1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,580
Everyone. This is Jacob Emerson with the Becker's

2
00:00:02,639 --> 00:00:03,939
Payer Issues podcast.

3
00:00:04,319 --> 00:00:06,799
Thrilled today to be joined by Colleen Briggs,

4
00:00:06,799 --> 00:00:08,639
who's the president of the Blue Cross North

5
00:00:08,639 --> 00:00:11,859
Carolina Foundation and vice president of corporate responsibility

6
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,435
at Blue Cross of North Carolina. Colleen, thank

7
00:00:14,435 --> 00:00:16,274
you so much for taking the time to

8
00:00:16,274 --> 00:00:18,114
be with me on the podcast today. Thank

9
00:00:18,114 --> 00:00:19,714
you for including me. I'm looking forward to

10
00:00:19,714 --> 00:00:20,454
the conversation.

11
00:00:20,835 --> 00:00:23,074
Likewise. And before we dive into everything we

12
00:00:23,074 --> 00:00:24,755
wanna talk with you about, can you tell

13
00:00:24,755 --> 00:00:26,755
us a little bit more about yourself, your

14
00:00:26,755 --> 00:00:28,320
background in health care, and what it is

15
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,480
that you're doing today at Blue Cross North

16
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:30,980
Carolina?

17
00:00:31,839 --> 00:00:34,260
Yeah. So I'm I'm from North Carolina originally,

18
00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,159
and and I've worked in various roles, both

19
00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:38,239
at the policy level, at the corporate level,

20
00:00:38,239 --> 00:00:41,140
as well as, corporate philanthropy. But most recently,

21
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,619
I've joined Blue Cross around two years ago

22
00:00:43,679 --> 00:00:46,364
to to help establish their corporate social responsibility

23
00:00:46,505 --> 00:00:49,225
division, which is really just responsible for how

24
00:00:49,225 --> 00:00:51,625
do we make sure that we continue to

25
00:00:51,625 --> 00:00:54,045
fulfill our purpose to improve health for all

26
00:00:54,184 --> 00:00:56,284
with clear goals, metrics, and accountability,

27
00:00:56,664 --> 00:00:58,840
and really trying to listen to not only

28
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,399
our members, providers, and communities, but really making

29
00:01:01,399 --> 00:01:04,280
sure that we're building solutions that reflect their

30
00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:05,500
voice, look at partnerships,

31
00:01:05,799 --> 00:01:08,119
that really help drive measurable outcomes that are

32
00:01:08,119 --> 00:01:10,519
improving the health and well-being of our members

33
00:01:10,519 --> 00:01:11,420
and our communities.

34
00:01:12,424 --> 00:01:14,984
Fantastic. So, Colleen, we wanted to get started

35
00:01:14,984 --> 00:01:16,905
today by talking with you a bit about

36
00:01:16,905 --> 00:01:18,924
the company's Feed Your Health initiative.

37
00:01:19,225 --> 00:01:20,984
I think it'd be helpful for our listeners

38
00:01:20,984 --> 00:01:22,505
who might not be familiar with the program

39
00:01:22,505 --> 00:01:24,265
if you could give us a quick overview

40
00:01:24,265 --> 00:01:25,865
of what it is and and how does

41
00:01:25,865 --> 00:01:27,950
this, how do your members interact with the

42
00:01:27,950 --> 00:01:28,450
initiative?

43
00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:31,950
Yeah. So as context, figure health is really

44
00:01:31,950 --> 00:01:32,930
a high touch

45
00:01:33,310 --> 00:01:34,450
personalized approach

46
00:01:34,909 --> 00:01:36,209
to managing uncontrolled

47
00:01:36,510 --> 00:01:37,490
type two diabetes.

48
00:01:38,189 --> 00:01:41,170
So eligible members get medically tailored meals,

49
00:01:41,545 --> 00:01:42,924
culturally relevant groceries,

50
00:01:43,545 --> 00:01:46,105
and one on one nutrition coaching from a

51
00:01:46,105 --> 00:01:47,084
registered dietitian,

52
00:01:47,385 --> 00:01:48,605
all at no cost.

