GuideWell Named Top Healthcare Diversity Organization

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Jul 13, 2022, 09:32 ET

Honor highlights GuideWell's efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation ("GuideWell"), the parent to a family of forward-thinking companies focused on advancing healthcare, has been named a Top Three Healthcare Diversity Organization by the National Diversity Council. This honor recognizes GuideWell's innovative efforts in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging among its employees, customers, partners and communities.

"We are honored to be recognized for our efforts to build an inclusive culture that embraces the unique differences of our employees, customers and the diverse communities we serve," said Pat Geraghty, president and CEO of GuideWell. "This recognition reminds us that we must remain committed to being a leading force in driving a more equitable healthcare system and society where everyone has an opportunity to thrive."

The Healthcare Diversity Council, an initiative of the National Diversity Council, recognizes three healthcare organizations each year that demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The council looks for organizations that take bold steps to foster an inclusive workplace, support diverse communities, display high ethical standards, develop and retain employees from varied backgrounds and have a longstanding record of accomplishments in healthcare.

Below are just some of the actions GuideWell has taken to lead the way in diversity, equity and inclusion:

GuideWell Equity Alliance: In 2020, GuideWell launched the Equity Alliance, an initiative focused on addressing systemic racism and health inequities in the communities GuideWell serves.
Investments: In 2020, GuideWell pledged to invest $25 million over five years to address racial injustice and health inequities. To date, GuideWell has invested nearly half of that through business initiatives and grants to nonprofit organizations devoted to advancing health equity.
Ensuring Equitable Practices Among Suppliers and Partners: GuideWell has embarked on a conscious effort to work with more diverse businesses. Through the launch of an internal supplier database, the company is tracking diverse supplier spend and its network of diverse suppliers.
Inclusion as a Core Value: To promote diversity of thought and experience, GuideWell, recently strengthened its core company values by adding "inclusion."
Recruiting Diverse Talent: GuideWell believes in hiring people who represent the communities it serves. The composition of the workforce reflects that with 71% of the workforce being female, 20% of the executive leaders identifying as LGBTQ+ and 60% of the Board of Directors being female or minority.
Embracing ERGs: GuideWell has 14 employee resource groups (ERGs), known as GuideWell Communities, that serve to encourage everyone to go beyond their job roles and contribute to the organization's mission. These affinity-based groups help employees develop leadership skills and put their interests and passions to work, while being strategic partners for the business in the workforce, marketplace and community.
Employee Forums: GuideWell holds frequent discussion forums for its employees, giving them space to speak candidly about topics that can help build empathy, understanding and connectedness between team members.
National Health Equity Pledge: In 2021, GuideWell joined 40 leading organizations to sign on to a national health equity pledge, committing to collect data about race, ethnicity, language and sex, which will be used to develop best practices for the industry.

"Diversity and inclusion in healthcare organizations are critical to achieving health equity and it must start internally," said Dr. Kelli Tice, chief health equity officer of GuideWell. "By fostering diversity and equity among our team members, we can work more effectively to build culturally-relevant solutions to reduce health disparities in Black and other minority populations."

More information about GuideWell's inclusive business practices can be found at www.guidewell.com/social-impact.

About GuideWell
GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation (GuideWell) is a not-for-profit mutual holding company and the parent to a family of forward-thinking companies focused on transforming healthcare. The GuideWell organization includes Florida Blue, the leading health insurance company in Florida; Triple-S Management, a leading healthcare services company in Puerto Rico; GuideWell Health, a portfolio of clinical delivery organizations; GuideWell Venture Group, a portfolio of companies including Onlife Health and PopHealthCare focused on creating human-first and innovative health solutions for health plans; GuideWell Source, a provider of administrative services to state and federal healthcare programs; and WebTPA, a market leading administrator of self-funded employer health plans. In total, GuideWell and its affiliated companies serve more than 46 million people in 45 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit www.guidewell.com.

SOURCE GuideWell