CareSource, Independent Health, and AdhereHealth outline strategies for the upcoming Medicare Advantage Star Rating changes, focusing on medication adherence and the Health Equity Index (HEI) starting in measurement years 2024-2025 for the 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Rating Period. Under HEI, plans must identify disparities in populations with soc…

In our second interview with the experienced philanthropy advisor Tom Hall, we share a fundamental element that most wealthy philanthropists are looking for when deciding whether to make a major gift. Tom is Managing Director, Global Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy at UBS and over the last ten years he has had conversations with more than 40…

Fred Turner, co-founder and chief executive officer of Curative, joins Eric to discuss how Curative is reinventing health insurance by adopting a more preventative approach to drive better results and lead to a more affordable delivery of plans. Fred shares Curative’s journey from a pandemic testing company to a health insurance provider with a fir…

What do wealthy donors most prize when they weigh up whether to make a major investment in a charity? In 10 years as a philanthropy advisor at UBS bank, Tom Hall has had conversations about philanthropy with more than 4000 wealthy people, and he has witnessed a vast number of major gifts. This opportunity has given him precious insight into their p…

Leading healthcare investors and strategists discuss how to rethink capital in healthcare and share unique ways to grow and scale companies to improve health outcomes, cost savings, and operational efficiencies. Topics include: Components investors look for in 2024 Healthcare sectors with the highest growth projections Human capital strategies Grow…

Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD, Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Cheryl Harding, patient and community advocate, join Eric to share how Boston Medical Center is utilizing storytelling to build trust and connection between the hospital and its community par…

Elevance Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, and the Business Group on Health and Socially Determined discuss how plans can provide a more holistic and effective healthcare journey for members by gaining insight into all barriers to caring for your members, including social risks such as food insecurities, housing instabilities, finan…

One of the best ways to grow fundraising income is to find ways to add value to relationships with supporters and partners. This makes sense in theory, but how do you do it in practice, and with consistency, especially if your resources are limited? Events can be very effective! Though many charities use them to raise funds directly, it is less com…

Allison Bryant, MD, MPH, Associate Chief Health Equity Officer, Mass General Brigham (MGB), joins Eric to discuss how the health system ensures its innovations are accessible to everyone, particularly those from marginalized communities. Allison elaborates on MGB's unique approach, viewing its mission as providing healthcare and as a catalyst for i…

Esteemed leaders from CVS Health, Florida Blue, Highmark, and Vori Health delved into the impact of health equity on chronic care. They not only shared strategies and solutions to enhance healthcare accessibility but also shed light on specific programs they have successfully implemented to bridge the health equity gap in chronic disease prevention…

Dan Fishbein, President of Sun Life U.S., joins Eric to discuss Sun Life’s commitment to supporting holistic care for mental health and how it leverages digital technology to enhance the overall delivery of mental health and caregiver support to all clients. The conversation also touches on how Sun Life is helping patients navigate a challenging he…

There are many ways to deepen relationships with people who care about your good cause. At Bright Spot, one of our favourites is to create Wow Moments - something that makes them feel great or helps them connect with your charity at a deeper level compared to what most would expect. Sometimes this involves a creative, ambitious approach that other …

Leaders from Ballad Health, Baystate Health, Stony Brook Medicine and Purple Lab share how health systems can take a more sophisticated and consumer-focused approach to attracting new patients. Our expert panel leads a thought-provoking discussion on the importance of seeing patients as healthcare consumers and understanding how they make decisions…

Leaders from Independence Blue Cross, Oscar Health and TytoCare explore how health plans can leverage various solutions effectively to optimize pricing structures; exploring technology adoption, cost-effectiveness, and market competitiveness. Our panel of industry experts will share successful strategies and real-world examples you can implement in…

When you concentrate more effort developing relationships with a relatively small number of supporters or corporate partners with high potential, it becomes much easier to grow high value income. We’ve also found that although this idea makes sense to many people in theory, it can be hard to apply in practice. So what can you do to overcome the var…

Kody Kinsley, Secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, joins Eric to discuss how his state is improving the lives of families and children by expanding Medicaid and improving the mental health system. Secretary Kinsley shares strategies for improving behavioral healthcare access and benefit design for North Carolina’s …

An effective way to grow fundraising income is to add value to relationships with high value supporters. But how do find ways to do it? One approach is to start looking at your existing resources differently. When you ask yourself what potential assets you could make use of, rather than what is difficult for your charity; and what you can give (to …

What can fundraisers do to increase our chances of securing large, multi-year donations from trusts and charitable foundations? Rob was delighted to talk to Caroline Danks, a wise fundraiser with 20 years’ experience of working with Trusts and Foundations. In the last two years, three different charities she’s worked with have received six-figure, …

