Employee Spotlight: Chelsey Matter

Chelsey Matter (second from left) on vacation with her immediate family and two nephews.

In this employee spotlight, we feature Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) executive director of government programs, Chelsey Matter.

What brought her to Blue
Chelsey comes from a medical background, previously working as a respiratory therapist in a critical care hospital. From there, she went into public health, which really shaped the purpose-driven approach she has today.

“The ability to make a broader impact in North Dakota is really what brought me to Blue,” said Chelsey. “Working in the hospital, you can see the struggles our friends and families throughout the state face, and it's very reactive. Coming to Blue for me was a very conscious choice to really influence the way we think about health care. We can do so much more by going upstream and take a proactive strategy to make a lasting difference.”

The skills she brings to Blue
With her clinical and public health experience, Chelsey has learned what it means to be tenacious and focused. As a leader, she rallies her team to look for ways to make a positive impact. She does this by collecting everyone’s opinion and working together to find new ways to impact the greater good.

“I don't shy away from tough situations. Some may categorize me as a little bit stubborn,” said Chelsey. “But at the end of the day, I think it's a combination of resilience and working with great team members to create a really strong and supportive community that brings lasting change.”

A typical day at Blue
Chelsey’s typical day involves working with co-workers and North Dakota’s government stakeholders. As executive director of government programs, she is responsible for monitoring program performance in our Medicaid and Medicare Advantage lines of business, staying informed of regulatory changes and upholding the many relationships needed to run a robust delivery of health insurance coverage. She works closely with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), who oversees the Medicaid program and many of the other state-based programs we work with. Her team’s job is to address program challenges and brainstorm solutions.

Chelsey shared one of the best parts about their work is thinking about all of the possible ways Blue can help North Dakotans saying, “Taking a step back and thinking about what we should invest in to impact each population is a big part of our work.” 

One example of this is for Medicaid and Medicare Advantage. Chelsey and her team helped pave the way to partner with a care management partner. This partner helps members by going out into the community and interacting with our members to help with challenges like transportation and food insecurity. The partner also helps connect members to community resources. 

Another example of collaboration is the work her team does with the North Dakota Department of Corrections. Members with a history of being incarcerated often need help connecting with the community and navigating the next steps of their health care journey. To help with this transition, Blue works with the Department of Corrections to make sure these members are connected with a care manager.

“We want to make sure we are supportive of those individuals so they don't end up in an endless cycle of going back to corrections,” shared Chelsey.

What Chelsey likes best about #LifeAtNDBlue
The ability to make an positive impact in others’ lives is what Chelsey likes best about Blue. Especially since she sees the same drive in those around her.

“We have such a supportive environment,” shared Chelsey. “Our employees really care about doing the right thing and I don't have to worry about support in terms of wanting to make a positive difference – there's so many people ready to make a positive impact in our communities and state.”

Chelsey also said she enjoys working with our state partners as she knows they have a lot to handle on a day-to-day basis. Especially the people working in the foster care system and dealing with child abuse cases every day. Supporting these people and the programs they champion is one way Chelsey sees Blue making a long-term difference in the members’ lifelong health care journey.

What she hopes to take away from Blue
Over the years, Chelsey has formed many friendships and relationships at Blue. She hopes those special bonds stay with her no matter what life brings. She also hopes her team’s work leaves a lasting, positive impact on the health care system in North Dakota. 

“Working with the different populations, I hear stories about the members we’re interacting with and trying to help. There's a lot of reflection for me on that. Hopefully, what we're doing makes an impact in the individual lives of our members and the collective population of North Dakota,” said Chelsey.

What will you bring to Blue? 
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