Briana Contreras is an editor at Managed Healthcare Executive, where she covers the clinical, business and policy developments that matter to payers and health plan leaders, with an additional focus in multiple clinical spaces. Her reporting spans from new cancer therapies and clinical trial data to drug affordability and biosimilars, pharmacy benefit management (PBM) and health plan operations, giving healthcare executives clear context on how new evidence can affect coverage and care decisions.
Experience:
Before joining MHE in 2019, Briana was a reporter at The Morning Journal in Lorain, Ohio, west of Cleveland, where she covered local government, community news and the issues affecting residents across Lorain and Erie counties. She reported on city council, downtown redevelopment, library and school projects, local business, nonprofits and breaking news in Elyria, Lorain and nearby communities.
Education:
Briana graduated from Cleveland State University with a B.A. in Journalism and Promotional Communication.
The retail giant’s initiative to offer attractive pay in every market they operate reflects in the pay raise of all associates. The average salary for pharmacists is now more than $140,000, not including bonuses and incentives. After investments within the optician and vision department, it’s expected the average wage for opticians to be more than $22.50 an hour.
The cause behind these disparities remain unclear and but is likely to be caused by immunological, hormonal, and genetic factors unique to both sexes.
Eligible members can enroll into these programs through Virta and Omada Health tools under Capital. The programs are personalized for Capital members on an easy-to-use app offering one-on-one health coaching, medical tools, community support, activity tracking and more.
Understanding whether the prevention of RSV infection during infancy can reduce the risk of childhood asthma is key to designing successful and preventive strategies, preventing long-term childhood respiratory morbidity, and outlining healthcare policy measures.
Editors are searching for diverse healthcare professionals from different backgrounds and healthcare sectors, with individual interests, and so on. Candidates should have, but not limited to, 12 years or fewer experience in healthcare.
The World Health Organization shared its enthusiasm for the “appropriate” use of these technologies. However, they are calling for caution to be exercised to protect and promote human well-being, safety, and autonomy and preserve public health.
Paxlovid will continue to be accessible at no charge for adults and eligible children ages 12 to 18 who are not covered by the approval.
A mobility program was adapted in a study to address the needs in patients of the Veterans Health Administration, as the lack of evidence-based programs targeting veteran’s mobility is a critical and significant gap in community living centers.
Direct and post-acute care workers experience many challenges in the workday. Their bodies are subject to physically demanding work and experience emotional stress with only median wages and little to no opportunity for career advancement.
Eric Hunter, president and CEO of CareOregon, and editorial advisory board member of Managed Healthcare Executive, talks with MHE about the “combination” underway between CareOrgeon and SCAN Health and how it's a good thing amid the concerns it would make CareOregon less responsive to local needs. Hunter also talks about how the combination will affect how they manage pharmacy benefits, and what else is on their radar in healthcare.
President and CEO of CareOregon, Eric Hunter, talks with MHE about what’s on his mind when it comes to healthcare. Throughout the discussion, MHE editors got an idea of how Medicaid redetermination is going for CareOregon, and took a deeper look at the collaboration or “combination” underway between SCAN Health and CareOrgeon.
Results from a recent study published in JAMA Network displayed key thematic shifts and increases in language related to anxiety, anger, depression, and loneliness during the pandemic.
Stakeholders may comment on guidance’s at any time, but the FDA plans to review and consider those sent by the May 15 deadline before finalizing the guidance.
This month’s episode of the "What's On Your Mind" podcast series features Eric Hunter, president and CEO of CareOregon. MHE Managing Editor Peter Wehrwein, Editor Briana Contreras and Hunter discuss Medicaid redetermination and merger of CareOregon and the California-based insurer, SCAN Group.
Researchers of a study examined the gender-specific COVID-19 case fatality risks among patients with a malignant neoplasm during hospital admissions as there is little data available for gender-specific COVID-19 mortality.
Accessible through the CareFirst WellBeing app, these behavioral health services are working to combat health risks related to obesity.
Reasons behind asthma care lacking for low-income patients run wide. However, cost seems to be the main issue.
Bill Snyder, CEO of Vivante Health, explains how the organization's digestive health service through digital health is benefiting patients by personalizing their care and being supported in their care journey with the help of their primary care physician or gastroenterologist.
CEO of Vivante Health, Bill Snyder, shares how an integrated or "full-stack" digital health system can benefit patient care all around, amid safety concerns about digital health and the security of sensitive health information. Snyder also introduces Vivante's digestive health platform and how it's associated with the organization's digital health innovations. For example, they've invested in looking at disparate data sets and using AI and machine learning to leverage pattern recognition and recognize specific patient needs.
This month's episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite features Erica Jain, CEO & co-founder of digital health company, Healthie. In this discussion, Jain shared some of the challenges or things to avoid when creating a digital health startup, based on her journey with starting Healthie in 2016. She also addressed some best practices and tools that can help those working toward a digital health startup.
Neal Dave, executive director of Pharmacy at Texas Oncology, explained that medically related pharmacies are truly an integrated team.
Kelsey Lang, principal of Avalere, breaks down the three provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, which was discussed today at the annual Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas.
Cate Lockhart, executive director of the Biologics and Biosimilars Collective Intelligence Consortium, shared results yesterday of a survey that look at biosimilars on the pharmacy benefit side of coverage versus medical benefit. The survey also shared how payers and those on the pharmaceutical side are anticipating the introduction of Adalimumab (Humira®), as well as what to look for in the future of the biosimilar pipeline.
Today at the annual Asembia Specialty Summit in Las Vegas, Sarah Marche, VP of Pharmacy at Highmark Health, spoke alongside other professionals from various stakeholders within the industry who are invested some way in digital therapeutics.
Today at Asembia 2023 Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas, Alexander Pham, VP of Client Services & Strategy at Clearway Health, talked about their collaboration with safety net hospital, OU Health, alongside the Chief Administrative Officer of OU Health, Jigar Thakkar. In this interview, Pham talked about how the Clearway and OU Health partnership helped build a specialty pharmacy program, alleviate financial burden, and more.
The 2024 expansion includes 28 new health centers total to four states.
The average annual healthcare spending for people with employer-sponsored insurance spending increased to $6,467 in 2021 from $5,630 in 2020. Per person healthcare spending increased 15% in 2021, following a 4% decrease in 2020.
In 2019 there were roughly 183,000 deaths associated with poverty in the U.S. among people 15 years and older. This is a significant result as the data is from the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when death rates skyrocketed.
HHS released the data earlier this week, which makes it the first time anyone can review the information on the ownership of more than 6,000 hospices and 11,000 home health agencies.
In this final part of a two-part video series, Clay Wilemon, CEO of 4L Data Intelligence, shared how much in cost that fraud, waste and abuse has affected healthcare due to issues like overpayment; and how leveraging your artificial intelligence can help solve fraudulent issues. Clay added how much the industry can save using these solutions.
