BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD MASSACHUSETTS: TAKING THE LEAD
Beginning in February, Honoring Choices Massachusetts is collaborating with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”) to offer courses on care planning and communication to its 3,600 employees through our Employee Wellness Health Care Planning Program. Blue Cross, an Honoring Choices Alliance Partner, is taking to lead among Massachusetts’ health care leaders to fully incorporate health care planning information and planning tools into their employee wellness program.
“Having clear and concise care planning information can open the door to early and on-going discussions with family members and care providers to get the best possible person-centered care at every phase of health,” says Ellen M. DiPaola, President & CEO, Honoring Choices Massachusetts. “We are particularly pleased to be working collaboratively with Blue Cross to support its long-standing commitment to the health and well-being of their associates.”
As Blue Cross CEO Andrew Dreyfus said in a recent press release announcing their comprehensive Complete Care for Advanced Illness program to improve quality-of-life for Massachusetts adults and families: “Our program is designed to help individuals with advanced illness receive high-quality care that honors priorities and preferences, and to lessen the burden on critically ill patients and their families.” Additionally, Mr. Dreyfus took note of the benefits of the many collaborative alliances within the Commonwealth as he added that, “Many other organizations and individuals in our state are working toward the same goals, and I believe that our efforts, collectively, could make Massachusetts a national model.”
Toward that end Honoring Choices’ Massachusetts-based tools and programs are well suited to incorporate into Blue Cross’ multifaceted program. By offering the combined expertise of Honoring Choices, Blue Cross, Ariadne Labs, and The Conversation Project the opportunities for citizens of Massachusetts to have enhanced patient-clinician and behavioral health provider communication will greatly improve the quality of life for adults and families facing serious advancing illness.
To read more about Blue Cross’ Complete Care for Advanced Illness program, click here (update: link no longer available).
To read Blue Cross CEO Andrew Dreyfus’ Boston Globe essay, click here (update: link no longer available).