Inside Health Care #98: Horizon BCBS of New Jersey and the Local Links to Health Equity

Quality Matters: A Podcast by NCQA

On this episode of “Inside Health Care,” we hear from Tracy Parris-Benjamin, Director for Community Health and Health Equity at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, about its 2022 NCQA Innovation Award-winning program “Neighbors in Health.”

“Neighbors in Health” is a statewide Community Health Workers program delivered through a collaboration of payers, hospital systems and community-based organizations. Community Health Workers, in consultation with a Personal Health Assistant, support members while empowering them to take greater control of their health. The program also provides education and training to Community Health Workers, helping them earn certification and training in a number of necessary health care-related skills.

Later in the show, we observe February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month. I include tips on oral care for children from the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as from the American Dental Association and its Mouth Healthy family-oriented website. I also mention NCQA’s Annual Dental Visit [ADV] HEDIS measure.