53
00:01:49,465 --> 00:01:52,105
Understood. And so from what I understand, the

54
00:01:52,105 --> 00:01:53,245
program has demonstrated

55
00:01:53,625 --> 00:01:57,829
strong clinical results for you all. A 1.5

56
00:01:57,829 --> 00:01:59,670
reduction in a one c for members with

57
00:01:59,670 --> 00:02:00,569
type two diabetes

58
00:02:01,030 --> 00:02:03,129
over a sixteen week time span.

59
00:02:03,510 --> 00:02:05,109
So talk to us a little bit about

60
00:02:05,109 --> 00:02:07,510
how you're quantifying the return on investment for

61
00:02:07,510 --> 00:02:10,215
a program like this, not just in improved

62
00:02:10,215 --> 00:02:12,694
health outcomes, which obviously are very important, but

63
00:02:12,694 --> 00:02:14,855
in terms of reduced medical spend or long

64
00:02:14,855 --> 00:02:17,115
term value for the health plan itself.

65
00:02:17,655 --> 00:02:19,254
Yeah. And and I do think it is

66
00:02:19,254 --> 00:02:21,415
notable that we are seeing such strong clinical

67
00:02:21,415 --> 00:02:23,620
results. But exactly to your point, what what

68
00:02:23,620 --> 00:02:26,340
that really translates to is lower per member

69
00:02:26,340 --> 00:02:29,540
per month costs, which ultimately drives affordability for

70
00:02:29,540 --> 00:02:31,540
the plan, for our members, and for the

71
00:02:31,540 --> 00:02:34,340
entire health care system. So our own research

72
00:02:34,340 --> 00:02:36,659
shows that these pilots can show a reduction

73
00:02:36,659 --> 00:02:38,020
of a 139

74
00:02:38,020 --> 00:02:40,594
per member per month in total medical costs.

75
00:02:41,055 --> 00:02:43,375
But importantly, we are seeing that it is

76
00:02:43,375 --> 00:02:43,875
improving

77
00:02:44,334 --> 00:02:44,834
participants'

78
00:02:45,215 --> 00:02:46,194
overall well-being.

79
00:02:46,495 --> 00:02:48,194
We're seeing decreased food insecurity,

80
00:02:48,655 --> 00:02:51,055
lower body mass index, and improvements in mental

81
00:02:51,055 --> 00:02:53,569
and physical health, again, outside of just those

82
00:02:53,569 --> 00:02:54,710
a one c reductions.

83
00:02:55,169 --> 00:02:56,849
And the reason that matters is that we

84
00:02:56,849 --> 00:02:59,969
know these are drivers that ultimately influence long

85
00:02:59,969 --> 00:03:01,349
term health care costs.

86
00:03:01,650 --> 00:03:04,469
So by helping members meet these nutritional needs,

87
00:03:04,849 --> 00:03:06,870
manage these chronic conditions more effectively,

88
00:03:07,564 --> 00:03:10,064
we're reducing the likelihood of costly complications,

89
00:03:11,004 --> 00:03:11,824
ER visits,

90
00:03:12,125 --> 00:03:14,685
and, ultimately, really, that all goes back to

91
00:03:14,685 --> 00:03:16,544
savings for our members and, ultimately,

92
00:03:16,925 --> 00:03:17,985
the overall system.

93
00:03:18,525 --> 00:03:20,205
Absolutely. No. It makes a lot of sense.

94
00:03:20,205 --> 00:03:22,689
And, Colin, I wonder you know, we we

95
00:03:22,689 --> 00:03:24,289
we talk to a lot of insurers and

96
00:03:24,289 --> 00:03:26,629
all over the country, we we do see

97
00:03:26,770 --> 00:03:28,449
these last few years, many of them have

98
00:03:28,449 --> 00:03:31,830
been testing food as medicine centered pilot programs.

