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<strong>InsideBlue</strong><br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2022</strong><br />
A publication for the employees of the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield family of companies<br />
ANNUAL PROFILE
Curtis Barnett<br />
President and chief<br />
executive officer<br />
Curtis Barnett<br />
President and Chief<br />
Executive Officer<br />
Our InBLUEsion Journey<br />
More than a year ago, we began a journey to ensure<br />
that our employees – all of our employees – feel<br />
welcome, valued, and are thriving. Through focus<br />
groups and candid conversations, we have learned<br />
that not everyone feels that way, so we have<br />
worked to make changes. We listened, and we<br />
continue to listen.<br />
This issue of <strong>InsideBlue</strong> magazine shares the steps<br />
we have taken toward making Arkansas Blue<br />
Cross and Blue Shield a more diverse and inclusive<br />
company. That means providing transparency in our<br />
hiring practices, offering a safe way for employees<br />
to address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)<br />
concerns, communicating about DEI and, in the<br />
future, connecting our employees through resource<br />
groups and mentoring programs.<br />
Companies that value diversity and inclusion do a<br />
much better job unlocking the talent that already<br />
exists inside their organizations. Also, studies have<br />
shown that organizations seeking diverse viewpoints<br />
experience higher rates of innovation, which is<br />
extremely important in the healthcare industry.<br />
While this publication is mainly focused on our<br />
internal InBLUEsion program, I want to recognize<br />
that our commitment to equity expands beyond<br />
our employees. We are also addressing health<br />
disparities within our state. During the height of the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the lack of access to<br />
healthcare in portions of our state and we've joined<br />
with other organizations to address it. We can no<br />
longer accept systemic bias in any form.<br />
I want to thank you, our employees, for joining the<br />
journey toward an enterprise where the playing<br />
field is level and everyone feels that they matter.<br />
We have made great strides in this first year, but<br />
I know we still have a ways to go. The important<br />
thing to me is that we are walking together.<br />
2 <strong>InsideBlue</strong> <strong>February</strong>
Representation matters:<br />
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR WORKFORCE<br />
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has approximately 3,000 full-time workers.<br />
Our employees as they identify themselves<br />
American Indian or Alaska Native<br />
Asian<br />
Black or African American<br />
Hispanic or Latino<br />
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander<br />
Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino)<br />
White<br />
Choose not to disclose<br />
0.34%<br />
3.52%<br />
34.88%<br />
2.37%<br />
0.06%<br />
1.47%<br />
56.36%<br />
1.00%<br />
Generations<br />
Post-War Cohort (1928- 1945)<br />
Baby Boomers (1946 - 1965)<br />
Generation X (1966 - 1976)<br />
Generation Y / Millenials (1977 - 1994)<br />
Generation Z (1995 - 2012)<br />
2<br />
514<br />
872<br />
1,570<br />
115<br />
Veterans<br />
3.71%<br />
114 Employees<br />
self-identify as veterans<br />
70.98%<br />
Women*<br />
* At this time, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue<br />
Shield employees do not have a way to<br />
indicate non-binary identities in Workday.<br />
Women employees<br />
People with a disability<br />
.065%<br />
20 employees self-identify<br />
as having a disability<br />
62%<br />
Women represented in positions<br />
of supervisor and above<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>InsideBlue</strong> 3
Our first year’s milestones<br />
In September 2020, the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Board of Directors<br />
granted unanimous approval to launch an enterprise inclusion initiative. The<br />
following November, a 12-member InBLUEsion Steering Committee was formed.<br />
You can read more about the steering committee on page 8. In December,<br />
the enterprise entered a partnership with Teleos Leadership Institute, a<br />
global organizational development firm, and determined how to use existing<br />
relationships with McLean & Co. and FranklinCovey.<br />
Watch Curtis’ vlog that<br />
introduced the initiative<br />
Milestones 2021<br />
JANUARY<br />
Curtis introduces the initiative<br />
through a video blog to<br />
all employees.<br />
Teleos provides guidance<br />
and training to the<br />
Steering Committee.<br />
FEBRUARY<br />
Steering committee members and<br />
employees at the director level and<br />
above attend Unconscious Bias<br />
Training led by Mark Murphy from<br />
FranklinCovey.<br />
Teleos conducts 23 employee<br />
forums, 24 employee focus groups<br />
and ten one-on-one interviews.<br />
Almost 1,000 employees participated<br />
in one of the sessions.<br />
4 <strong>InsideBlue</strong> <strong>February</strong><br />
APRIL<br />
Teleos presents the results of<br />
the employee group meetings,<br />
identifying six themes and making<br />
13 recommendations across four<br />
focus areas. Read more on page 6.<br />
JUNE<br />
The enterprise adopts a Diversity,<br />
Equity and Inclusion policy.<br />
The Office of the Ombuds is<br />
established. Read more on page 10.<br />
Pride Month and Juneteenth are<br />
recognized in the <strong>InsideBlue</strong><br />
magazine, with two articles<br />
featuring employee perspectives.<br />
Curtis and Stephanie Floyd present<br />
the results and recommendations<br />
to all employees through a vlog<br />
for all employees.<br />
The InBLUEsion site launches<br />
on <strong>InsideBlue</strong>.
InBLUEsion<br />
Operations<br />
Council<br />
JULY<br />
The employee-led InBLUEsion<br />
Operations Council is established.<br />
Read more on page 9.<br />
AUGUST<br />
Members of the InBLUEsion<br />
Operations Council attend a<br />
training led by Teleos.<br />
Human Resources implements<br />
a feedback policy and process<br />
in Workday so that internal<br />
candidates can opt to receive<br />
feedback from interviews.<br />
Human Resources trains all hiring<br />
leaders in the feedback process.<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
To equip managers with information<br />
about returning employees to<br />
the office, Enterprise Learning<br />
& Development conducts training<br />
that includes using empathy to<br />
help employees process the<br />
emotions related to changes.<br />
The Operations Council meets<br />
several times to develop a<br />
calendar of observances for <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
OCTOBER<br />
Ombuds officers begin meeting with<br />
teams throughout the enterprise to<br />
discuss the initiative and answer<br />
questions in small settings.<br />
Human Resources gains approval for<br />
the candidate application process for<br />
<strong>2022</strong> that will support a candidate’s<br />
preferred pronouns.<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
Employees participate in an<br />
engagement survey that includes<br />
questions regarding inclusion<br />
in the workplace.<br />
DECEMBER<br />
Holiday décor includes a Hanukkah<br />
menorah and a Kwanzaa kinara<br />
and the holiday meeting uses<br />
more inclusive language and<br />
song selections.<br />
<strong>InsideBlue</strong> articles about Hanukkah,<br />
Kwanzaa and Winter Solstice/Yule<br />
introduce employees to different<br />
traditions and beliefs.<br />
<strong>February</strong><br />
<strong>InsideBlue</strong> 5
Findings and recommendations<br />
In <strong>February</strong>, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield partnered with<br />
Teleos Leaders to host nearly fifty forums, interviews, and focus<br />
groups that involved more than 1,000 of our employees. Teleos<br />
analyzed the data gathered and identified six high-level themes,<br />
then worked with the InBLUEsion Steering Committee to develop<br />
13 recommendations and determine a path forward.<br />
Themes<br />
There is much to love about<br />
