Q&A: Beth Foley, RN

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Beth Foley is vice president of quality and clinical operations at Worcester insurance company Fallon Health.

Q: How did you get into this field?

A: As a registered nurse I’ve always gravitated toward settings where I could help people to take control of their lives by understanding what they need to do to get healthy and stay as healthy as they can be. What really excites me is to look at health disparities—the differences in health status of different groups of people—and try to figure out ways to reduce those disparities.

Q: How does working in an administrative role compare with working directly with patients?

A: Whether you are working with just one patient or a whole community, the goals are similar. You want to make sure that the care you give is safe, effective, timely, efficient and equitable. When I worked with patients in a hospital setting I took care of a unit of approximately 30 patients. Now I’m responsible for greater numbers but my approach is the same: Treat people with respect, communicate honestly, help them to navigate a complex health care system and support their choices.

Q: What do you find are patients’ biggest quality concerns and how do you address them?

A: Our members are concerned about access to the services that they are looking for; how long they have to wait for an appointment; how far they have to travel for a service; and how much of the cost they’ll be responsible to pay. We work to be as transparent as possible and make that information available to them so that they can make decisions about where to go for care that make sense for them.

Q: Do health and wellness programs directly cut health care spending?

A: I think health and wellness programs can help to reduce health care costs. Some savings can be seen fairly quickly, such as with asthma management and prenatal care education. Other programs, such as diet and exercise education to control diabetes and heart disease, take longer to impact costs.

This interview was edited for length by Emily Micucci.