Blue Cross Corporate Initiatives
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)
DEIB plays a pivotal role in creating a positive workplace culture. Research shows that a commitment to DEIB is not only a strong driver of financial performance but also creates a space for associates to come to work as their full selves, thrive, and feel a sense of belonging and value.
Core Values
Diversity: We believe that our workplace should reflect the customers, stakeholders, and communities we care for.
Equity: We are committed to ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities for all associates and consumers.
Inclusion: Fostering and environment where all employees feel respected and valued.
Belonging: Creating a culture that allows everyone to come to work as their full authentic selves.
Racial and health equity integration
At Blue Cross, we’re dedicated to creating a more equitable healthcare system. Our RHE Integration team is focused on addressing health inequities and multiple levels by providing our associates and leaders with the tools and knowledge like comprehensive cultural competency training, that is necessary to tackle these issues within their roles. By embedding Racial and Health Equity (RHE) into our operations, we ensure that every part of our organization contributes to eliminating health inequities in the communities we serve. We’re not just talking about equity; we’re embedding it into our practices, leading to a fairer healthcare landscape for all Minnesotans.
Racial and health equity coaches
The Blue Cross Racial and Health Equity (RHE) Coaches program helps to embed racial and health equity principles into daily operations within our organization. RHE Coaches offer thought partnerships, identify opportunities for improvement, and address business challenges related to health equity. As champions of the RHE Policy, they provide guidance using the RHE Integration Toolkit.
Community advisory board
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) is a community-led advisory group that connects Blue Cross with our members as well as other stakeholders, including public health professionals and community organizers who represent marginalized and underserved populations throughout the state. The board provides advisory services on a multitude of topics and areas of business, including include behavioral health parity and addressing maternal health inequities.
RHE toolkit
The RHE Toolkit provides a comprehensive suite of resources designed to integrate racial and health equity into every facet of our organization. Each outcome is tailored to address the specific needs of stakeholders, including the development of new programs, redesigning care models, and enhancing member experiences. The RHE Toolkit is best utilized during decision-making processes, ensuring that equity considerations are embedded into our organizational practices and policies.
Health equity certification
To help providers and care systems advance health equity, Blue Cross is developing a Health Equity Certification (HEC) program that tracks and promotes continuous improvement in equity commitments. The HEC program is currently being piloted with a diverse group of care systems across the state throughout 2024. The full program is scheduled for a 2025 launch, marking a significant step forward in our collective efforts to achieve a more equitable healthcare system for all Minnesotans.
Language services
Blue Cross is committed to providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services to all our members. This includes ongoing efforts to consolidate and improve interpretation, translation, and auxiliary communication aids and services to enable meaningful access to effective communication with members who speak languages other than English or have communication disabilities. We are focused on improvements to update language services across the enterprise by implementing best practice in policy, procedures, governance, and quality of services.
