Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has three medical doctors on staff. You may be wondering why a health insurance company wants to employ these types of professionals, but the answer is simple – you, our members!

“The physicians at BCBSKS support health promotion and disease prevention. We are dedicated to helping our members understand the benefits of healthy eating and daily exercise. Helping our members adopt healthier lifestyles is proven to produce health benefits for present and future generations,” Dr. Myron Leinwetter, BCBSKS Medical Director said.

We promote healthy lifestyles through a variety of programs, such as disease management, tobacco cessation and weight management. We employ more than 40 registered nurses who help run those programs and serve as clinical resources for the company. You can learn more about those programs by visiting our website.

In addition to the services they provide to members, our doctors also have a responsibility to the providers – the physicians, health care professionals and health care facilities – our company contracts with.

“As the chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs, I serve on the BCBSKS executive leadership team and participate in strategic planning. I have responsibility for the clinical aspects of our population health and health care delivery innovation activities, and serve as our primary clinical liaison with physicians on these topics.

“Having experienced physicians and nurses that have all practiced in Kansas helps to ensure that BCBSKS understands and is sensitive to the issues that are important to our contracting providers,” Dr. Michael Atwood, CHIE,  BCBSKS VP Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer said.

If you’d like to learn more about our three doctors, check out the previous post in this series.