142 - John Doran, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana & Dr. Julie Kelso, Riverstone Health: Collaboratively Addressing Rural Mental Healthcare Shortages

A Second Opinion with Senator Bill Frist, M.D.

This episode is brought to you by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are in every ZIP code in every state, working to improve health and expand access to care. Community by community. For the health of America.

Today we’re focusing in on rural behavioral health, looking at Montana as an example for some of the barriers we’re seeing nationwide, and a model for potential solutions to these challenges.

I’m joined by two experts providing the clinical and insurer perspectives:

• Julie Kelso, a board-certified adult psychiatrist who served at the Billings Clinic from 2007-2021 as Department Chair, Program Director for the UW Montana Track psychiatry residency and medical director of Integrated Behavioral Health. Now at Riverstone Health in Yellowstone County, she’s a collaborative care psychiatrist.

• John Doran is the Divisional Vice President of External Affairs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. With a background in journalism and communications, John oversees all government, public and media relations, community outreach, and corporate strategy for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana.