Briana Contreras

Briana Contreras

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.

Articles by Briana Contreras

In this week's episode of "Tuning In to the C-Suite" podcast, Senior Editor Peter Wehrwein spoke with Debra Cooper, RN, MSN, MBA/HCM, a senior risk specialist at Coverys, a medical malpractice insurance company headquartered in Boston. Wehrwein and Cooper discussed the role the company has played in advising providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, risk mitigation, and the role they can now play in overcoming vaccine hesitancy.

Brooks, senior medical director of Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia, was a key member of the team that created a health awareness campaign launched earlier this month in cooperation with local radio station WURD and other partners including the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, Penn Medicine, Labcorp, and the Health Care Improvement Foundation. The campaign, called “Go To Know,” sets out to increase colon cancer screenings among African Americans by providing free Fecal immunochemical, or FIT, tests.

In this second video of a two-part video series, MHE spoke with Dr. Ami Parekh, chief medical officer of Grand Rounds. Ami discussed the rise of the chief medical officer role, how businesses can benefit from it and what it means for the future of the C-suite. She also explained why it is so essential for businesses to provide advice and clinical guidance to help best keep operations running safely.

Today's episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite shares a conversation between Associate Editor of MHE, Briana Contreras, and CEO of Ob Hospitalist Group, Lenny Castiglione. The two talked about how and why hospitals and health systems are increasingly working with third party providers for obstetrics, as well as anesthesiology, nursing, and others to reduce costs and improve care for patients.

In this second of three-part video interview series, MHE spoke with founder and CEO of Gray Matter Analytics. In the discussion, Sheila addressed the topic of how healthcare organizations are missing out by not actively expanding their efforts to seek out and fast track talented individuals across many minority populations, especially in the c-suite.

In this first video of a two-part video series, MHE spoke with Dr. Ami Parekh, chief medical officer of Grand Rounds. Ami discussed the rise of the chief medical officer role, how businesses can benefit from it and what it means for the future of the C-suite. She also explained why it is so essential for businesses to provide advice and clinical guidance to help best keep operations running safely.

In this month's episode of the Meet the Board podcast series, MHE spoke with Signify Health's Senior Vice President of Episodes of Care, François de Brantes. In the discussion de Brantes touched on a few facts about himself, he shared the toxic incentives in healthcare, how the Direct Contracting Model differs from Medicare Advantage and more.

Senior Editor Peter Wehrwein spoke with Vayong Moua, the Director of Racial and Health Equity Advocacy for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBSMN), for this week's episode of the "MHE Talks: Improving Patient Access" podcast series. Wehrwein and Moua discussed healthcare equity issues, how they relate to access issues, the political determinants of health and killing of George Floyd.

MHE's Briana Contreras spoke with Dr. Ami Parekh, chief medical officer of Grand Rounds. Ami and Briana talked about the rise of the chief medical officer role, how businesses can benefit from it and what it means for the future of the C-suite. They also discussed how Ami's role as a CMO, and other C-Suite positions, evolved during the pandemic and why it is so essential for businesses to provide advice and clinical guidance to help best keep operations running safely.