“Blue Cross has made our commitment to moving health forward stronger than ever,” said Paula Phillippe, senior vice president of human resources and corporate social responsibility. “Our employees are passionate about volunteering in the communities where they live, work and play. We share a common goal to partner together to improve the health of everyone who lives in Minnesota.”
Throughout 2016, Blue Cross focused on five key pillars to guide its efforts on moving health forward in Minnesota communities, including:
Moving our Employees Forward:
- Nearly 1,600 employees participated in the company’s Volunteer Paid Time Off program, donating more than 17,000 hours of service to hundreds of Minnesota community organizations.
- Employees donated the equivalent of a record-breaking 300 tons of food to Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign.
- Blue Cross achieved a perfect score (100) on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which is recognized as the premier national benchmark for LGBTQ workplace inclusion.
- Blue Cross was the first health plan in Minnesota to be designated as a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon company for its efforts to hire and retain veterans along with its community outreach activities and active support of military organizations.
Moving the Community Forward:
- More than $1.1 million was raised for nearly 800 nonprofits through the company’s annual “Community Giving Campaign,” marking the highest amount raised in a decade.
- The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation approved more than $4.1 million in grants to help communities experiencing health inequities overcome unfair and unjust barriers to health.
- Committed up to $2 million through 2018 to improve the health of all residents in Willmar, Minn.
Moving the Environment Forward:
- Donated more than 1,000 pounds of fresh produce to Lewis House, The Open Door, Interfaith Action’s Department of Indian Work Food Shelf and the Quad Cities Food Shelf. Food was grown on Blue Cross grounds by employee volunteers as part of the Community Giving Gardens.
- In partnership with Dakota County and Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation through the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Blue Cross’ recycling program diverted more than 63 tons of trash out of the landfill.
Moving Health Care Forward:
- As part of its innovative Trailblazer Tour, Blue Cross convened a series of statewide meetings in Duluth, Mankato, Minneapolis and Rochester, to talk to community leaders about the future of health care and how innovations throughout the state are making a healthy difference in communities.
- Partnered with 42 organizations to release the Minnesota Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. The plan encourages collaboration to address challenges in understanding health information and accessing care.
Moving Health Equity Forward:
- Through its Communities Eliminating Tobacco Inequities funding initiative, the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross supported eight organizations that aim to change social norms, pass policies to reduce use and counter targeting by the tobacco industry.
- More than 100 leaders, including the Blue Cross executive leadership team, completed the Intercultural Development Index (IDI) and a series of trainings to learn more about their own intercultural awareness and potential biases.
To see all the ways Blue Cross supported the health and wellness of Minnesota communities in 2016, view the full community report, including an interactive snapshot of funding initiatives, at: https://bluecrossmnreport.com/index.html.