BOSTON, June 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ("Blue Cross") has been named a 2020 honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. The award recognizes Blue Cross as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. The Civic 50 provides a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills and resources to impact their communities.
The Civic 50 honorees are public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of $1 billion or more and are selected based on four dimensions of their community engagement program including investment, integration, institutionalization and impact.
"Points of Light believes that now more than ever, companies must drive transformative social change around the world," said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. "We thank Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for their investment and look forward to supporting them in innovating and expanding this work."
"Blue Cross is proud to play a vital role in tackling complicated community health challenges across the Commonwealth," said Jeff Bellows, vice president corporate citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. "Our approach to driving change is grounded in innovation and collaboration with community partners that address social and health inequities that affect our communities' most vulnerable members."
In 2019, Blue Cross and its Foundation invested $11.2 million towards the programming, operations and infrastructure of more than 500 not-for-profit community organizations providing critical social services to families facing economic hardship, throughout the Commonwealth. These investments targeted areas of healthy eating, healthy active lifestyles and healthy environments. Blue Cross also works both internally and externally to promote diversity, equity and inclusion; volunteerism; and sustainability and environmental health - to further advance its healthy living strategy and broader community benefits work. In 2019, more than 3,100 (86%) employees participated in 285 service projects across 45 Massachusetts communities, contributing 28,500 volunteer hours. These hours represent a monetary contribution of more than $1M.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Cross is committed to supporting our community and our nonprofit partners who have been impacted. To date, the company has committed over $9.75 million in funding, pro bono and in-kind support to COVID-19 relief efforts. Skills-based pro bono efforts include more than 100 employees redeploying to support Massachusetts' contact tracing initiative with Partners in Health, 15 registered nurses providing care for patients recovering from COVID-19 at the Boston Hope field hospital, and cafeteria workers preparing more than 1,000 meals each day to distribute to nonprofits providing food assistance programs.
The Civic 50 survey was administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform The Civic 50 scoring process. The Civic 50 is the only survey and ranking system that exclusively measures corporate involvement in communities.
To learn more about The Civic 50, the 2020 honorees, and insights from this year's survey, please visit www.Civic50.org.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
About Points of Light
Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through affiliates in 250 cities across 37 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 14 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it's needed most. For more information, visit: www.pointsoflight.org.
SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
