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Gov. Roy Cooper recently appointed Anuradha Rao-Patel, MD, to the North Carolina Medical Board for a three-year term beginning Nov. 1.

Dr. Rao-Patel is the Lead Medical Director for Government Programs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). In that role, she oversees the Medical Directors responsible for the utilization and care management activities for Medicare Advantage, Federal Employee Program (FEP), and the NC State Health Plan lines of business at BCBSNC. She is also matrixed to the Behavioral Health team and Healthy Blue (managed Medicaid).

In addition to this role, Dr. Rao-Patel is leading an internal opioid workgroup for BCBSNC and works collaboratively with other key stakeholders at both state and national levels to identify solutions and best practices on the prevention and treatment of substance use disorder while focusing on effective care coordination for member focused care delivery.

Dr. Rao-Patel attended medical school at Louisiana State University in New Orleans and completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge. She then completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to joining BCBSNC, she was in private practice providing services for chronic pain management and addiction management. She continues to be clinically active and see patients in addition to her role at BCBSNC.