working at Arkansas Blue Cross.<br />
Our benefits and compensation and the<br />
service we provide to our communities<br />
are top-notch. Many employees<br />
described co-workers as friends. Teleos<br />
noted that not every company shares<br />
Arkansas Blue Cross’ relational power<br />
and that our company’s strength of<br />
connection among people can create<br />
the most vibrant and positive cultures.<br />
Representation matters.<br />
Our employees want to see people who<br />
look like them in all areas and levels of<br />
the company and they want to seek out<br />
role models and mentors who can help<br />
guide their professional development.<br />
Longing for belonging.<br />
Employees expressed a desire for<br />
opportunities to learn more about others’<br />
experiences and to connect with others<br />
with similar identities.<br />
Advancement opportunities.<br />
Employees expressed a desire to<br />
improve job descriptions, and how they<br />
are posted and communicated, a greater<br />
understanding of what hiring managers<br />
are looking for from the beginning of<br />
the search and consistency among<br />
departments and hiring managers.<br />
More inclusive and<br />
transparent decision-making<br />
and communication.<br />
Employees asked that we involve more<br />
people who work closer to the frontlines<br />
sooner in the decision-making process<br />
to get the benefit of their knowledge and<br />
experience. Employees want consistency<br />
among all executives, directors, or<br />
managers to communicate information,<br />
especially difficult and tough decisions,<br />
in an honest and understandable<br />
way. Finally, employees want more<br />
information to be delivered in person<br />
and not just over email or <strong>InsideBlue</strong>.<br />
Process to report questions<br />
and concerns.<br />
Some employees shared that they want<br />
a way to report questions and concerns<br />
related to fairness and inclusion and a<br />
clear process to have them addressed.<br />
Some employees felt when they<br />
spoke up about unfair treatment in<br />
the past, they experienced negative<br />
consequences.<br />
Watch Curtis’ vlog with<br />
Stephanie Floyd about these<br />
findings and recommendations<br />
6 <strong>InsideBlue</strong> <strong>February</strong>
Recommendations and Action Items<br />
Working closely with Teleos, the InBLUEsion Steering Committee identified these 13 recommendations for improvement and set<br />
priorities for 2021 and <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Representation<br />
and Belonging<br />
Employee Support<br />
and Resources<br />
Equal<br />
Opportunities<br />
Leadership<br />
Behavior<br />
In-person celebration<br />
of InBLUEsion<br />
Develop a calendar<br />
of company events and<br />
national observances<br />
Communications plan<br />
Establish Office of Ombuds<br />
Establish Operations<br />
committee<br />
Develop Employee<br />
Resource Groups<br />
Ensure integrity of job<br />
postings<br />
Support greater<br />
transparency in<br />
recruiting process<br />
Develop mentoring program<br />
Reconfigure leadership<br />
curriculum to include<br />
inclusion, bias and empathy<br />
Train hiring managers in<br />
giving constructive feedback<br />
Resume Leadership Forum<br />
for directors and above for<br />
teaching moments<br />
Coaching for InBLUEsion<br />
Representation and Belonging<br />
The InBLUEsion Operations Council was established in 2021 and<br />
charged with focusing on the recommendations in this section.<br />
The in-person celebration of InBLUEsion was not implemented<br />
to keep employees safe during pandemic conditions. The council<br />
developed a calendar for <strong>2022</strong> that highlights important cultural<br />
dates and observances reflecting our diverse population (see<br />
page 12) and is coordinating with Corporate Marketing to share<br />
information with employees.<br />
Employee Support and Resources<br />
The Office of Ombuds was created as a safe place for<br />
employees to share concerns about inclusion. Read more on<br />
page 10. Two employee resource groups (ERGs) will be piloted in<br />
