity A...

It’s back to school time and we’re discussing health and wellness in Rhode Island’s school kids. We’re joined by Sarah Dinklage, CEO of Rhode Island Student Assistance Services, about how RISAS is meeting RI kids’ mental health needs and helping to prevent substance  use disorder in our schools. We’ll also talk to BCBSRI senior medical director and pediatrician, Dr. Gonzalo Paz-Soldan, and manager...

In this special episode of the Rhode to Health, we speak with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s newest senior medical director, LouAnne Giangreco, M.D., about monkeypox, which the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on July 23, 2022. An emergency medicine physician and former vice president and chief medical officer of Cayuga Health Sy...

It’s summertime in Rhode Island. And that means something different for each of us. For Blue Cross Medical Director Dr. Victor Pinkes, it’s all about the beach, and he’s got some tips for us to be safe and have fun. For two Rhode Island organizations, summertime is a time for kids. One makes sure they stay fed and healthy and the other is keeping young minds sharp. We’ll talk to them both. And we’...

In this month’s bonus episode,  Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Care Manager Anna-Marie Folan details her journey of starting a family through fertility treatment with her wife. Delving further, she touches upon the barriers the couple faced throughout the process and how, despite these challenges, her desire to become a mother never wavered. Anna-Marie Folan shared her thoughts for m...

In this episode of  the Rhode to Health we will be celebrating the OUTEST, LOUDEST and PROUDEST of all Rhode Islanders: Our vibrant LGBTQ+ community. We've invited some of my favorite people to help tell us along.  Scott Gowrie is joined by Erin O’Donnell, a physician assistant at Narragansett Bay Pediatrics, who tells us why LGBTQ+ inclusive care is so critical in a pediatric care setting, a...

In this bonus episode, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island's own Aneesah Cameron shares a unique perspective on the intersection of Juneteenth and healthcare in the African American community. Aneesah sheds light on issues of trust and equity, reminding us that in order to look ahead and make progress, we must understand and acknowledge the past.