BATON ROUGE – During Women’s History Month, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is recognizing contributions of the insurer’s predominantly female workforce and celebrating the groundbreaking roles women have played throughout history.
Blue Cross employs approximately 3,000 people, and 74% are female. And, women occupy nearly 65% of management-level positions within Blue Cross. A National Institutes of Health study shows women make up to 80% of their families’ healthcare decisions, and as the state’s largest commercial insurer, Blue Cross relies on female employees’ input, experiences and feedback to represent and meet members’ needs.
“We recognize the value of having women at the table as decision makers in creating programs and services that improve the health and lives of Louisianians,” said Paula Shepherd, senior vice president, Benefit Operations.
Shepherd, an attorney who has worked for Blue Cross for more than 20 years, joined the Senior Management Team in 2020 after serving in a variety of roles in the organization. She leads the largest division at Blue Cross, Benefit Operations, which is primarily made up of female employees.
“At Blue Cross, we continuously look for ways to help all of our employees learn from each other’s experiences. It’s important for everyone to have opportunities to find someone at work who can mentor them as they develop their career path,” Shepherd said. “In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re offering events and activities to help our employees make those connections.”
During March, Blue Cross’ female-focused Employee Resource Group, WOMEN of Blue, will share post cards with original designs from the award-winning series “Women Who Inspire Us,” created by Blue Cross graphic designers. Post cards feature women who have made notable contributions in government, literature, the arts, business, civic leadership, sports and more. Employees can send these post cards to loved ones in celebration of Women’s History Month. WOMEN of Blue also will hold an annual Employee Connections Luncheon in March.
Follow Blue Cross on social media @BCBSLA throughout March to see “Women Who Inspire Us.” You can like and share these posts on your personal social media channels. Blue Cross posts regularly on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.
Visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube channel to see short videos on various health topics. Subscribe to know when new videos are added.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We were recognized for the past four years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media @BCBSLA.
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