In this employee spotlight, we feature Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) Project Coordinators Ali and Stevi Cairns.
Meet the Cairns twins
Originally from Glendale, Arizona, the Cairns sisters got acquainted with North Dakota through their dad’s work in Newtown, North Dakota. Both sisters attended Concordia College where they majored in communications with business minors.
Afterward, they both continued their education, pursuing their master’s in project management. Ali has hers master’s degree and Stevi plans to receive her degree at the end of December 2022.
Getting started at Blue
Ali heard about Blue through our activities in the community. She applied and was hired on as a traffic coordinator at Blue in January 2019.
“I wanted to work in an organization that had a big community impact and a great culture – found that at Blue,” Ali shared.
Stevi got her start at Noridian Healthcare Solutions (Noridian) in March 2019, a sister company of BCBSND and worked there for almost two years. It was the perfect place to start leveraging her communications degree. When the opportunity to work with her sister at Blue opened up, she didn’t want to miss it. She applied and started at Blue in December 2021.
“I applied, and here I am, enjoying it,” said Stevi. “I love working with this group and value the collaboration. I know I can go anywhere for help if I’m feeling stuck or have questions.”
Ali’s work as a digital marketing coordinator
Even though the Cairns twins both have coordinator roles, their scope of work is quite different. Ali helps coordinate our digital content on BCBSND.com along with other stakeholders. Together, they work on providing the best user experience possible when members interact with the various tools and resources available online.
“We’re constantly in the digital space, thinking about our members and how we can help them understand health insurance, because health insurance is pretty complex,” said Ali.
Stevi’s work as a communications project coordinator
Stevi’s work is more internal and focuses on helping employees stay informed about community events and important announcements. She also supports our Health Integration (HI) area to help providers stay informed and on the same page. Sometimes, she even works with Ali on digital-related projects for HI.
“A lot of the work I do helps build employee morale,” said Stevi. “And if employees are happy, then they’re going to make the members happy.
A balance between sister, friend and coworker
In 2020, both sisters moved back to Arizona where they work remotely from a shared home. At first, they were worried about their work-life balance while working remotely, but they found that when they sign off for the day, they’re off. They don’t talk about work, but rather go on to do the hobbies they enjoy.
“It goes back to the kind of culture we have at Blue,” said Stevi. “I can be open and honest with my leader and even the people I work with.”
Ali added, “Just knowing that you have somebody there for you is always helpful.”
Join us at Blue
Visit our Careers page to learn about available positions.