99
00:03:32,449 --> 00:03:35,009
But but often, they do have issues scaling

100
00:03:35,009 --> 00:03:37,705
them meaningfully across their entire populations,

101
00:03:38,485 --> 00:03:41,205
or or across different market segments. So from

102
00:03:41,205 --> 00:03:42,884
where you sit and from what Blue Cross

103
00:03:42,884 --> 00:03:45,284
of North Carolina has seen so far, what

104
00:03:45,284 --> 00:03:47,444
are some of the key operational or financial

105
00:03:47,444 --> 00:03:49,925
level levers that enable a program like this,

106
00:03:49,925 --> 00:03:51,550
Feed Your Health, to move

107
00:03:52,009 --> 00:03:54,349
from a a a pilot to a sustainable

108
00:03:54,569 --> 00:03:56,489
benefit? What are you seeing out there as

109
00:03:56,489 --> 00:03:58,909
some of the barriers that the industry itself

110
00:03:59,209 --> 00:04:01,129
that that they're facing with these kind of

111
00:04:01,129 --> 00:04:02,349
with these kind of programs?

112
00:04:03,185 --> 00:04:05,264
Yeah. And it's a great question. And I

113
00:04:05,264 --> 00:04:07,745
will say what really has been successful with

114
00:04:07,745 --> 00:04:09,185
Feed Your Health is that it was very

115
00:04:09,185 --> 00:04:10,965
deliberate on the design and the coordination

116
00:04:12,145 --> 00:04:14,724
across clinical teams, food vendors, and community partners,

117
00:04:14,944 --> 00:04:17,105
but it all started just by listening to

118
00:04:17,105 --> 00:04:18,245
our members, to providers,

119
00:04:18,625 --> 00:04:21,050
to to communities. And we actually toured all

120
00:04:21,050 --> 00:04:23,529
100 counties, and one message was clear across

121
00:04:23,529 --> 00:04:24,589
all of those stakeholders

122
00:04:25,129 --> 00:04:27,449
that diet related chronic conditions are hurting our

123
00:04:27,449 --> 00:04:30,089
members, our communities, and they're ultimately driving up

124
00:04:30,089 --> 00:04:30,990
health care costs.

125
00:04:31,290 --> 00:04:33,069
Here in North Carolina, chronic

126
00:04:33,735 --> 00:04:35,595
conditions like heart disease and diabetes

127
00:04:35,975 --> 00:04:37,274
are a leading cost driver,

128
00:04:37,654 --> 00:04:38,555
and they're ultimately

129
00:04:39,014 --> 00:04:41,334
costing our system 65,000,000,000

130
00:04:41,334 --> 00:04:42,394
in medical costs

131
00:04:42,774 --> 00:04:45,175
by 2030. So and we continue to see

132
00:04:45,175 --> 00:04:46,410
this. Our system of care

133
00:04:46,949 --> 00:04:49,129
misses so many opportunities to address

134
00:04:49,509 --> 00:04:52,150
these chronic conditions early on. And for example,

135
00:04:52,150 --> 00:04:53,750
poor nutrition is at the top of the

136
00:04:53,750 --> 00:04:55,689
list of drivers of poor health outcomes.

137
00:04:56,069 --> 00:04:57,529
So based on these insights,

138
00:04:57,830 --> 00:05:00,410
future health was offered really tailored

139
00:05:01,175 --> 00:05:03,675
specifically to address chronic condition management

140
00:05:04,694 --> 00:05:06,634
for with very clear eligibility.

141
00:05:06,935 --> 00:05:08,935
The criteria was very specific that we were

142
00:05:08,935 --> 00:05:11,035
looking at members who are 18 or older

143
00:05:11,334 --> 00:05:13,175
with an a one c of eight or

144
00:05:13,175 --> 00:05:13,675
higher.

145
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,520
Again, at no cost, but I think that

146
00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:17,840
those very specific parameters really did help make

147
00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:18,900
sure that it was successful.

148
00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:20,800
But we also made sure that the program

149
00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,120
was scalable, that we were really looking at

150
00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:24,900
how could we make sure that we're partnering

151
00:05:25,439 --> 00:05:28,185
with providers and with our community partners to

152
00:05:28,185 --> 00:05:30,024
make sure that this is really reaching the

153
00:05:30,024 --> 00:05:31,785
next level. But to your point there are

154
00:05:31,785 --> 00:05:33,644
some significant barriers that remain.