Leaders from Humana, Blue Cross, and Blue Shield of Rhode Island delve into the dynamic landscape of specialty value-based care, sharing valuable insights and actionable strategies for navigating its complexities. Show Guests: Alexander Ding, MD, MS, MBA, Associate Vice President for Physician Strategy and Medical Affairs, Humana Nick Lefeber, Seni…

One greatly under-estimated tool for building relationships with potential funders, corporate partners and major donors, is LinkedIn. But what’s the most effective approach? Rob was delighted to talk to fundraising and LinkedIn expert Michelle Benson. After many years as a fundraiser and grant giver, Michelle has found that most fundraisers are fai…

Melissa Newton Smith, Founder of Newton Smith, and Keslie Crichton, Chief Sales Officer of BeneLynk, join Eric to discuss the introduction of the CMS Health Equity Index, which will replace the reward factor within the Medicare Advantage Star Rating program measurement. The Health Equity Index will be a seismic change for Medicare Advantage plans a…

Leaders from Independence Blue Cross, Banner| Aetna, and Scene Health share exclusive insights on successfully accomplishing chronic condition management success with fewer resources. Our expert panel explores patient-centered and technology-enabled approaches that elevate chronic care management efficiency and effectiveness. Don't miss the opportu…

There are plenty of factors that make fundraising difficult at the moment. Whether it’s the cost of living crisis, the pace of change, the sense of political chaos, shorter attention spans etc…it’s true that connecting with people who care about your cause can feel harder than ever. So what can we do to defy the odds and achieve great fundraising r…

Is silo working inevitable in charities? Or is it possible to create a culture where it’s the norm for the different teams to proactively help each other, so that efforts combine to make a bigger difference? This is the second part of Rob’s interview about integrated working with the brilliant Joe Jenkins. They build on the Team of Teams concept fr…

Leaders from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Independent Health, Evry Health and Vori Health discuss GP-1s and their role in addressing the global challenge of obesity. The panel shares innovative, multidisciplinary strategies you can implement to complement lifestyle interventions and other therapeutic approaches in your organization. * Im…

One of the biggest sources of stress for people working in charities is conflict between teams. Many find that however committed they are, and however hard they work, the default structure and culture often hamper genuine cooperation and progress toward a common goal. Given how difficult this problem can be, Rob was thrilled to talk to Joe Jenkins,…

Seema Kumar, CEO of Cure, an innovation campus in New York City, joins Eric to discuss how artificial intelligence can positively impact healthcare and lead to more innovation. She shares how AI has been used in healthcare and the promise it holds for the future. The conversation also highlights the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI For Good, an in…

Rob is again joined by Bright Spot colleague and fellow fundraising trainer Ben Swart to talk about some of the episodes that most inspired us in 2023. Our discussion of fundraising ideas and examples includes: how to ace your event or media appeal (ie what content makes all the difference to results); ways to beat the Curse of Knowledge – and how …

If you’d like practical lessons and a bunch of encouraging stories from our fundraising podcast in 2023, or you’d like tips on what to listen to next, we recorded this special episode for you! Rob is joined by Bright Spot colleague and fellow fundraising trainer Ben Swart for this round up of our podcasting year. They pull out key insights from som…

Blue Shield of California, Highmark, Intellihealth and NourishedRX discuss how they are mitigating the high costs of GLP-1s with lifestyle interventions such as behavior change, physical exercise, nutritional counseling and coaching to optimize outcomes for members living with obesity and diabetes. Hear real-life examples and best practices to equi…

This time we’re looking at capital campaigns and appeals, and in particular how to make them work if the charity you work for is relatively small. Successful appeals are not an easy undertaking for any charity, but there are at least examples of various famous appeals by well-known charities in books about fundraising. Given how many smaller charit…

Leaders from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan, Highmark and Quest Analytics discuss how health plans are examining and reimagining their provider strategies to stay competitive and meet their members' evolving needs. By focusing on areas such as compliance, network adequacy, data integrity, and performance metrics, plans are redefining their …

Just occasionally we (hopefully) have a bigger opportunity to reach more people and raise money. Whether it’s being chosen for a media appeal that reaches thousands or millions; or the chance to tell your charity story at an event in front of hundreds of people…there are a few moments when the fundraising rewards can be HUGE…if we get it right. So …

Sonny Goyal, Senior Vice President of Diversified Business Group and Chief Strategy Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), joins Eric to share some of Blue Cross NC’s successful initiatives to help members live their best lives. Sonny discussed Blue Cross NC’s approach to mitigating social determinants of health, expla…

