Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island

It's not easy maintaining a healthy work/life balance—but it's essential for your mental well-being. To help us honor #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we asked our associates to share something they’ve done recently to practice self-care.    We invite you to take a page from their book and try out one of these well-being activities, or an activity of your own, this week.    Looking for some more self-care resources? Check out our Take 5 for You series: https://lnkd.in/eMavR5AV

In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we welcomed local community members who are working to address the youth mental health crisis in our schools. We’d like to thank Mark Collins, founder of the Chris Collins Foundation, Dr. Laurie Ottoson-Perotti, school psychologist at Chariho High School, and students Jen, Ethan, and Ella for leading a discussion for our associates.     They work together to connect other students with mental health support through the Peer to Peer Depression Awareness Program, in partnership with the Chris Collins Foundation.  

Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General called attention to the public health crisis of loneliness and isolation in our country. Having strong ties with our family, friends, and community doesn’t just feel good—it also helps us reduce stress and improve our mental and physical health.      Our Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Melissa B. Cummings joined The Rhode Show and Studio 10 to help #BCBSRI members learn how our programming can help them stay connected with others.     Watch Melissa chat with WJAR-TV’s Barbara Morse here: https://lnkd.in/eGHY_M6r   Hear from Melissa and WPRI-TV’s Will Gilbert here: https://lnkd.in/enbeZEd6

Our associates’ careers are blooming! We hosted our first-ever Development Spring Fling. There, associates shared career advancement, internal networking, and volunteer opportunities—and some seeds for their gardens— with their colleagues. 🌼

Meet Owen. He’s one of the many local kids who have been helped by Braver, a behavioral health practice that provides evidence-based exposure therapy for kids with anxiety and OCD.    We’re proud to work closely with Braver to help children and teens who, like Owen, now feel like they’ve “got their life back.”   Thank you to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association for helping Owen and his family share their story. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

Happy National Small Business Day! To celebrate, we invited five local small business leaders to speak with our associates. In a conversation led by the Rhode Island Department of Administration’s Tomas Avila, our panelists described their professional journeys and the ways they’ve overcome obstacles in their entrepreneurship.    Thank you to our #BCBSRI team for facilitating this event, including our President & CEO Martha Wofford, Chief of Cost Management & Sourcing Operations Elaine Alderdice, CMA, MBA, and Supplier Diversity Director Doris De Los Santos.  

We’re proud to be the Official Hometown Health Partner of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League. One of our favorite aspects of this partnership is honoring two students with Student-Athlete of the Year awards. This year, our Chief Customer Officer Melissa B. Cummings was excited to present these awards to Classical High School’s Leila Hopkins and Lincoln High School’s Wayne McNamara.     These student-athletes are remarkable in the classroom and during competition. They both rank near the top of their respective classes, participate in multiple sports, and demonstrate good citizenship within their local communities. We wish Leila, Wayne, and all student-athletes the best of luck in their future endeavors.  

When members walk into Your Blue Store, they’re welcomed by a friendly face—and sometimes even by their first name. This National Receptionists Day, we’d like to recognize our outstanding team of associates who connect our members with healthy living resources day in and day out. Click on each photo to see the words their colleagues use to describe them.  

Our inaugural BCBSRI Broker Expo brought together 75 brokers for a panel discussion on Medicare, tours of Your Blue Bus, and chats with #BCBSRI associates from broker support, care management, compliance, health navigation, pharmacy, and more. We also announced our Preferred Brokers in person for the first time ever – congratulations to those awarded!     Brokers work throughout the year, around the clock, and across the state to connect Rhode Islanders with the right health plan. We’re grateful to them for their dedication, and send an extra-special thank you to all those who joined us for this event.     Learn more about our Preferred Medicare Brokers: https://lnkd.in/erwTi7Rn 

We have once again been recognized as a Best Place to Work by Providence Business News! We’re incredibly grateful for our phenomenal associates who help us earn this award year after year.