155
00:05:34,024 --> 00:05:35,865
I'd say sort of the big four that

156
00:05:35,865 --> 00:05:36,604
we've seen

157
00:05:36,904 --> 00:05:39,770
is first the lack of standardized reimbursement models.

158
00:05:40,149 --> 00:05:42,629
Now nutrition interventions, as you know, often fall

159
00:05:42,629 --> 00:05:45,110
outside of traditional medical co codes making it

160
00:05:45,110 --> 00:05:47,270
harder for us to integrate into some of

161
00:05:47,270 --> 00:05:49,350
the claims system. But, again, that's why we've

162
00:05:49,350 --> 00:05:51,205
been able to really think about how how

163
00:05:51,205 --> 00:05:52,564
do we make sure this is easier for

164
00:05:52,564 --> 00:05:54,884
our commercial health plans, and we've been able

165
00:05:54,884 --> 00:05:56,805
to do that for both Feed Your Health,

166
00:05:56,805 --> 00:05:58,725
but also through some of our other offerings

167
00:05:58,725 --> 00:06:01,705
like our preventative care visits that we offer,

168
00:06:02,245 --> 00:06:04,004
up to 30 of those with a licensed

169
00:06:04,004 --> 00:06:06,439
dietitian at no cost. I think the second

170
00:06:06,439 --> 00:06:07,959
big area that we see as a barrier

171
00:06:07,959 --> 00:06:10,680
is just the limited data on ROI and

172
00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:11,180
outcomes.

173
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,039
So while we see these early studies show

174
00:06:14,039 --> 00:06:17,259
promise, as you know, payers want robust longitudinal

175
00:06:17,399 --> 00:06:20,404
data proving that food is medicine, programs reduce

176
00:06:20,404 --> 00:06:22,185
health care costs, and improve outcomes.

177
00:06:22,564 --> 00:06:24,564
That's why we're tracking and trying to share

178
00:06:24,564 --> 00:06:25,305
our results

179
00:06:25,764 --> 00:06:28,245
like this as well as future reports that

180
00:06:28,245 --> 00:06:30,324
we're gonna continue to issue out really with

181
00:06:30,324 --> 00:06:32,564
the goal of hoping to increase adoption with

182
00:06:32,564 --> 00:06:33,305
this research.

183
00:06:33,899 --> 00:06:36,220
I'd say the third big challenge is just

184
00:06:36,220 --> 00:06:39,100
the operational complexity. It requires a lot of

185
00:06:39,100 --> 00:06:42,060
coordination across clinical teams, food vendors, and community

186
00:06:42,060 --> 00:06:42,560
partners.

187
00:06:43,100 --> 00:06:44,939
And so we've really tried to build this

188
00:06:44,939 --> 00:06:46,539
in a way that does make it easier

189
00:06:46,539 --> 00:06:48,639
for all of those actors to come together

190
00:06:49,004 --> 00:06:51,485
to coordinate and streamline the delivery and the

191
00:06:51,485 --> 00:06:53,884
adoption. In fact we even work with local

192
00:06:53,884 --> 00:06:54,384
partners

193
00:06:54,685 --> 00:06:57,165
through our nonprofits and others to make sure

194
00:06:57,165 --> 00:06:59,405
that it's actually locally sourced food and that

195
00:06:59,405 --> 00:07:01,564
it's culturally relevant and more likely to be

196
00:07:01,564 --> 00:07:02,064
adopted.

197
00:07:02,550 --> 00:07:04,069
And then I'd say again, the fourth barrier

198
00:07:04,069 --> 00:07:05,990
that I see is really just around member

199
00:07:05,990 --> 00:07:08,409
engagement. You know, behavior change is hard,

200
00:07:08,870 --> 00:07:12,069
and some members might resist dietary changes, especially

201
00:07:12,069 --> 00:07:13,769
if it feels like programs are prescriptive.

