Humana volunteers assemble to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary.

Paul helps to ensure “that every business decision reflects Humana’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members, our associates, the communities we serve, and our planet.”

About Humana’s CSR’s Initiatives

Podcast (17 Minutes) Humana: A Business Always in Transition

Fran demonstrates a software enhancement to her staff.

Fran oversees a rapidly expanding, nationwide business that serves the specialized needs of this niche market, characterized by perennially tight budgets, further slashed by this challenged economy.

Fran leverages her formative background as a software engineer in the banking, insurance, and securities industry. In the podcast, Fran describes her role as CEO who manages many simultaneously moving parts as Defran grows. Fran focuses on providing the leadership that builds the business, yet maintains a level of client and employee intimacy.

Bio, Frances Loshin-Turso
Website, Defran Systems, Inc.

Podcast (12 Minutes)
Information Technology for Health and Social Service Not-for-Profits

Dr. Cindy Haines gives consumers and patients practical advice on navigating the precarious waters of the U.S. healthcare system.

Cindy Haines, MD, is a family physician who serves on the faculty of St. Louis University School of Medicine, medical journalist, and chief medical officer of HealthDay, an award-winning consumer and professional news service.

This podcast takes its title, How to Get the Best Health Care in a Broken System, from the recently published book authored by Dr. Cindy Haines. Eric Metcalf, MPH, and medical journalist co-authored the book.

Their book is written in lay language to help consumers and patients realize the power they have in taking control of their health through prevention and early intervention; forming a relationship with their primary care physicians, and making smart and realistic treatment choices. What Dr. Haines advocates as The New Prescription, in the long run will help save our health system billions of dollars in the aggregate.

Podcast (15 Minutes) How to Get the Best Health Care in a Broken System

The controversy brings to a head many legal, ethical, and policy issues, from a variety of constituencies. Those in the academic and institute research community, many of whom are plaintiffs in the case, argue for free and transparent access to many discoveries that are, in fact, intended for commercial purposes.

The decision calls into question the validity of thousands of life science patents that have been issued by the U.S. Patent Office.

Alan J. Morrison, JD, has authored an article about the Myriad case.

Alan J. Morrison, JD., a partner at the intellectual property law firm Cohen Pontani Lieberman & Pavane LLP, New York, NY, provides an introduction to the Myriad case and issues surrounding the patenting of isolated genes. He’s the author of the article Rethinking the Gene Patent, from which the title of this post and podcast is borrowed. The article will appear in the Biotechology Law Report. This blog will post the link to the full article when it becomes available in December 2010.

Links
Bio, Alan J. Morrison, JD
Link to the Myriad Case Association of Molecular Pathology, et al. v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, et al., No. 09 Civ. 4515, 2010 WL 1233416, *1 (S.D.N.Y. March 29, 2010)
Someone (Other Than You) May Own Your Genes
Overview of Gene Patents
Summary of the Myriad Case

Podcast (12:26 Minutes)
Rethinking the Gene Patent

Dr. Brandon Colby has transitioned to CEO of Existence Genetics, based in Los Angeles, CA.

Brandon Colby, MD, is a world leader in the field of Predictive Medicine, a new and groundbreaking medical specialty that combines genetic testing with personalized prevention based upon your genetic makeup.

In 2010, he published his book, Outsmart Your Genes, as one way to popularize Predictive Medicine among physicians, patients, and consumers. The book grows out of Dr. Colby’s passion for advancing Predictive Medicine, since he knows firsthand the effects of a genetic disorder and how to manage it.

Links
Bio, Brandon Colby, MD
Outsmart Your Genes
Existence Genetics

Podcast (15:25 Min.)
Predictive Medicine: Coming Soon to a Doctor Near You

Benita Shobe

The National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, that recently adopted the business name NARSAD, as The World’s Leading Charity Dedicated to Mental Health Research,” has organized the Healthy Minds Across America national campaign to reinforce May as Mental Health Awareness month. Healthy Minds brings the latest scientific developments to the attention of consumers, patients, families, and physicians in a series of publicly accessible forums, in partnership with than 40 medical institutions around the U.S.

Two thought leaders involved in Healthy Minds Across America are Benita Shobe, NARSAD’s president and CEO and Dr. Jack Barchas, professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and psychiatrist-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Barchas serves on NARSAD’s Scientific Council.

