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

Most of us are well aware that certain groups are at high-risk due to COVID-19 – the elderly, healthcare workers – but have you considered the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on the LGBTQ+ community? This episode will tackle some of the issues that might be exacerbated during the pandemic. Guests Guillaume Bagal, diversity and inclusion lead at BCBSRI; Nicole Rodriguez, brand and marketin...

Did you enjoy our last episode? Want to try practicing mindfulness? Vanessa Weiner from Center for Resilience shares a quick mindfulness exercise. Check it out! Learn more about Center for Resilience at www.centerforresilience.org

As many Rhode Islanders are working from home during the pandemic, an unfortunate side effect has been people feeling like they must be more productive because they have more time. There are more available hours to fill without a commute and extracurricular activities. But, when they aren’t more productive (because we’re all just doing our best to survive a difficult set of circumstances!) it leav...

Behavioral health challenges haven't gone away just because there’s a pandemic going on. Connecting with resources and treatment can be even more challenging now, especially for those in recovery. Join guests from the BCBSRI behavioral health team including Dr. Victor Pinkes, medical director; Rena Sheehan, managing director of clinical integration; and Sarah Fleury, manager of behavioral hea...

Each year since 2001, the BlueAngel of the Year Award has honored Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island employees who make a difference by serving the local community through their passionate and long-term participation in the BlueAngel Community Investment Program. Nominations are submitted by BCBSRI employees who then vote to select the honoree. Let's meet Stephanie Santoro, the 2019...

Data and analytics is becoming increasingly more important in the world of healthcare, as it allows us to better understand our health needs, offer better healthcare, and save money. Join host AJ Pirri, manager of employer analytics, and guest, Amar Gurivireddygari, vice president and chief data and analytics officer, as they discuss how Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is using data t...

Each year since 2001, the BlueAngel of the Year Award has honored BCBSRI associates who make a difference by serving our community through their passionate, long-term participation in the BlueAngel Community Investment program. Host Stef Vito, manager of provider relations and a previous BlueAngel of the Year, is joined by guest Greg Lupica, director of system support and the current BlueAngel of...

The BlueAngel Community Health Grant program is the cornerstone of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s community investment activities and helps the company address critical health issues in Rhode Island. Since the program launched 18 years ago, local nonprofits have received more than $3.8 million in support, impacting 300,000 Rhode Islanders. In this episode, host Carolyn Belisle, BCB...

In a move designed to provide Medicare members with access to high-quality, personalized care in a community-center setting, BCBSRI has entered an exciting new primary care delivery partnership in Rhode Island with Oak Street Health, a network of primary care centers exclusively caring for Medicare patients. Host Dr. Gus Manocchia, BCBSRI chief medical officer, is joined in the studio by Dr. Griff...

In a move designed to provide Medicare members with access to high-quality, personalized care in a community-center setting, BCBSRI has entered an exciting new primary care delivery partnership in Rhode Island with Oak Street Health, a network of primary care centers exclusively caring for Medicare patients. Host Dr. Gus Manocchia, BCBSRI chief medical officer, is joined in the studio by Dr. Griff...

Join host Carolyn Belisle, BCBSRI managing director of community relations, as she talks with Heather Strout, executive director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. The community center received a $25,000 2019 BlueAngel Community Health Grant to further their mission of fighting hunger, promoting health, educating young and school-age kids, supporting families and engages seniors a...

Thirty-five percent of adults aged 65+ experience an adverse drug event every year, accounting for one out of every three hospital admissions and resulting in estimated costs of $30 billion each year. Elizabeth Goldberg, M.D., ScM, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University, joins Matt Colins, M.D., BCBSRI vice president of clinical integration, to discuss her work to address th...

Since January 1, 2019, 981 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states. The number continues to grow every single week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. BCBSRI Chief Medical Officer Gus Manocchia joins host Jill Flaxington to discuss the severity of measles, how and why it has returned and the c...

As part of Mental Health Month, BCBSRI recently became the first health insurer in Rhode Island to join the Campaign to Change Direction. This is a national public health initiative that works to “change direction” on mental health and addresses common barriers to understanding mental health. Leading the charge here locally in Rhode Island for the Campaign to Change Direction is the Hospital Assoc...

At the heart of BCBSRI’s philanthropy is a commitment to addressing the critical issue of childhood overweight and obesity. To achieve this goal, BCBSRI awards BlueAngel Community Health Grants to local nonprofits - totaling more than $3.8 million over the past 18 years, impacting more than 300,000 Rhode Islanders. In this episode, host Carolyn Belisle, BCBSRI managing director of community relati...

Host Philip Hawthorne is joined by guests Carolyn Belisle, BCBSRI managing director of community relations, and Melissa Cummings, BCBSRI executive vice president and chief customer officer, to discuss a momentous occasion - the 80th anniversary of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island! BCBSRI has been serving its fellow Rhode Islanders for 80 years, and this episode delves into the company’...

BCBSRI's Charlotte Crist is joined by Michael Ross, MD, a geriatrician and director of geriatric inpatient services at Kent Hospital, to discuss an issue that we’ve heard is a big concern for many of our senior members, but one that they may not talk about or ask for help with due to embarrassment or stigma: urinary incontinence, or issues with bladder control.

We are still very much at the start of 2019, and the need for behavioral health services in Rhode Island is on course to increase yet again this year. In this episode, we take some time to discuss some of the programs and services available here in Rhode Island for mental health and substance use disorders. Host Rosaly Cuevas, the administrative coordinator for Delivery System Innovation at BCBSRI...

Based on BCBSRI claims data 40 percent of emergency department (ED) visits are low-acuity, non emergent, which means they don’t always require emergency care. For Rhode Island, that 40 percent attributes to $90 million annually in preventable ED visits for symptoms such as back pain, flu symptoms, ear or sinus pain, muscle sprains or bumps, cuts or scrapes. Many of these complaints can be addresse...

Did you know that the health of your mouth is directly tied to the health of your whole body? Join host Patrick Connors as he leads a discussion on the “mouth/body connection.” To explain more about this, and what steps you can take to be your healthiest, Patrick is joined by Dr. Yvonne Wolny, dental director at BCBSRI.

The healthcare industry has lots of personal information floating around, making it a big target for criminals. What are some of the most common traps, and how can you avoid them? Join host Rebecca Webber, chief of staff to the president and CEO at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, as she tackles the topic of protecting personal information against fraud and theft. To talk about common...

The healthcare industry has lots of personal information floating around, making it a big target for criminals. What are some of the most common traps, and how can you avoid them? Join host Rebecca Webber, chief of staff to the president and CEO at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, as she tackles the topic of protecting personal information against fraud and theft. To talk about common...

You may have heard in a previous episode of the Rhode to Health Podcast that you can take an array of fitness classes at Your Blue Store. BUT, did you know we also offer a wide range of classes and seminars in-person at our retail store locations in Warwick, East Providence and Lincoln? Join host Erika Pietrunti, senior program manager in continuous improvement at BCBSRI, as she interviews guests...

Join host Rebecca Webber, BCBSRI's chief of staff to the president and CEO, as she discusses one of the MOST important (and easiest!) ways to pick a good health plan. We’re talking about quality ratings. Rebecca is joined by Karen Stenhouse, BCBSRI accreditation manager, and Rebecca Mallette, BCBSRI director of customer experience, to help us better understand what quality ratings are, why th...

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-pa...