Health is core of the BCBSRI mission, culture

A Healthy Thought:
“We want our associates to live happier, healthier, active lives.”
Peter Andruszkiewicz
President and CEO
A Healthy Thought: “We want our associates to live happier, healthier, active lives.” Peter Andruszkiewicz President and CEO

Taryn Plumb
Contributing Writer
After hearing about a co-worker’s dramatic results from The Engine 2 Diet – a 62-point drop in her cholesterol – 100 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island employees pledged to try it for a month.
That meant just vegetables, fruit, legumes and grains.
No doubt a commitment, but it was essentially on a whim – the kind of “organic” outgrowth from the nonprofit health insurance company’s extensive efforts around wellness that President and CEO Peter Andruszkiewicz is encouraged to see.
“I’m a carnivore by nature, and I haven’t missed it,” said Andruszkiewicz, who did the challenge himself.
“Health” and “wellness” aren’t just casual words at BCBSRI – they are literally embedded in its culture. After all, it’s “dead-center on our mission as a business,” Andruszkiewicz said.
Much of it is based on the “carrot” approach, he explained. For example, healthier meals are subsidized in the cafeteria; fees are waived if employees use the on-site gym regularly; and workers are rewarded for completing Weight Watchers, enrolling in ShapeUp RI and lowering their Body Mass Index.
There are some requirements: Employees must be tobacco free, and complete a personal health assessment, primary care visit and dental exam annually – but participation was an impressive 91 percent in 2013. Likewise, attendance has been high for classes, programs and screenings regularly held onsite.
“We want our associates to live happier, healthier, active lives,” said Andruszkiewicz. “We believe that if they do that, they will be more productive and engaged.”

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