Social

Health and well-being are essential building blocks to personal fulfillment, thriving communities and a stronger North Dakota. When it comes to our social commitment, we focus on building opportunities for well-being for the people we employ and serve across the state.

Young professional BCBSND employee smiling at company event.

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

  • Infant-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
  • Wellness spending reimbursement—up to $500 for gym memberships, hunting and fishing licenses, and more
  • Two paid hours annually for preventive screening visits
  • Up to 16 hours off annually to volunteer, plus $200 for a charity of choice.

Over 33%

More than one-third of our workforce is fully remote

3,614 hours volunteered in 2021

48% of employees spent time volunteering for 100 nonprofits

$800,000

Invested across five key impact areas on gaps in services and other inequities that adversely impact health

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

Community investments

  • Dedicated charity, the BCBSND Caring Foundation, supports statewide well-being through grants and initiatives
  • Dozens of community group partnerships across the state
  • Evidence-based initiatives that support health in early stages of development
  • $200,000 in SPARK grants given annually
  • Scholarship to cultivate the next generation of healthcare leaders
  • Over 3,614 hours volunteered by employees and $200 donated per employee

Health disparities

  • Improving rural health with telehealth options for more access and measures to reduce health costs
  • $50,000 invested in eight communities through rural health partnership grants
  • Support for programs that address social determinants of health: food programs, transportation, housing, behavioral health and more
  • Strategies to improve health disparities in North Dakota through our BlueAlliance program
  • Led a major rewrite for 2021 to achieve mental health parity
  • Implemented first-ever value-based care component for Medicaid coverage

Vision for the future

  • Complete a statewide social determinants of health (SDoH) analysis to address inequities
  • Conduct internal health equity assessment focused on policies, systems and gaps
  • Use data from both studies to inform our ever-evolving strategy
  • Reach a new level of health and well-being among North Dakotans