Briana Contreras

Welcome back to another episode of the returned MHE Talks: Improving Patient Access podcast. In this episode Briana Contreras, editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Wes Gilson, senior director MR of Business Development at Siemens Healthineers. In the conversation, the two discussed why improving access to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial to advancing health equity. Gilson addressed the barriers many face when accessing MRI services and its solutions from tackling the barriers specific to areas affected, alternative technologies, developing new innovations in MRI tech and more.

Briana Contreras, editor of Managed Healthcare Executive spoke with Luis Mosquera, CEO of Health Network One, a provider of specialty benefit management services for health insurers, in this week's episode. In this discussion, Luis and Briana talked about how value-driven decisions in a more value-based market can not only better manage costs for health plans, but create a plan of care to best meet patient’s needs. In order to do this, Luis strongly encouraged healthcare executives to experience alternative payment models and shared what payers should check off their list with a new model.

Advocates and professionals experienced in HIV/AIDS amongst African Americans address HIV in Black communities, ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S., and innovative programming during the virtual event “Live with Leadership: A Conversation Commemorating National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day,” on February 7.

African American patients had 2.54 times the adjusted odds of having one or more negative descriptors in their Electronic Health Record compared to White patients. However, this form of racial bias can be avoided with a simple solution.

In this episode, Peter Wehrwein, managing editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, speaks with Dr. Rodrigo Cerda. Dr. Cerda has been recently promoted to the position of senior vice president of health services and chief medical officer of Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia. He is also a member of Managed Healthcare Executive’s editorial advisory board. Peter and Dr. Cerda discuss his new role at the Independence Blue Cross, what it means to be a chief medical officer at an insurer these days, valued-based care, social determinants of health, and, of course, the pandemic.

Those living with HIV and who abuse drugs experience worse health outcomes than those who aren't using. However, a study conducted mid-2021 reported those with HIV who abused drugs and have not had dental care experience a greater need of care.

Briana Contreras, editor of Managed healthcare Executive, spoke with Dr. Ian Tong, chief medical officer of Included Health in today’s episode. The two discussed telehealth use vs. in person care, and more specifically, the racial and ethnic differences in this use of care. They concluded the conversation with how telehealth use has continued to expose more benefits for all patients and for the industry through examples like improvements in reimbursement policies and in addressing health equity issues.

Emergency physicians clarify whether to manage COVID at home or seek emergency care.

In this interview, Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Shara Cohen, CEO of Carallel, an organization built to support caregivers. Cohen not only spoke about who caregivers are and the vital role they play in healthcare, but the challenges they face. She also discussed ways health plans can do better to meet the needs of today’s caregivers.

Readers were interested in what pharmacy benefit managers are doing and content that came out of the ISPOR annual meeting in 2021.

In 2021, readers were interested in the first mRNA vaccine trial for HIV, an increase in funding for an initiative to end HIV, and more.

News about counterfeit versions of Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, tenofovir alafenamide) and Descovy (emtricitabine, tenofovir alafemamide) and the pause in the REMS program for clozapine were among the best read articles of 2021.

Our best read stories about formularies include news about 2022 formularies from CVS Caremark and Express Scripts.

Interviews with key opinion leaders on a variety topics, such as work/life balance tips, race and equity, and the connection between pharmacy and telemedicine, topped the list of most-consumed multimedia in 2021.

News about interchangeable Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) was among the most read in 2021.

The FDA's warning about Xeljanz (tofacitinib) and other JAK inhiitors and the extension of its review of Janssen's CAR T therapy for multiple myeloma were among the best read articles about the agency in 2021.

The attention-getting articles about COVID-19 included news about Pfizer's booster and the FDA's rejection Zyesami (aviptadil) for treatment of COVID-19-related respiratory failure.

The approval of the generic version of smoking-cessation drug Chantix (varenicline) garnered a lot of attention as did the OKs of Besremi (ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft), a treatment for polycythemia vera, and Trudhesa (dihydroergotamine mesylate), a nasal spray for acute treatment of migraines.

Job losses from the COVID-19 pandemic are the highest since the Great Depression. A year and a half later, most Americans who lost their health insurance along with their job remain uninsured.

Early in the pandemic about 1 in 5 people admitted to the hospital with a COVID-19 diagnosis had obesity and in younger adults, obesity was associated with a doubling of the mortality risk.

Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Shara Cohen, CEO of Carallel, an organization built to support caregivers, in this week's podcast. Shara shared not only who caregivers are and the vital role they play in healthcare, but the challenges they face. She also discussed ways health plans can do better to meet the needs of today’s caregivers.

In this week's episode, Senior Editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, Peter Wehrwein, speaks with Chief Medical Officer of Caravan Health, Ashok Roy. The two dug into the approach of delivering quality care at Caravan, discussed ACOs in care and population health.

Non-hospitalized symptomatic COVID-19 patients who were treated with ciclesonide to alleviate early symptoms did not see any difference in results compared to patients who were treated with a placebo of the drug.

Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive spoke with WellRight CEO, Neepa Patel, on the topic of wellness programs in healthcare and the need for employers and health plans to roll out new, effective, holistic and innovative programs for patients. Patel did discuss the challenges that some organization can face when rolling out these programs, but she explained how accessible, affordable and beneficial these programs are for patients mental health and wellbeing.

Young adults with asthma were recently surveyed on their preparation of the transition to adult asthma care. Half of all those surveyed did not remember being introduced to concepts of transitioning care, including asthma self-management, by their pediatric asthma provider.

In this week’s episode Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, met with Greg Miller, vice president of Industry Strategy, Healthcare and Life Sciences at Talkdesk. The two discussed that while virtual care has become a convenient tool in healthcare during the pandemic and has helped treat more patients, this form of care isn’t completely solving patient’s underlying issues. However, Miller shared how AI is helping ease the patient experience and improving care in this conversation.

Managed Healthcare Executive® recently interviewed Jacqueline Glascock, Ph.D., the director of research programs at Cure SMA, an nonprofit organization in Elk Grove, Illinois, that funds research into spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and advocates for families and patients. In this video, Glascock discusses SMA and her organization, the three current therapies for the disease, and a combination therapy approach to the disease.

Psoriasis medicine containing risankizumab, worsened symptoms in patients with severe asthma.

Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Josh Benner, founder and CEO of RxAnte, in this latest episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite podcast. In the conversation, Benner addressed the issue of medication misuse among patients based on access, demographics and more, as well as its solutions. The two also talked about the role technology has on the future of pharmacy and how solutions provided through RxAnte can assist plans to improve their CMS Start rating measures.