202
00:07:14,389 --> 00:07:16,165
So that's why all of our programs really

203
00:07:16,165 --> 00:07:18,644
try to reflect the insights from behavioral science

204
00:07:18,644 --> 00:07:19,544
and our partners

205
00:07:19,845 --> 00:07:21,925
to really understand what's gonna lead to behavior

206
00:07:21,925 --> 00:07:24,884
change, which means making it culturally relevant, making

207
00:07:24,884 --> 00:07:26,664
sure that our interventions are actionable,

208
00:07:27,125 --> 00:07:29,365
that they're timely when someone's actually thinking about

209
00:07:29,365 --> 00:07:31,069
it, but also that it's ongoing. It can't

210
00:07:31,069 --> 00:07:32,670
just be one moment in time. We know

211
00:07:32,670 --> 00:07:35,389
that behavior change takes time to really lead

212
00:07:35,389 --> 00:07:37,569
to that lasting outcomes that we wanna see.

213
00:07:38,270 --> 00:07:40,750
Absolutely. You you explained that really well, Colleen,

214
00:07:40,750 --> 00:07:42,689
that this is a very complicated

215
00:07:42,990 --> 00:07:46,285
issue. People don't change their behaviors very easily.

216
00:07:46,425 --> 00:07:48,345
There's limited data on this, and then these

217
00:07:48,345 --> 00:07:50,665
these programs don't necessarily fit into our current

218
00:07:50,665 --> 00:07:51,965
reimbursement and claims

219
00:07:52,504 --> 00:07:53,485
system. So

220
00:07:53,865 --> 00:07:56,185
given all of that, where do you see

221
00:07:56,185 --> 00:07:59,165
food based interventions fitting into a broader benefit

222
00:07:59,225 --> 00:07:59,725
strategy

223
00:08:00,149 --> 00:08:03,029
moving forward. You mentioned how to grow this

224
00:08:03,029 --> 00:08:05,830
more into a mainstream offering in in more

225
00:08:05,830 --> 00:08:08,550
commercial employer sponsored plans. What what does that

226
00:08:08,550 --> 00:08:10,389
look like from your perspective? And is there

227
00:08:10,389 --> 00:08:10,889
anything,

228
00:08:11,509 --> 00:08:13,189
given some of these challenges that you laid

229
00:08:13,189 --> 00:08:14,685
out for us, is there anything regulatory

230
00:08:15,625 --> 00:08:16,024
or,

231
00:08:16,425 --> 00:08:18,365
that the policymakers could be doing,

232
00:08:18,985 --> 00:08:21,384
to really accelerate some adoption here? What what

233
00:08:21,384 --> 00:08:22,845
are you seeing in this space?

234
00:08:23,225 --> 00:08:26,039
Yeah. So I we really do believe that

235
00:08:26,039 --> 00:08:28,919
food based interventions will become a core part

236
00:08:28,919 --> 00:08:30,379
of addressing chronic conditions.

237
00:08:30,839 --> 00:08:33,240
And in commercial plans, we've shown that it's

238
00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:34,860
possible to offer these programs

239
00:08:35,399 --> 00:08:36,940
through disease management pathways.

240
00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:38,220
And

241
00:08:38,694 --> 00:08:40,375
according to our data, we are seeing a

242
00:08:40,375 --> 00:08:42,855
high demand. You know, nearly half of commercially

243
00:08:42,855 --> 00:08:43,754
insured members

244
00:08:44,054 --> 00:08:46,074
with uncontrolled type two diabetes

245
00:08:46,534 --> 00:08:48,554
are screened positive for food insecurity,

246
00:08:49,414 --> 00:08:50,794
and that more than half

247
00:08:51,209 --> 00:08:54,009
consistently lack access to nutritious food that's needed

248
00:08:54,009 --> 00:08:56,909
for help. So clearly, the demand is there.

249
00:08:57,449 --> 00:08:59,529
Now I think on the solutions, we're starting

250
00:08:59,529 --> 00:09:02,189
to see scalable solutions that make it easier

251
00:09:02,490 --> 00:09:04,589
to really help address those needs.