<strong>2022</strong> (specific topics/demographics to be determined) and more<br />
ERGs will be added in the future. Learn more on page 10.<br />
Equal Opportunities<br />
To ensure the integrity of job postings and hiring process,<br />
Human Resources updated messaging that applicants receive<br />
during the process and managers were trained in giving<br />
feedback. In <strong>2022</strong>, Enterprise Learning & Development and<br />
Human Resources will work with Teleos to plan a mentoring<br />
program, with the goal of implementing it in 2023.<br />
Leadership Behavior<br />
In August, employees with direct reports participated in training<br />
on how to give constructive feedback. These skills can be used<br />
in multiple settings: one-on-one meetings, post-interview<br />
feedback and other “teaching moments.” The Leadership Forum<br />
resumed in 2021 and took place virtually. Participants watched<br />
a pre-recorded presentation by Stephanie Floyd, InBLUEsion<br />
Steering Committee chair, and Fran Johnston, Ph.D., of Teleos<br />
Leaders, updating viewers on InBLUEsion’s first year and plans<br />
for <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>InsideBlue</strong> 7
Leadership and Governance:<br />
STEERING COMMITTEE<br />
The InBLUEsion Steering Committee, which convened in November 2020, was charged with evaluating the current state of inclusion at<br />
the enterprise and creating a plan to support our Inclusion Vision Statement. Committee members, appointed by Curtis Barnett and Odell<br />
Nickelberry, include employees from all levels of the organization. The steering committee members elected Stephanie Floyd as chair.<br />
How to contact: You can contact any steering committee member directly or send an email to InBLUEsion@arkbluecross.com.<br />
InBLUEsion Steering Committee Members<br />
Stephanie Floyd<br />
Steering committee chair,<br />
Ombuds officer, and Director of<br />
Membership Administration<br />
Curtis Barnett<br />
President and Chief<br />
Executive Officer<br />
Alicia Berkemeyer<br />
Executive Vice President<br />
and Chief Health<br />
Management Officer<br />
Lynn Dauzat<br />
Manager of Northeast<br />
Regional and Retail<br />
Operations<br />
Gray Dillard<br />
Executive Vice President<br />
and Chief Operating Officer<br />
Katie Eisenhower<br />
Employee Communications<br />
with Corporate Marketing<br />
Judy Garcia<br />
Manager of Enterprise<br />
Information Services<br />
Judy Lohmar<br />
Director of Enterprise<br />
Learning & Development<br />
Grady McCorkle<br />
Director of Workforce<br />
Planning<br />
8 <strong>InsideBlue</strong> <strong>February</strong><br />
Alison Melson<br />
Vice President of<br />
Corporate Marketing<br />
Odell Nickelberry<br />
Vice President and Chief<br />
Human Resources Officer<br />
Kathy Ryan<br />
Executive Vice President,<br />
Chief Administrative Officer<br />
and Chief Information Officer
Leadership and Governance:<br />
OPERATIONS COUNCIL<br />
The InBLUEsion Council was formed in August 2021 to carry out the tasks and recommendations of the InBLUEsion strategic plan and<br />
help our employees understand diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through communications and activities. The 11 council members<br />
direct our inclusion initiative at the employee level and the four ambassadors direct our inclusion initiative at the management level.<br />
The council has subcommittees that plan activities to support holidays and observances in the <strong>2022</strong> InBLUEsion calendar. You can view<br />
the calendar on page 11. If you’d like to be involved, please email InBLUEsion@arkbluecross.com. Thank you in advance!<br />
InBLUEsion Council Members<br />
Wanda King<br />
Vice President of Claims and<br />
FEP, Executive Lead, InBLUEsion<br />
Operations Council<br />
Murali Aggala<br />
Manager of Enterprise<br />
Data Management<br />
Samantha Allen<br />
Business Systems Analyst<br />
for AMISYS Configuration<br />
and Analysis IV<br />
Tina Baggett<br />
Network Development<br />
Representative for<br />
Central Region<br />
Sherri Brewer<br />
Manager of Clinical Services for<br />
