OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
An interview with Dr. Talya Schwartz,
President & CEO of MetroPlusHealth
Caribbean Life, OCTOBER 15-21, 2021 3
Dr. Talya Schwartz was
appointed President &
CEO of MetroPlusHealth
in 2019. During her tenure,
MetroPlusHealth has achieved
a 20% growth in membership,
earned a fi ve-star rating from
New York State’s Consumer
Guide, and been ranked the #1
health plan in New York State
for quality. MetroPlusHealth
is part of NYC Health + Hospitals
public health system.
Q: What drives you to lead
MetroPlusHealth’s efforts
to battle breast cancer?
A: First, as President and
CEO of MetroPlusHealth and
as a physician, I am committed
to addressing the social
determinants of health among
New York’s most vulnerable
communities. Our aim is to actively
ensure that MetroPlusHealth
remains at the forefront
of supporting its members
through holistic, hands-on
supportive care. This means
preventive care for all New
Yorkers. There’s no such thing
as not being able to afford a
mammogram when you live in
New York City. We will work
with members and make certain
that they can and will receive
critical screenings.
What drives me every day
is quite simply the health and
well-being of our members.
There’s nothing more important
to us. Our staff goes the
extra mile every day. We routinely
send educational materials
and reminders, by mail and
text messaging, to women who
are due for a mammogram. Information
on the importance
of early detection is also posted
on our member portal. We
work hard to educate our members
about the importance of
screening and early detection.
Similarly, clinical gaps-in-care
reports are sent to our providers
so that they can follow up
with members who are due for
mammograms during routine
visits.
We even offer incentives
to members who complete
their breast cancer screening
through the MetroPlus
Member Rewards Program
(metroplusrewards.org).
Q: How has the pandemic
affected what you do for
your members?
A: No question that we saw
unprecedented challenges
within the entire health care
community, yet, according to
the New York State Department
of Health’s 2020 Quality
Incentive results, MetroPlusHealth
was ranked number one
among all 15 New York State
Medicaid plans in overall
quality. While we have always
scored high in quality, achieving
the #1 spot during a global
pandemic speaks volumes
about the dedicated people at
our company who rose to the
occasion.
Some key factors that
contributed to the top ranking,
where MetroPlusHealth
scored above 90% of State
benchmarks, were care related
to diabetes, hypertension,
substance abuse disorders,
and mental illness. Our
streamlined process of working
with NYC Health + Hospitals
and its community providers
also helped. Sharing
data, education, and member
support, were important factors,
as was working to bring
members in for care, especially
those with the highest
and most immediate needs.
We could not be prouder
of our team and our provider
partners or more thankful to
our members for entrusting
their health coverage with us.
Q: Which groups should be
the most concerned about
breast cancer?
A: Starting at age 50,
women need a mammogram
every one to two years to
screen for breast cancer and
some women may choose to
start routine mammograms
even prior to age 50. But breast
cancer can occur in younger
women, and women should
perform self breast exams and
not delay evaluation if they
have any concerns regardless
of age. When you see your
doctor, you should discuss
your risk factors and make
sure you’re doing everything
you can to keep your breasts
healthy. If you have close relatives
with breast cancer, you
may be at higher risk. If you
are at a higher risk, your doctor
may suggest earlier screening
or more regular or intensive
screening
Q: What are the most
common (and not so
common) risk factors for
breast cancer?
A: According to the CDC,
there are risk factors you can
change and those you cannot:
These are risks you cannot
change:
•Getting older. The risk for
breast cancer increases with
age; most breast cancers
are diagnosed
after age 50.
• Genetic mutations.
Inherited
changes (mutations)
to certain
genes, such as BRCA1
and BRCA2. Women
who have inherited
these genetic changes
are at higher risk for
breast and ovarian
cancer.
Reproductive history.
Early menstrual periods
before age 12 and starting
menopause after age 55
expose women to hormones
longer, raising their risk of
getting breast cancer.
• Having dense breasts.
Dense breasts have more connective
tissue than fatty tissue,
which can sometimes
make it hard to see tumors on
a mammogram.
Personal history of breast
cancer or certain non-cancerous
breast diseases. Women
who have had breast cancer
are more likely to get breast
cancer a second time. Some
non-cancerous breast diseases,
such as atypical hyperplasia
or lobular carcinoma
in situ are associated with a
higher risk of getting breast
cancer.
• Family history of breast
or ovarian cancer. A woman’s
risk for breast cancer is
higher if she has a mother, sister,
or daughter (fi rst-degree
relative) or multiple family
members who have had breast
or ovarian cancer. Having a
close male relative with breast
cancer also raises a woman’s
risk.
• Women who took the
drug diethylstilbestrol (DES),
which was given to some pregnant
women in the United
States between 1940 and 1971
to prevent miscarriage, have
a higher risk. Women whose
mothers took DES while pregnant
with them are also at
risk.
However, luckily, there are
risk factors you can change.
These include getting more
exercise, losing weight, quitting
smoking, and drinking
less alcohol.
Q: How far has the
medical community come
in treating breast cancer?
A: Researchers are fi nding
new and better ways to diagnose
and treat breast cancer
every day. Whether it’s nanotechnology
or improved tests,
there are amazing breakthroughs
every year. Improved
imaging, targeted therapy, liquid
biopsies, and even artifi -
cial intelligence to help better
read mammograms are areas
where advancements are underway.
There are new drugs
and therapies in test stages
all the time. Objectives here
are to develop less-toxic treatments
with fewer side effects
that are also more effective.
Since 1985, MetroPlus
Health Plan has built a reputation
for providing access
to affordable, quality health
care to residents across New
York City. MetroPlusHealth
is the plan of choice for over
600,000 New Yorkers and has
a fi ve-star rating based on the
State’s 2020 Consumer’s Guide
to Medicaid and Child Health
Plus Managed Care Plans in
New York City. It was recently
ranked the #1 health plan
among all 15 New York State
Medicaid plans in overall quality.
The health plan’s robust
network of primary care doctors
and specialists includes
many independent community
providers. Culturally sensitive,
and fl uent in more than 40 languages,
MetroPlusHealth’s
staff is as diverse as the great
city it serves.
For more information
about MetroPlusHealth plans,
benefi ts, and services, visit
metroplus.org and join the
conversation at facebook.com/
metroplushealth and twitter @
metroplushealth. MetroPlusHealth
is part of NYC Health +
Hospitals, the nation’s largest
public health system.
Dr. Talya Schwartz, President & Chief Executive Offi cer MetroPlusHealth
/(metroplusrewards.org
/metroplus.org
/facebook.com