252
00:09:04,970 --> 00:09:06,605
So and and I think what you've seen

253
00:09:06,605 --> 00:09:08,764
here is even though we've talked about some

254
00:09:08,764 --> 00:09:11,164
of those challenges that are operational, financial, and

255
00:09:11,164 --> 00:09:13,965
cultural, that we're seeing really effective solutions like

256
00:09:13,965 --> 00:09:16,445
Feed Your Health programs that really are addressing

257
00:09:16,445 --> 00:09:17,504
those head on.

258
00:09:18,059 --> 00:09:20,080
And, you know, I think we're seeing policymakers

259
00:09:20,299 --> 00:09:22,299
as really important partners at the table of

260
00:09:22,299 --> 00:09:25,019
helping accelerate the adoption and support this. So

261
00:09:25,019 --> 00:09:26,539
I actually think there's a lot of exciting

262
00:09:26,539 --> 00:09:29,019
momentum around this space, and I think we'll

263
00:09:29,019 --> 00:09:31,279
continue to see more. And especially,

264
00:09:31,774 --> 00:09:33,215
I do think that we should see a

265
00:09:33,215 --> 00:09:36,014
role that insurers have to really lead not

266
00:09:36,014 --> 00:09:37,934
just by funding, but how do you actually

267
00:09:37,934 --> 00:09:39,855
look at these systemic issues that might be

268
00:09:39,855 --> 00:09:41,695
getting in the way, and how can we

269
00:09:41,695 --> 00:09:43,695
remove those barriers from our side, how do

270
00:09:43,695 --> 00:09:44,754
we build the infrastructure,

271
00:09:45,299 --> 00:09:47,559
And, really, how do we work with policymakers,

272
00:09:47,860 --> 00:09:50,419
community groups, and others to ensure that food

273
00:09:50,419 --> 00:09:51,960
is medicine is really scalable

274
00:09:52,659 --> 00:09:55,539
and that ultimately healthy food is just built

275
00:09:55,539 --> 00:09:57,299
into the standard of care. And so I

276
00:09:57,299 --> 00:09:58,980
think what we're gonna start to see over

277
00:09:58,980 --> 00:10:00,654
the next few years is really what we're

278
00:10:00,654 --> 00:10:02,335
doing right now at Blue Cross, which is

279
00:10:02,335 --> 00:10:03,394
moving beyond pilots

280
00:10:03,774 --> 00:10:06,495
to really building out these statewide and national

281
00:10:06,495 --> 00:10:08,654
level ecosystems that really make food a core

282
00:10:08,654 --> 00:10:09,475
part of treatment.

283
00:10:10,335 --> 00:10:12,174
Certainly. And and what you just said, Colleen,

284
00:10:12,174 --> 00:10:14,274
really does match with what we are seeing

285
00:10:14,580 --> 00:10:17,620
nationally, what we're hearing daily from insurers that

286
00:10:17,620 --> 00:10:20,100
they're putting the infrastructure in place now. The

287
00:10:20,100 --> 00:10:22,019
momentum really is building. We hear about food

288
00:10:22,019 --> 00:10:24,740
as medicine consistently now. And and it seems

289
00:10:24,740 --> 00:10:26,180
like over these next few years, to your

290
00:10:26,180 --> 00:10:27,620
point, this is something that is really going

291
00:10:27,620 --> 00:10:29,654
to be continuing to take off. So it's

292
00:10:29,654 --> 00:10:31,894
it's really wonderful to see, Blue Cross of

293
00:10:31,894 --> 00:10:32,634
North Carolina,

294
00:10:33,174 --> 00:10:35,414
leading the charge here. But I wonder you

295
00:10:35,414 --> 00:10:36,534
know, you've got the ears of a lot

296
00:10:36,534 --> 00:10:38,534
of other health plan leaders from all over

297
00:10:38,534 --> 00:10:39,914
the country, some insurers

298
00:10:40,294 --> 00:10:42,375
more further along than others in this kind

299
00:10:42,375 --> 00:10:43,470
of, space.

300
00:10:44,189 --> 00:10:45,629
What would be your final thoughts for them

301
00:10:45,629 --> 00:10:47,389
or or final bits of advice as they

302
00:10:47,389 --> 00:10:47,889
continue

303
00:10:48,269 --> 00:10:49,730
on similar journeys?