Enterprise Medical Management<br />
Harry Bounds<br />
Primary Care<br />
Representative for<br />
Primary Care Reps<br />
Claudia Calderon<br />
Supervisor of Customer Service<br />
for Health Advantage/ASE/PSE<br />
Customer Service Management<br />
Stacy Cockrell<br />
Software Administrator<br />
for Enterprise Learning<br />
and Development<br />
Meredith Hicks<br />
Project Manager for Regulatory<br />
Compliance Programs<br />
Karen Howard<br />
Support Specialist Customer<br />
Service for Southwest Regional<br />
Operations and Customer Service<br />
Courtney Johnson<br />
Bookkeeper for Claims<br />
Payments and Refunds<br />
Bennie L. Langley<br />
Manager in IT<br />
Support Services<br />
Robert Mims<br />
IT Customer Services Technologies<br />
Analyst lead for IT Customer Support<br />
Core Technologies<br />
Wade Mitchell<br />
Enterprise Technology<br />
Architect Senior for<br />
Enterprise Architecture<br />
Creshelle R. Nash, M.D.<br />
Medical Director for Health<br />
Equity and Public Programs<br />
Selection Process<br />
Gedidiah Starks<br />
Supervisor of Customer Service<br />
for Exchange Customer Service II<br />
InBLUEsion Ambassadors<br />
Angela Winston<br />
Director of Enterprise<br />
Customer Service<br />
All employees were invited to apply to be considered for membership<br />
and 11 employees were selected to serve a term of two years.<br />
Employees who were not selected to be on the council were invited to<br />
serve on subcommittees, helping to plan and participate in events and<br />
developing communications. For more information about the selection<br />
process, visit this article on <strong>InsideBlue</strong>.<br />
<strong>February</strong><br />
<strong>InsideBlue</strong> 9
Leadership and Governance:<br />
OFFICE of OMBUDS<br />
In June 2021, the Office of the Ombuds was established to receive, investigate and assist in resolving<br />
complaints and potential violations of the Enterprise Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy (DEI).<br />
The Ombuds Office is staffed by Stephanie Floyd, InBLUEsion Steering Committee chair and director<br />
of Individual Customer Accounts.<br />
We are still listening and I encourage you to share your<br />
ideas and concerns. I hope you’ll consider volunteering to<br />
serve on one of our sub-committees to expand this initiative<br />
so that every employee feels welcome, valued and is thriving.<br />
Stephanie Floyd<br />
Ombuds Officer and Director<br />
of Membership Administration<br />
Inquiries in 2021<br />
Since its inception, the Ombuds Office has received roughly 15 inquiries.<br />
Two inquiries merited investigations. The others were opportunities to<br />
have transparent and safe conversations about employees’ concerns.<br />
InBLUEsion "Q&A Roadshow"<br />
Stephanie, along with Wanda King, executive lead for the InBLUEsion<br />
Council, are committed to facilitating open and respectful discussions<br />
about InBLUEsion and want to be sure your questions are answered.<br />
Watch <strong>InsideBlue</strong> for a recording of a short presentation that answers<br />
frequently asked questions about InBLUEsion, then send your comments,<br />
questions and kudos to InBLUEsion@arkbluecross.com.<br />
10 <strong>InsideBlue</strong> <strong>February</strong>
Our second year:<br />
LOOKING AHEAD<br />
Calendar<br />
The InBLUEsion Operations Concil developed this calendar. All the dates have been added to the<br />
<strong>InsideBlue</strong> Calendar of Events. Look for articles on <strong>InsideBlue</strong>, volunteer opportunities and other<br />
activities where you can be involved.<br />
January<br />
World Braille Day, January 4<br />
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, January 17<br />
<strong>February</strong><br />
Black History Month<br />
Chinese New Year, <strong>February</strong> 1<br />
World Day of Social Justice, <strong>February</strong> 20<br />
March<br />
Women’s History Month & International<br />
Women’s Day, Tuesday, March 8<br />
April<br />
Autism Awareness Month<br />
Ramadan, evening of Friday, April 1<br />
to evening Saturday, April 30<br />
World Autism Day, Saturday, April 2<br />
