Excellus BCBS Community Check-In

Confronting Unconscious Bias in Healthcare

In this episode of the Community Check In, Dr. Mark Brown, Senior Medical Director at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, explores unconscious bias in healthcare. Dr. Brown sheds light on the roots of bias, its impact on patient care and practical steps for both individuals and institutions to address and mitigate its effects. He discusses how to recognize and challenge biases in healthcare interactions, and how Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is actively working to combat unconscious bias through employee resources, diversity training and initiatives prioritizing member experiences.

How to Manage Stress During the Holiday Season

We’re in the midst of the holiday season and while it’s often a joyful time filled with family moments, it can also be quite stressful for folks for a variety of reasons. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Hopkins, Senior Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, about how we can manage the stress that comes this time of year.

Health Care Access: The Critical Role of Biosimilars

In this episode of The Community Check-In, Eugene Rozenblyum, Senior Director of Trade Relations and Enterprise Drug Solutions at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, explores the world of biosimilars—a category of drugs that has emerged in the last decade, offering potentially lower-cost alternatives to biologics. He addresses common questions about biosimilars, including their availability globally, the involvement of major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Amgen and the existence of patient assistance programs to alleviate cost concerns.

The Loneliness Epidemic: Unveiling the Health Implications of Social Isolation

In part 1 of this two-part series on loneliness, Dr. Geoffrey Hopkins, Senior Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield explores the concept of loneliness and its impact on an individuals' overall wellness. He discusses the factors that disrupt social connections and addresses how to prevent its negative impacts on health and wellbeing

Breaking Down Barriers to Better Health Care

In this episode of the Community Check-In, Christy Simoncelli, Director of Health Equity at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, delves into the crucial topic of health equity, exploring its meaning and emphasizing why it should matter to everyone. Christy passionately discusses the systemic, socioeconomic, demographic and geographic barriers that hinder communities from achieving optimal health, along with actionable steps to address these inequities.