304
00:10:50,909 --> 00:10:53,309
Yeah. You know, our health care system really

305
00:10:53,309 --> 00:10:56,029
excels at treating acute medical issues and managing

306
00:10:56,029 --> 00:10:56,529
symptoms.

307
00:10:56,909 --> 00:10:58,990
But I think what we're seeing is just

308
00:10:58,990 --> 00:11:02,585
this opportunity for insurers, providers, employers, and communities

309
00:11:02,725 --> 00:11:05,445
leaders to really come together and collaborate to

310
00:11:05,445 --> 00:11:07,684
address some of the root causes of poor

311
00:11:07,684 --> 00:11:08,184
health.

312
00:11:08,565 --> 00:11:10,884
By investing in this kind of preventative full

313
00:11:10,884 --> 00:11:13,600
person care, we can continue the shift from

314
00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,740
just reactive treatment to really proactive wellness

315
00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,440
and ultimately help the people we serve not

316
00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,860
just get healthy, but really stay healthy.

317
00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:23,919
And I think that's why you're seeing what

318
00:11:23,919 --> 00:11:26,580
we're doing is trying to think really broadly,

319
00:11:26,639 --> 00:11:29,144
not just how we help individuals make healthier

320
00:11:29,144 --> 00:11:29,644
choices,

321
00:11:30,024 --> 00:11:31,004
how we integrate

322
00:11:31,384 --> 00:11:32,764
food into health care,

323
00:11:33,065 --> 00:11:34,904
and, ultimately, how do you improve access to

324
00:11:34,904 --> 00:11:37,304
nutritious food. So we're really trying to tackle

325
00:11:37,304 --> 00:11:38,605
this from kind of a holistic,

326
00:11:39,225 --> 00:11:40,445
multipronged strategy

327
00:11:40,889 --> 00:11:42,970
called our health through food initiative because these

328
00:11:42,970 --> 00:11:44,970
are all interconnected pieces. And if we do

329
00:11:44,970 --> 00:11:46,889
it together, we can really start to move

330
00:11:46,889 --> 00:11:47,549
the needle

331
00:11:47,929 --> 00:11:50,750
and show how investing in nonmedical approaches

332
00:11:51,210 --> 00:11:53,950
to preventing, treating, and managing chronic conditions

333
00:11:54,410 --> 00:11:56,250
can ease the burden on our health care

334
00:11:56,250 --> 00:11:56,750
system,

335
00:11:57,105 --> 00:11:59,985
can lower costs for the plan, and for

336
00:11:59,985 --> 00:12:02,225
the broader, you know, system that we all

337
00:12:02,225 --> 00:12:04,784
operate in. But ultimately, most importantly, why we're

338
00:12:04,784 --> 00:12:05,764
all in this business

339
00:12:06,144 --> 00:12:07,745
is it can help the people that we

340
00:12:07,745 --> 00:12:08,644
serve ultimately

341
00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,759
enjoy healthier lives. So, again, I think there's

342
00:12:11,759 --> 00:12:14,399
so much exciting opportunities to collaborate and work

343
00:12:14,399 --> 00:12:16,559
together to really get to the root causes

344
00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:18,000
of these issues and really start to move

345
00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,160
the needle on not only improving health, but

346
00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,580
ultimately driving affordability in the system.

347
00:12:23,554 --> 00:12:25,875
Wonderful. Well, Colleen, I wanna thank you for

348
00:12:25,875 --> 00:12:27,894
taking the time to sit down with us

349
00:12:28,115 --> 00:12:30,514
and for sharing your insights about the important

350
00:12:30,514 --> 00:12:32,514
work going on under your leadership at Blue

351
00:12:32,514 --> 00:12:34,679
Cross. We really appreciate it. Thank you again

352
00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:35,739
for including me.

353
00:12:36,039 --> 00:12:37,559
And to our listeners, if you'd like to

354
00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:39,799
listen to more podcasts from Becker's HealthCare, you

355
00:12:39,799 --> 00:12:42,619
can visit beckershospitalreview.com.