Regence and other experts discuss health equity solutions at Women in Tech conference

(From left) Regence BlueShield President Claire Verity; Derek Streat, CEO of DexCare; Dr. Ann Jarris, CEO of Discovery Health MD; and Aimee Viles, VP of Digital for Regence
Regence BlueShield is committed to making health care more equitable and more affordable and to leading the conversation about how to make health care better. At a Regence-sponsored panel in Seattle, moderated by Claire Verity, president of Regence BlueShield, experts explored how technology can improve health outcomes for underserved communities and lead to more personalized, efficient health care solutions.
“For us, what digital means is how are we building those experiences for our members, providers, producers and employers?” said Aimee Viles, vice president of Digital for Regence, at the Women in Tech Regatta, which connects, amplifies and celebrates women in tech through informative and interactive events.
“A digitally engaged member will have better health outcomes, have a lower total cost of care, and will have greater satisfaction,” Viles added. “Think about all the friction points that are in health care today. How can we help to enable solutions?”
Aimee Viles, VP of Digital for @RegenceWA, on the value of @witregatta this week for convening conversations about how technology can deliver solutions to transform health care: pic.twitter.com/fzGHyxqOah
— Regence BlueShield (@RegenceWA) June 6, 2022
Viles was joined on the panel by moderator Claire Verity, president of Regence BlueShield; and panelists Dr. Ann Jarris, CEO of Discovery Health MD, a medical services company for remote worksites; and Derek Streat, CEO of DexCare, a digital health solutions company for health systems.
“People are getting lost in the shuffle with respect to health care,” Verity said. “What are we doing to help engage the unengaged and make it easier to receive care at the right place at the right time with the right provider? And that's where I think technology plays a huge role. But what we're seeing is you can't just build it and expect people to come. There has to be some kind of way in which we outreach and engage them with their health care journey.”
Dr. Jarris said that it’s important to listen to the needs of underserved communities when deciding how to deliver health care. At Discovery Health MD, “we meet people where they are. If you're really trying to assist the community, you have to understand the community. You can't expect them to conform to your norms; you need to find a way to integrate with things that they're already comfortable with.”
The health care industry has to adopt digital tech solutions in a meaningful way that improves care for patients, Streat said. “A lot of these technologies are accessible to consumers today. But it doesn't mean that the providers and the systems themselves have connected the pieces to actually put those things into the workflow and make those things work.”