Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
A Q&A with Dr. Nicholas Massa, vice president, chief medical officer, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
A strong local health care system depends on strong local partnerships. As health care becomes increasingly complex, closer collaboration between providers, hospitals, and health plans can help improve care coordination and create a better experience for patients and clinicians alike.
For communities across the Mohawk Valley, including Utica, Rome, and surrounding Oneida and Herkimer counties, these partnerships can also help address local health care challenges and strengthen access to high-quality care close to home.
As a physician and medical director for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Dr. Nicholas Massa has seen firsthand the difference this kind of care integration can make.
Q: Why are stronger provider partnerships important for the Utica region?
Dr. Nicholas Massa: Patients often tell us that navigating the health care system can feel complicated and disconnected, especially when care involves multiple providers or settings. Stronger partnerships help bring physicians, hospitals, care teams, and health plans together around a shared goal: delivering high-quality, coordinated care.
In the Utica region, we are fortunate to have dedicated providers and health care organizations serving our communities. By working closely together, we can better connect patients to services and support care that is more seamless and easier to navigate.
Q: How can these partnerships help physicians and care teams?
Dr. Nicholas Massa: Time spent on administrative tasks remains a significant challenge for many providers. Through better information exchange, we can reduce these burdens and simplify certain aspects of care delivery.
When providers have greater visibility into a patient’s health care journey, they can spend less time on paperwork and more time caring for patients.
Q: What does success look like?
Dr. Nicholas Massa: Success means things like less patient frustration with navigating the healthcare system and fewer preventable hospitalizations. It means providers and health plans working together to meet the unique needs of people throughout the Mohawk Valley.
For Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, success also means continuing to invest in the communities we serve. We have a long history in the Mohawk Valley, and we remain committed to helping create a healthier future for Utica and the surrounding region.