Easter, Sunday, April 17<br />
May<br />
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month<br />
Haitian Heritage Month<br />
Jewish American Heritage Month<br />
National Day of Reason, Thursday, May 5<br />
June<br />
Pride Month<br />
Juneteenth, Sunday, June 19<br />
July<br />
Eid al-Adha, evening of Saturday, July 9<br />
to evening of Wednesday, July 13<br />
International Nelson Mandela Day,<br />
Monday, July 18<br />
August<br />
Women’s Equality Day, Friday, August 26<br />
September<br />
Ganesh Chaturthi, Friday, September 10<br />
Hispanic Heritage Month, Wednesday,<br />
September 15 – Friday, October 15<br />
Native American Day, Sunday, September 24<br />
October<br />
National Disability Employment Awareness Month<br />
Indigenous Peoples Day, October 10<br />
November<br />
Day of the Dead, Mexican holiday, November 1-2<br />
Diwali, November 4<br />
National Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11<br />
Transgender Day of Remembrance,<br />
Saturday, November 20<br />
Native American Heritage Day,<br />
Friday, November 26<br />
Hannukah, sundown on Friday, November 28<br />
to sundown on Monday, December 6<br />
December<br />
Human Rights Day, Friday, December 10<br />
Christmas, Saturday, December 25<br />
Kwanzaa, Sunday, December 26 to<br />
Saturday, January 1<br />
Quarterly Events<br />
Each quarter, the InBLUEsion Operations<br />
Council will focus on one observance with<br />
educational articles, employee perspectives,<br />
community connection opportunities and<br />
more. Stay tuned to <strong>InsideBlue</strong>.<br />
Q1 Black History Month<br />
Q2 Pride Month<br />
Q3 Woman's Equality<br />
Q4 Hispanic Heritage<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>InsideBlue</strong> 11
Goals for <strong>2022</strong><br />
As we continue our journey together toward a more inclusive environment, here are some things we<br />
are working toward. Check <strong>InsideBlue</strong> often for updates and opportunities for you to be involved.<br />
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs):<br />
ERGs are voluntary, employee-led<br />
groups whose aim is to be a safe space<br />
to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace<br />
aligned with the organizations they<br />
serve. Two ERGs will be piloted,<br />
starting in summer <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
• Mentoring program: This year,<br />
a structured program will be<br />
developed, with implementation<br />
occurring in 2023. The mentoring<br />
program will be available to<br />
all employees.<br />
• Inclusion awareness training:<br />
All employees will participate<br />
in required classes to increase<br />
awareness and understanding<br />
of inclusion in the workplace.<br />
• Workday updates: Employees will<br />
be able to identify their pronouns in<br />
Workday. The pronouns we select<br />
for ourselves represent our identity.<br />
A simple way to help create an<br />
inclusive environment is to respect<br />
everyone’s identities by using the<br />
pronouns they select.<br />
By the end of <strong>2022</strong>, all 13 recommendations (page 6) will have been addressed or started.<br />
Celebrate the spirit of InBLUEsion:<br />
NEW e CARD AND AWARD<br />
Every employee has the opportunity and<br />
responsibility to help create a diverse, equitable<br />
and inclusive environment at Arkansas Blue<br />
Cross. Now you can recognize these positive<br />
efforts! You can send employees a “Spirit<br />
of InBLUEsion” ecard through In$ideBlue4U<br />
anytime during the year. This fall, you can<br />
nominate employees for an annual award —<br />
stay tuned to In$ideBlue4u for more information.<br />
<strong>InsideBlue</strong><br />
A publication for the employees of the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield family of companies<br />
EDITOR: Katie Eisenhower DESIGNER: Ryan Kravitz PHOTOGRAPHERS: Chip Bayer and Cindy Momchilov<br />
CONTRIBUTORS: Contributors: Curtis Barnett, Stephanie Floyd and Grady McCorkle<br />
VICE PRESIDENT of CORPORATE MARKETING: Alison Melson<br />
00003.04.01.0222
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