On June 17, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies across the nation joined in a pledge to stand united against racism, hate and discrimination. Read the full pledge and our commitments to action here.
At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, we understand that creating a forum for voices to be heard is an important step toward action and lasting change. On June 12, Blue Cross President & CEO Daniel J. Loepp, along with executive leadership, hosted a listening session with employees to discuss racial injustice. Forty employees across the organization participated to help expand awareness and understanding of this critical topic. The discussion was facilitated by Blue Cross’ Diversity & Inclusion division. On June 18, they will host a Town Hall where executives and employees will join together for a dialogue on the racial tensions spanning the nation. Our Diversity & Inclusion division also hosts more than 200 learning sessions and experiential volunteer opportunities to engage employees in learning and acting on a variety of topics throughout the year. We’re proud of our 10 Employee Resource Networks, which were created to support our commitment to an inclusive workplace and bring together employees who have a common interest to learn, engage and serve as allies. In July, Blue Cross’ Diversity & Inclusion division along with our Multicultural Employee Resource Network will host a session to address grief and stress associated with COVID-19 and current racial tensions. These sessions build on the important work already underway internally at Blue Cross. In 2018, Loepp signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. The CEO pledge outlines a specific set of actions the signatory CEOs are taking to cultivate a trusting environment where all ideas are welcomed, and employees feel comfortable and empowered to have discussions about diversity and inclusion.