Social

Equity and inclusion

We strive to make sure our employees feel safe, included and welcome. Our employee-driven program called the Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging and Equity (IDBE) Council works to create an environment where all team members are valued and empowered to do and feel their best. The team focuses on:

• Reviewing internal policies and procedures
• Raising awareness around cultural observations, holidays and sharing employee stories
• Offering an outlet for all employees to ask questions, raise concerns and access resources

We also encourage fairness and a diverse and inclusive workforce through our hiring practices and compensation benchmarking processes to promote pay equity across differing populations.

Well-being and flexibility in the workplace

• A holistic approach to a culture of well-being with physical, financial, social, professional, emotional and environmental elements
• Well-Being Lifestyle Spending Account, a $500 employer-funded, post-tax flexible account that can be used to buy a variety of lifestyle and wellness products and services, like fitness gear, state park fees, golf lessons, self-defense classes, home cleaning services and certification courses
• Breastfeeding-friendly workplace, with dedicated lactation rooms at each office
• Paid parental leave upon birth/adoption
• In-office, work-from-home or hybrid flexibility
• PTO, paid holidays and three paid flexible holidays
• Dedicated employee social media platform to share personal stories, connect and publicly recognize colleagues’ work
• Two paid hours annually for preventive screening visits
• Free access to Learn to Live and meQ, online behavioral health resources, and Live Well EAP counseling services
• Up to 16 hours off annually to volunteer
• Supporting active duty and veteran employees by accomodating their military service as needed and supporting their continued physical, mental and emotional well-being

Career development

• An internship program that offers experience in team collaboration, volunteerism and a capstone project
• Tuition assistance for continued education
• Mentoring programs that pair tenured employees with young professionals
• Ongoing development, including budget for classes or conferences
• A succession program to prepare high-performing individuals for future leadership opportunities
• A dedicated, year-long new leader training program
• Replacing traditional performance review process with a robust touchpoint process for more frequent, real-time feedback and development opportunities
• Launching new pay transparency practices to ensure employees have access to essential compensation information and align with federal regulations

Community investments

• Support economic development program that enhances the workforce and boosts economic growth
• The BCBSND Caring Foundation works to advance community-centered solutions to better health across all generations through statewide well-being grants and community engagement initiatives
• 31 scholarships awarded each year to strengthen the health care workforce and cultivate the next generation of health care leaders
• Over 4,400 hours volunteered by employees and $200 donated per employee to a nonprofit of their choice
• Participating in a four-year commitment to bring trauma-informed training to Boys and Girls Clubs of America
• Working with local sports teams on community engagement initiatives to increase awareness and access for youth mental health services
• Increasing endowment to Caring Foundation for programs and partnerships in behavioral health, social determinants of health, and health promotion and disease prevention to enable healthier living

Health disparities

• Caring Foundation collaborated with North Dakota State University Center for Social Research on a statewide health assessment, based on the social determinants of health (SDoH) to inform strategy, investments and decision making
• Completed a SDoH dashboard in partnership with the Center for Social Research to help community stakeholders monitor social determinants of health and leverage data for informed decision-making and impactful interventions
• Released a SDoH maternal health report with Center for Social Research to present select measures that provide a better understanding of the factors impacting maternal and child health and associated maternal health outcomes in North Dakota
• Strengthening partnerships and resources to address SDoH disparities and access, including food, childcare, transportation, housing and mental, behavioral and substance use disorder services
• Conducted internal health equity impact assessment to identify opportunities to advance health equity across BCBSND operations and services
• Improving rural health with virtual care options for more access and measures to reduce health costs
• $50,000 invested in nine communities through rural health partnership grants offered to rural providers and their communities to stimulate new thinking around health care providers championing SDoH components
• Strategies to improve health disparities in North Dakota through our BlueAlliance program, which focuses on improving the quality of care and reducing the cost of growth
• Outreach and support for members who are eligible for Medicaid Expansion during annual renewal
• Partner with Arkos Health to enhance our care management support for Medicaid Expansion members to assist with needs such as connecting to community resources, scheduling appointments, and help coordinating health care needs
• Building a care network for TRICARE beneficiaries, a health care program for uniformed service members, retirees and their families around the world
• Participating in the state’s Multi-Partner Health Collaborative to help make North Dakota the healthiest state in the nation

Social impact goals

• Positively move the needle on key health drivers through funding support and key metric tracking and analysis
• Strengthen and expand networks and partnerships that enable cross-sector collaboration that amplify impact and leverage expertise to create lasting change and inspire others
• Reach a new level of health and well-being among North Dakotans