YOU CAN COUNT ON WITH WRAL NEWS. >>> OH, THE STRUGGLES THAT THE PANDEMIC IS CAUSING, DR. -- IS THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA AND IS JOINING US LIVE TO TALK ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES DURING THIS PANDEMIC. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A DOCTOR AND THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW WITH THE PANDEMIC? >> SO, WE HEARD GOV. COOPER TALK ABOUT HOW METRICS HAVE STABILIZED AND THAT THERE WILL BE SOME REOPENING NEXT WEEK, I THINK WE ARE STILL NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET. I THINK WE HEAR TERMS LIKE COVID BURNOUT AND PANDEMIC FATIGUE BECAUSE IT GETS TIRESOME TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THESE PRECAUTIONS BUT I THINK IT IS STILL IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY AFTER GOING INTO FLU SEASON THAT IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO WEAR MASKS AND SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND CONTINUE TO WASH OUR HANDS. >> YOU SPECIALIZE IN PAIN MANAGEMENT AND AS A MATTER OF FACT YOU ARE A LEADER IN THE OPIOID CRISIS AND TRYING TO COMBAT IT. HOW IS THIS KIND OF CARE BEING MANAGED DURING THE PANDEMIC? >> MANAGING CHRONIC CONDITIONS IS CHALLENGING ENOUGH, ESPECIALLY WITH CHRONIC PAIN WHICH CAN BE A DIFFICULT THING TO MANAGE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THE STRESSORS WE ARE GOING THROUGH ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS IT CAN CERTAINLY INCREASE SOMEONE'S PAIN AND CAN ALSO INCREASE STRESSORS, MENTAL STRESSORS. THEREFORE THE POTENTIAL FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. SO WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC BUT THERE IS ALSO AN OPIOID EPIDEMIC. SO IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT PATIENTS CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR VISITS WITH THEIR DOCTOR AND HAVE OPEN COMMUNICATION AND BE FORTHCOMING ABOUT THEIR SYMPTOMS. >> SPEAKING OF THAT, WE'VE BEEN REPORTING ON PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT GOING TO THE DOCTOR, NOT FOR CHECKUPS OR EVEN A SERIOUS CONCERN. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IN PERSON CARE? >> LIKE I MENTIONED, PREVENTIVE CARE IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. I KNOW THIS IS A DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING TIME NOT JUST FOR PATIENTS BUT FOR DOCTORS AS WELL. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO KEEP THEIR IMPORTANCE WHETHER IT'S FOR VACCINES OR PREVENTATIVE CARE WHICH IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, I KNOW FROM PERSONAL FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE THAT DOCTORS OFFICES ARE TAKING MEASURES NOT ONLY TO KEEP THEIR STATUS -- STAFF SAFE, LIKE HAVING A VIRTUAL WAITING ROOM OR HAVING PATIENTS WAIT IN THE CAR UNTIL THEIR APPOINTMENT TIME, BAKING MASKS MANDATORY AND WASHING HANDS AND SOME STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THERE IS A DECREASE IN CANCER RATES BUT THIS IS LIKELY NOT AN ACTUAL DECREASE. IT'S LIKELY DUE TO A DECREASE IN SCREENINGS. SO IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT PATIENTS KEEP THEIR APPOINTMENTS WITH THEIR DOCTORS AND AGAIN WE OFFER TELEHEALTH VISITS AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO CALL THEIR DOCTORS OFFICES AND HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION AND SAY I'M NERVOUS ABOUT COMING IN, WHAT HAVE YOU PUT IN PLACE IN YOUR OFFICE SO THAT I FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING IN TO BE SEEN? >> YOU WERE TELLING ME THAT TELEHEALTH HAS BEEN A PART OF WHAT BLUE CROSS HAS BEEN DOING FOR 20 YEARS AND NOW IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. HOW MUCH CONTACT AND DIAGNOSIS CAN YOU DO WITH THE PATIENT EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE TALKING OVER A COMPUTER SCREEN? >> AT BLUE CROSS WE HAVE TAKEN MEASURES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE DURING THE PANDEMIC KNOWING THAT EARLY ON DOCTORS OFFICES HAD CLOSED AND OF COURSE WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT THE NERVOUSNESS OF PATIENTS GOING AND PHYSICALLY SO WE DID EXPAND TELEHEALTH POLICIES TO COVER VISITS SO THAT TELEHEALTH VISITS ARE THE SAME AS IN PERSON. I THINK THERE IS A LOT THAT CAN BE GAINED FROM A TELEHEALTH VISIT, AS I MENTIONED PREVENTATIVE CARE IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT SO BEING ABLE TO CALL INTO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND HAVE THEM VISUALIZE YOU BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR SYMPTOMS IS SO IMPORTANT. AGAIN, I THINK OF PATIENTS ARE NERVOUS ABOUT GOING AND THEN TELEHEALTH IS A GREAT OPTION FOR THEM. >> ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU SO