Former New Jersey Congressman and Health Transformation Alliance (HTA) CEO, Robert Andrews, joins Eric to discuss how HTA – a cooperative of more than 60 of America’s leading employers –and its members employers are fixing our broken healthcare system by sharing data, challenging the status quo and implementing innovative solutions. Robert shares m…

Changes in technology over the last three decades mean our supporters’ now have less time, and more demands on their attention, than at any point in history. This makes it tougher than ever to deepen relationships with people who care about our cause. In this environment, what can we do to create effective marketing and communications? To better un…

Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA, Vice President, Healthcare Delivery Research, MedStar Health Research Institute, joins Eric to discuss D.C. Safe Babies Safe Moms, a community-driven collaborative launched in 2020 to improve the health and well-being of mothers and infants in Washington, D.C., and reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant h…

Leaders from CareFirst, CareSource, UPMC Health Plan and Scene Health explore how proper medication adherence ensures a higher quality of life, improves health outcomes and reduces healthcare costs. Many health plans saw their overall Medicare Star Ratings drop this year due to one particular area – medication adherence. Our expert panel from top-r…

Kim Barrus, MSN, RN, PMP, Director, Clinical Outcomes Management of SelectHealth, joins Eric to discuss how her plan reinvented the consumer experience for ACA Marketplace health plans. With almost half of ACA Marketplace customers complaining about making appointments with providers and other process challenges, SelectHealth committed to reversing…

Many charities see the advantages of creating strategic, long-term partnerships with companies, rather than applying for those intensely competitive Charity of the Year partnerships. But how do you initially approach companies where there is a good fit? Even after you get that first meeting, how do you inspire them to want to partner? And how do yo…

Leaders from Humana, Healthfirst, Health Leads and Vesta Healthcare join Eric to discuss the future of home healthcare for Medicare Advantage plans. As care delivery strategies evolve, the home is critical in achieving clinical and customer satisfaction ratings that drive business success. Home health is also vital to providing equitable care to al…

Some types of cause are less popular than others. If your charity is relatively less attractive to many people, what can you do to raise funds successfully? Rob talks to the experienced major gift fundraiser, Sarah Jane O’Neill, about things you can do to raise funds in spite of the challenges, whatever cause you serve. They share tips, practical t…

What can you do to build warm, generous relationships with High Net Worth individuals who care about your cause? Rob talks to Paul Davies, who at the time worked for an orchestra and charity named Manchester Camerata. Paul explains a range of ideas from the Major Gifts Mastery Programme that he used to transform his results, including: what he focu…

In just four years, the small UK charity Talk Club has grown rapidly, making an ever bigger difference to the community it serves. There are now 78 talk clubs where men can talk, listen and improve their mental fitness. In this episode Ben Akers (Joint CEO) and Rob Woods discuss the innovative approach that has helped achieve this growth. An import…

Leaders from Network Health, UPMC Health Plan, Healthmine and Benelynk explore how Medicare Advantage plans can attain 5-Stars and share bright spots on improving outcomes for members with social risk factors. Learn how closing gaps in care and reducing health disparities can help your plan reach 5 Stars! Topics include: CMS Health Equity Index Pro…

One of the most difficult challenges for many fundraisers is encouraging colleagues see things from the supporter or partners’ point of view, and to want to do things that would deepen relationships with those supporters and help grow income. And in corporate partnerships fundraising, excellent partnerships are never possible if they’re solely driv…

Healthcare leaders from Humana, myPlace Health, Mom’s Meals, and SCAN explore the latest product and benefit design trends for the aging population. Our expert panel shares strategies and best practices your plan can implement to bridge the social and clinical care gap and empower seniors to create a lifetime of healthy habits. Topics include: Prod…

Artificial intelligence / AI is here to stay and it’s transforming the way many sectors do business. In this episode we explore what difference AI is already making to fundraising, and what do we need to be aware of? The very experienced digital fundraiser, Emily Casson gave a fascinating talk at Bright Spot’s summer Breakfast Club for Fundraising …

If your plan is struggling to meet performance and quality goals for 2023, there's still plenty of time to turn things around and ensure members get the preventative care they need while raising your plan’s quality scores by closing care gaps across the healthcare ecosystem. Annually, gaps in care cost the U.S. healthcare system a staggering amount…

Nashville General Hospital CEO Joseph Webb, D.Sc., MSHA, FACHE, joins Eric to discuss how the hospital is using innovation to fulfill its mission and vision to improve the health and wellness of Nashville – one neighbor at a time. During the conversation, Dr. Webb shares details on two innovative initiatives Nashville General implemented to address…