Gonzalo Paz-Soldán, M.D., CPE is BCBSRIs senior medical director for clinical transformation. Dr. Paz-Soldán joined us in 20 de junio22 and is helping to lead our clinical efforts to enhance our members’ experience and advance the quality of care they receive through the growth and expansion of our value-based programs and initiatives. In addition, he is also focused on addressing health disparities, advancing health equity and improving the well-being of all Rhode Islanders. Dr. Paz-Soldan is a general pediatrician and his diverse background includes extensive experience in care transformation and innovation, quality improvement, and advancing patient and provider satisfaction. Dr. Paz-Soldán was medical director for partner transformation in value-based programs with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, and was also regional executive medical director for pediatrics at Reliant Medical Group in Worcester. Additionally, he has served as medical director and a pediatrician at centers and hospitals in the greater Washington, D.C. area.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) has taken significant steps the last few years to address maternal health disparities, on a local and even national level. Working with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and their five-year commitment to reduce racial disparities in maternal health by 2026, we’ve prioritized the urgent need to create solutions to the myriad of issues facing women of color who are pregnant. Shining a critical spotlight on that need this month is Black Maternal Health Week, from 11 de abril-17.
That commitment we share with the BCBSA includes specific actions in our partnerships with maternal care providers to provide cultural humility and unconscious bias training. To that point, I wanted to take a few minutes to remind you about a great opportunity available to you to take a most important and relevant training, at no cost to you. Partnering with the March of Dimes, BCBSRI is proud to offer “Awareness to Action: Dismantling Bias in Maternal and Infant Healthcare." This high-quality, 1.5-hour training is available online until 1 de julio de 2023, so you can take it at your own pace and leisure. Participants will earn 1.5 Continuing Medical/Nursing Education credits. Click here to learn more about the training and find a link to access it.
Endorsed by the American Hospital Association and taken by more than 9,000 providers in 2022, this implicit bias training provides important insights to recognize implicit bias in maternity care settings – throughout the pregnancy spectrum – and offers solutions to remedy it. The training includes four lessons: an overview of implicit bias and personal assessment; a historical overview of structural racism in the U.S.; strategies to mitigate racial bias in maternity care; and building a culture of equity within an organization.
We hope you will strongly consider taking this important training – I am confident you will find it eye-opening and extremely beneficial to your practice. I also wanted to let you know about our limited high-risk maternity case management pilot program, through which we are working to reduce the risk of pre-term births, low birth weights, and pregnancy-related complications for members. The program aims to do that by doing outreach and providing members with information, tools, and resources – including health navigators and doulas – to help birthing providers facilitate proper prenatal and post-partum care to support members through their pregnancies and help them learn positive lifestyle habits. Members are eligible for these services throughout their pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. For more information, or to refer a member to the program, contact triage_group@bcbsri.org or (401) 459-CARE (2273).
¡Gracias!
In addition to celebrating Black Maternal Health Week, we recognize several healthcare-related observances this month: Alcohol Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, and World Health Day (7 de abril), among many others. And of course, don’t forget about Administrative Professionals Day on 26 de abril! As always, thank you for your partnership and for all you do to help our members stay safe and healthy!