The Next Big Thing in Health – Details, episodes & analysis

Robert Traynham, chief business officer at AHIP, sat down with Kathryn Eshelman MD, MPH, vice president of medical informatics at Inovalon, for an in-depth discussion about how new technology can help providers and health care plans deliver value-based care.

The fear of judgment or disapproval is one of the biggest hurdles people face when seeking mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Highmark Inc., a Blue Cross Blue Shield health and wellness organization, is helping break that stigma with innovative solutions. One of those solutions is a "digital front door," which allows members to interact with their benefits privately, assess their symptoms, and connect with care providers virtually. 

Child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Melissa Perry and Demetrios Marousis, director of behavioral health at Highmark, Inc., join us to share their insights into Highmark's mission and its efforts to address the pressing issues in mental health and substance use disorder treatment through technology, partnerships, and compassionate care.  

Watch to learn about Highmark’s work to improve care for patients who struggle with substance abuse, the challenges of care delivery, the importance of health care literacy, and why they think technology is the biggest opportunity in health care.

There have never been so many pathways to getting quality health care — but barriers still exist. Disparities are real for many people, including those in racial and ethnic minorities, less privileged socioeconomic communities, and underserved rural populations.  

Pooja Mittal, DO, chief health equity officer for Health Net, joined Conversations in Care host Robert Traynham for a conversation about health equity and Health Net’s work, including a first-of-its-kind health improvement project in Los Angeles County, California, that provides doulas for Black women through a community-based partnership.  

Hear more of Dr. Mittal’s thoughts on how to improve health equity, the power of community partnerships in addressing social determinants of health, and the importance of building relationships and connecting with the community. 

AHIP Executive Vice President Robert Traynham sits down with LaShawn McIver, AHIP’s senior vice president and chief health equity officer, for an in-depth discussion about her vision for health equity and her role at AHIP.

There are 600,000 people experiencing homelessness in the United States, including 200,000 people in California and 70,000 in Los Angeles County. And yet homeless health care is a one-person-at-a-time operation that requires care to be deployed on the streets where these patients live.  

Dr. Michael Hochman, CEO of Healthcare in Action, a subsidiary of SCAN Group, joined us to talk about providing medical care, mental health and addiction treatment, and case management to unhoused populations in California while working to get them into stable housing.  

Watch to learn how Healthcare in Action provides sustainable homeless health care services using a managed care framework. Dr. Hochman shares some success stories of how his teams have been able to build trust with our most vulnerable populations and help transition approximately 100 formerly unhoused patients into homes.

Health is not just what happens in the clinic or in the emergency department at the hospital. It happens in our homes, our neighborhoods, and our communities. So how can the health care industry reduce disparities and promote access to care and services that meet people where they are? 

Darrell Gray, II, MD, MPH, is the president & CEO of Wellpoint Maryland, which is an affiliate of Elevance Health. We dove into Dr. Gray’s recent experience at Elevance Health as its chief health equity officer, to discover how we can help every American achieve their full health potential. 

Listen in for moving member stories that illustrate how health care pros are listening, learning, and acting to create change.  

When it comes to health care, an engaged, educated, and empowered consumer is a better patient. But how can the average consumer know where to go for real health information? And how can they determine what is fact versus what is rumor?

Geeta Nayyar, MD, MBA, former chief medical officer at Salesforce, joined Conversations in Care host Robert Traynham for a conversation about how the health care industry can better educate the consumer, provide easier access to information, and build trust that will counteract all the misinformation.

Watch to learn more on why Dr. G believes misinformation is the issue of our generation, and how health care leaders will need to use digital transformation strategies — including social media, partnerships, influencers, and artificial intelligence — to make health information more easily accessible and palatable.

The seniors of today look nothing like the seniors of the past – and their stories, health journeys, and needs for community and connection are all evolving. So too is their health care.

Dawn Maroney, president, markets, Alignment Health & CEO, Alignment Health Plan, and Hakan Kardes, chief technology & experience officer, Alignment Health, joined our Conversations in Care host Robert Traynham for a robust conversation on how we embrace the uniqueness of America’s seniors and develop creative ways to reach them with compassion and care under Medicare Advantage plans.

Watch to see how they’re making a difference through building clubs, bringing puppies to care facilities, hosting town halls to connect upwards of 11,000 seniors, offering free rides to dialysis, and sending cellphones to combat COVID loneliness.

How do we make sure no one has to suffer in silence? That mental well-being is considered just as important as physical health — and to drive down self-harm attempts? 

We talk about it. We prioritize it. And we change the whole ecosystem of care to prevent, identify, and treat long before someone is in crisis. AHIP’s very own Robert Traynham was joined by Cara McNulty, DPA, president, behavioral health & mental well-being, CVS Health, for a new episode of Conversations in Care. This conversation, debuting on World Mental Health Day, showcases how CVS Health and Aetna drove down suicide attempts by 16.3% among their community members and what it takes to create lasting change. 

If you need immediate help, visit https://988lifeline.org/