In the podcast, Benita Shobe describes the vision and how Healthy Minds Across America, has, and will continue to evolve. She elaborates on the campaign’s objectives of informing consumers, patients, physicians, and the public at-large on important scientific discoveries in mental and behavioral health.

Dr. Jack Barchas serves on NARSAD's Scientific Council.

Dr. Jack Barchas, in the second half of the podcast, reflects on NARSAD’s mission: reducing the stigma associated with mental and behavioral health disorders by understanding the underlying science; the role of philanthropy and the public sector in advancing early research; and the leadership on many levels that runs NARSAD’s activities.

Bio, Benita Shobe
Bio, Jack Barchas, MD
NARSAD Website
Healthy Minds Press Release

Podcast (15 Minutes) Communicating Breakthrough Science to Consumers

Dramatic increases ahead for spending on biologics.

Randy Vogenberg, RPh, PhD, noted consultant, author, and executive director of the Biologic Finance & Access Council Program at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University’s School of Population Health discusses how payers’ benefit design strategies may help more patients afford costly biologics and specialty medication therapies for chronic illnesses.

The overall mix of prescriptions is moving quickly away from chemical-based products towards biologics, gene-based therapies, that better manage disease, as well as offer potential cures.

Dr. Vogenberg discusses the shift and resulting impact on pharmacy benefit design as biologics and specialty medications dramatically increase their share of drug spending from 25% in 2010 to 50% in 2015. Current designs won’t address future medication needs. The traditional path favors reimbursing event-oriented, catastrophic coverage over chronic coverage.

But, innovations in benefit design and reimbursement have, and continue to evolve at large organizations, such as the Veterans Administration (VA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and among self-insured employers. Lessons can also be learned from consumer-directed health plan designs that already exist, as well as from community-based initiatives to bring employees of small businesses, that employ more than half of the nation’s workforce, into plans offering improved medication benefits similar to those offered by government and large payers.

Dr. Randy Vogenberg advocates medication benefit design that recognizes the shift towards biologics.

Bio, Randy Vogenberg, RPh, PhD
Comparative Effectiveness Research
Engaging Physicians on Cost Savings Initiatives
Pharmaceuticals and the Challenges of Benefit Management
New Channels for Drug Distribution and Reimbursement
The Economics of the Specialty Pharmacy Benefit

Podcast (17 Min.) Affording the Future Mix of Medication Therapies

Maya Rockeymoore, PhD

Thought leadership not only plays a role in business. It’s a key part of policy strategy and tactics that can inspire the public and policy makers to action, fulfilling a vision, in this case, of obesity prevention and wellness.

Maya Rockeymoore, PhD, president and CEO of Global Policy Solutions, based in Washington, DC, shares insights on how ideas, information, and strategy—the thought leadership of advocates and early adopters—is contributing to an important public health initiative to prevent obesity and its related chronic diseases. First Lady Michelle Obama recently announced her personal involvement heading a nationwide program to reverse the obesity epidemic among children.

Dr. Rockeymoore discusses the Healthy Communities Initiative, a national program with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Akin to the anti-smoking campaign started in the 1960′s, she lays out a Big Picture campaign, a decades-long strategy mobilizing elected officials, administrators, the press, and grassroots advocates at U.S., state, and local levels towards improving the quality of life for millions of Americans through the prevention of obesity. Thought leadership is the currency that propels this important public health issue that will transform the American infrastructure and make everyday changes to individuals’ attitudes and behavior.

Bio, Maya Rockeymoore, PhD
Global Policy Solutions Website
Interview on Healthcare Reform

Podcast (19 Minutes) Making the Connection Between Thought Leadership and Policy

Gil Bashe, Executive Vice President, Makovsky & Company

Gil Bashe, executive vice president and head of the healthcare practice at Makovsky & Company, in a wide-ranging interview, recaps the origins of patient advocacy, examines where we are today, and lays out a not-so-distant future for the starring role that communications will play in U.S. healthcare reform.

Follow along as Gil seamlessly moves from topic to topic in the two Podcasts that follow.

Gil Bashe or Doris Gilman will personally answer your questions. Please submit your questions as a Comment.

Communications as Part of the Cure (22 Min.)