Modern Marketeers

Guest: Craig Meier, CEO, Medical Solutions Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley It is never a matter of if, but when, a corporation faces adversity. And in the era of COVID, whatever fissures were lying right below the surface were likely exposed in the past several months.  While most businesses work to be prepared financially for a … Continue reading How a strong culture impacts business during COVID-19

Guest: Dr. Josh Sclar, Chief Medical Officer, BioIQ Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley COVID-19 has altered the healthcare landscape dramatically. From the chaos of Covid hotspots where medical teams and facilities have been stretched to the limit, to the general apprehension people feel about visiting ANY medical facility.  But there is almost always opportunity in chaos. … Continue reading How COVID-19 has spurred home health and telemedicine

Guest: Virginia Barnes, Director of Blue Health Initiatives, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley COVID-19 has demonstrated how ill-prepared we were as a nation for a public health crisis. The lack of an immediate response plan to rapidly ramp up testing, our lack of contact tracing, and the grossly understaffed public … Continue reading Community initiatives in public health in the era of COVID-19

Guest: John Kelly, CEO, NexBen Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley When you combine a global pandemic with an unexpected economic cliff event, most businesses will be caught off guard. And in an era when employers and their employees are struggling with rising health insurance costs, adding more strain to the business ecosystem exacerbates the situation even … Continue reading Unbundling health insurance in the era of COVID-19

Guest: Mark Viden, SVP, Brand, CommonSpirit Health Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley Strong brands are powered by the purpose of their organization. Purpose not only drives the type of employees an organization attracts and retains, it also drives the customers the organization attracts and retains. This has never been more important than today in the healthcare … Continue reading The role of brand purpose in healthcare in the era of COVID-19

Guest: Matt All, CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley Every business in the US has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. None more so than those companies in the healthcare industry. In COVID hotspots, hospital systems have been stretched to capacity. And even in non-hotspots, hospitals postponed elective surgeries … Continue reading Business and community implications of COVID-19

Guest: Wendy Doyle, President & CEO, The Women’s Foundation Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley The COVID pandemic has exacerbated a number of issues that were lying right below the surface in the areas of public health, social justice and inequality. Candidly, you can go down the list of the social determinants of health and identify multiple issues that … Continue reading COVID-19 and its impact on Women

Guest: Dr. Rob Steele, Chief Strategy Officer, Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented strain on our healthcare system. The virus has created hotspots where more people were impacted, creating a capacity strain on medical teams and facilities in those areas. But there was an … Continue reading The rapid rise of telemedicine during COVID-19

Guest: Qiana Thomason, CEO, Health Forward Foundation Host: Sam Meers, EVP, Practice Lead, Barkley The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how ill-prepared we were as a nation for this crisis. The lack of an immediate response plan to rapidly ramp up testing, the inability to track contact points, and the grossly understaffed public health sector all … Continue reading Medicaid expansion in the era of COVID-19

Guests: Stephanie Parker and Chris Cima Host: Sam Meers The focal point between client and agency is Brand Leadership. However, here at Barkley the role goes well beyond what is expected of traditional account management. Stephanie Parker, Senior Vice President of Brand Leadership at Barkley, along with Chris Cima, Creative Director at Barkley, join us … Continue reading The Changing Role of Brand Leadership

GUESTS: Christina Lively and Angie Wooderson HOST: Sam Meers In the US, you become eligible for Medicare at age 65. Health insurance companies, in compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Management, provide Medicare Advantage plans for seniors. With over 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, the market is highly competitive, increasingly regulated and … Continue reading Medicare Marketing and the Modern Consumer

GUESTS: Faith Adams, Forrester HOST: Sam Meers Customer experience is a significant determinant of a health insurer’s success. In an age when consumer expectations are high, the delivery of care and the process for paying for it has never been more important. Faith Adams, Customer Experience Analyst at Forrester, joins us to discuss: The work … Continue reading Evolving the Healthcare Customer Experience

GUESTS: Matt All, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas HOST: Sam Meers Leading a health insurance company is not for the faint of heart. Health insurance is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting and challenging business categories today. It impacts every aspect of our society. In fact, healthcare itself makes up 25% … Continue reading Leading the Modern Health Insurance Company

GUESTS: Tom McCormally, Children’s Mercy HOST: Sam Meers Many organizations have come to understand the importance of telling an engaging story. The history of an organization helps establish its values and sets the stage for innovation and growth. With us for this episode is Tom McCormally, Director of Archives at Children’s Mercy Health and Clinics. … Continue reading The Importance of Story: Children’s Mercy

GUESTS: Jason Spacek, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City HOST: Sam Meers With rising health care costs, consumer confusion surrounding health care coverage and expanding care options through alternative and digital channels, health care brands must innovate to stay competitive. Often, innovation can lead to even more complexity and confusion for the consumer. … Continue reading Health Care Innovation: Spira Care and Blue KC

GUESTS: Anna Essmann and Jimmy Keown, Barkley HOST: Sam Meers This episode, featuring Anna Essmann and Jimmy Keown from Barkley’s strategy team, reveals insights from a significant research study recently completed by Barkley Health & Finance. Our work in the health insurance category over the years, and especially since the advent of the ACA, has … Continue reading Patients V. Members: Exploring Consumer Mindsets in Health Care