August 2016
The Operator of BCBSTX Named One of America’s Most Community-minded Companies
The operating company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has been recognized as one of America’s most community-minded companies, as part of The Civic 50. The Civic 50, an initiative of Points of Light, in partnership with Bloomberg LP, honors the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation each year.
The company was honored for its work to improve health and wellness in its local communities. Of note, the company was recognized for its commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities where it does business, evidenced though the following initiatives:
- Enhancing Care for Children with Asthma: A program in collaboration with the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest to improve the quality of care for individuals with asthma across our communities. Through our support, the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest delivers community-based interventions providing asthma patients and health care professionals with the tools and resources to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and ED visits, while substantially improving health outcomes for individuals with asthma. Since the program’s inception in 2012, an estimated 350,000 individuals have been impacted. Initial results from clinic locations in Illinois and New Mexico combined, demonstrate a more than 50 percent reduction in hospitalizations and emergency-related visits on average for participants with asthma who benefited from this program.
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Families®: The company's signature community initiative and ongoing commitment to improve the health and well-being of children and their families across our five states. Through this initiative, the company invests in, and partners with, nonprofit organizations that offer sustainable, measurable programs to reach children and their families in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention and management, and supporting safe environments. In 2015, the company invested more than $7 million to outcomes-based programs, impacting more than 3.2 million children.
- Blue CorpsSM: The company's employee volunteer program, which promotes and encourages volunteerism across the organization, and provides regular recognition and appreciation activities for volunteers. In 2015, employees volunteered over 107,000 hours to help our communities, resulting in more than $284,000 in volunteer matching grants to nonprofit community partners.
Created in 2012, The Civic 50 measures corporate civic engagement and recognizes companies that incorporate socially responsible practices and community leadership into their culture. Points of Light, the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service, conducted the survey in partnership with Bloomberg LP. The survey was developed under the guidance of an academic panel of nine experts from leading universities throughout the country. The survey evaluates companies based on several criteria, including how extensively and strategically resources are applied to community engagement, how a community engagement program supports business interests and integrates into business functions.
To view a complete list of The Civic 50 companies for 2015 and to learn more about the importance of civic engagement in corporate America, please visit Civic50.org.