Blue Review
A newsletter for contracting institutional and professional providers

January 2020

Blue UniversitySM and Blue Review: Connecting with Providers on Topics that Matter

By: Dr. Derek J. Robinson, M.D., MBA, FACEP, CHCQM, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)

I’m pleased to launch another year of CMO Perspective articles in the Blue Review. This forum presents an opportunity to connect with providers peer-to-peer on a regular basis. I believe this connection is vital as it opens a door for increased awareness, communication and collaboration. I’m also pleased to announce that, due to the success of our 2019 Blue University events, we’ll be continuing this provider education initiative by hosting more Blue University events in 2020.

Fall 2019 Blue University Recap: Maternal Health Equity
BCBSIL is deeply committed to finding solutions to help reduce health care disparities and partner with providers to help reduce adverse birth outcomes, eliminate maternal disparities, and combat the rising maternal mortality rates for our members in the communities we serve. The topic of our most recent Blue University event on Nov. 22, 2019, was Addressing the Maternal and Infant Health Crisis Through A Health Equity Lens. BCBSIL’s Director of Quality and Health Equity, Jenné Johns, set the stage by comparing the day’s agenda to embarking on a journey toward the following destination: “To equip and empower us to operate with a sense of urgency for collectively eliminating inequity in outcomes that are avoidable, preventable and costly, particularly for women who are disproportionately impacted by these issues at alarming rates.”

Why do maternal mortality and morbidity rates continue rising in the U.S., and why are those rates magnified even more for women of color? Our keynote speaker, Joia Adele Crear-Perry, M.D., FACOG, founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, noted that “the reason health inequities exist is not because black people are broken.” Rather, as Dr. Crear-Perry pointed out, social determinants of health – the circumstances or conditions in which people live and work – are shaped by imbalances in power and wealth. Add to that a long history of reproductive injustice, and we begin to see the why. But there’s hope. Implicit or unconscious bias can be reframed through education to help ensure black women are seen, heard and treated with compassion. In defining birth equity and the mission of her organization, Dr. Crear-Perry said, “We don’t just want folks to survive. We want them to thrive.”

Our next speaker was Robin Jones M.D., assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rush University Medical Center, Chair of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) and Clinical Lead for the Birth Equity Initiative for the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC). Dr. Jones gave a preview of data from the second edition of the IDPH Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report (released in late 2019). The report confirms that, in Illinois, the mortality ratio is still highest for black women age 40 and older in Chicago. Nearly half of pregnancy-related deaths occurred during or within two weeks of pregnancy. Sadly, the majority of deaths were found to be potentially preventable. Dr. Jones noted that everyone has a role to play – providers, payers, patients, family members, caregivers – in improving post-delivery survival rates. As Dr. Jones noted, “We want healthy babies, but we need to refocus our attention on healthy moms.”

Our last speaker was Patricia Lee King, Ph.D., MSW. Dr. King is the State Project Director and Quality Lead for the ILPQC. Dr. King noted that the ILPQC is a collaboration of physicians, nurses, hospital teams, patients, public health and other stakeholders who implement data-driven, evidence-based practices to help improve maternal and infant health outcomes. ILPQC initiatives are created in response to State mortality review. Dr. King gave an overview of the Maternal Hypertension Initiative conducted in 2016-2017 with 110 hospital teams. The initiative focused on using screening tools, protocols and safety checklists. Improvements were seen in early recognition of hypertension and correct diagnosis; reducing time to treatment; providing patient education and follow-up; and implementing protocols for treatment of complications. Dr. King touched on current initiatives, too (Mothers and Newborns Affected by Opioids and Improving Postpartum Access to Care). She also gave a preview of the 2021 Birth Equity initiative, which will focus on strategies such as improving race/ethnicity data reporting, engaging patients and facilitating feedback, and engaging/educating providers and birth partners, such as doulas. Why? Because, as Dr. King noted: “These are women’s lives. Families’ lives. Patients’ lives.”

A panel discussion with a question and answer session rounded out the event. A common theme that emerged was the need to take action now. BCBSIL agrees with that theme. We’re leading educational efforts for increased awareness and empowerment, such as a maternal and health education series at our Blue Door Neighborhood CenterSM in the Pullman community. We also offer all our pregnant members case management services through our Special Beginnings® program. We’re enhancing resources for providers, too. For more information, including links to helpful resources such as diabetes and hypertension toolkits, visit the new Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) section of our Provider website.

2020 Blue University Preview: Focus on Behavioral Health
We’ll be focusing on behavioral health topics this year at upcoming Blue University events along with health equity as an ongoing underlying theme. Some providers have already suggested behavioral health-related topics through our 2019 Blue Review readership survey, conducted last year in October and November. If you missed the Blue Review survey and would like to suggest behavioral health-related topics – for newsletter articles or discussion at an upcoming Blue University event – please email the Blue Review editor. As always, we value your input.

Learn more about Dr. Derek J. Robinson

The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medic judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider.