DIVERSITY & INCLUSION I 2016 I ANNUAL UPDATE
Being at
Highmark Health
Be aware. Be engaged. Be committed.
Being at Highmark Health
Table of Contents
Welcome From the Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion
2
Letter From Our President and Chief Executive Officer
3
Diversity & Inclusion at Highmark
4
Highmark Adopts the “Rooney Rule”
6
Inclusion Begins With:
Engagement
8
Awareness
8
Commitment
8
Our Partners
11
Our Employees
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1
Welcome From the Vice President
of Diversity & Inclusion
Letter From Our President and
Chief Executive Officer
INCLUSION BEGINS WITH YOU!
When people ask me what diversity means to me, I often say, “Diversity starts at the bridge of your nose.”
That means two distinct but important things.
This Diversity & Inclusion summary report provides a snapshot of how the Highmark Health enterprise brings
diversity and inclusion to life through collective efforts to positively impact our workplace, marketplace and
community. We have a commitment to an inclusive culture, and we believe an inclusive work environment starts
with awareness, grows to engagement and continues with commitment.
There are many things we can do on a day-to-day basis that impact our culture and inclusiveness in the
workplace, marketplace and community. This report highlights some of the efforts of our partners (business
resource groups, executive sponsors, board members and community partners) and the work they contribute
toward a more inclusive workplace, providing our customers, members and patients with a differentiated
health experience.
We hope you enjoy reading about our efforts and we welcome your feedback at [email protected].
Remember, creating an inclusive culture where all kinds of diversity can thrive cannot be done alone. It takes all
of us and, most importantly, it takes you. Be aware. Be engaged. Be committed.
It means that different races and ethnicities have different bridges on their noses. I know this from the many
years that our Visionworks team has been making glasses that meet the diverse needs of our customers across
the United States. It’s our job to understand our customers and deliver products that meet their needs. That’s
just good business.
It also means that diversity is all about your perspective. Each of us bring our own set of experiences, skills, talents
and beliefs to our jobs. This diversity of perspective is the foundation for an organization that’s focused on the
needs of its customers — if we “are” our customers, then we can better understand and deliver what they need.
We have made great strides in building a culture across the Highmark Health enterprise that is focused on meeting
the needs of our customers and that represents the communities we serve. I look forward to developing that
culture even further in the years to come. For our employees, “being at Highmark Health” means they can bring
their whole selves to work each day and do their part to build the health care of the future for our customers.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Sara Oliver-Carter, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion
Highmark Health
2
David Holmberg, President and CEO
Highmark Health
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Diversity &
Inclusion at
Highmark
Diversity and inclusion bring value to our
business by supporting Highmark Health’s
goal in providing a differentiated health
experience to all customers, members,
and patients.
The office of Diversity & Inclusion drives
collaboration and inclusion, creating an
environment and culture where employees,
leaders, and communities work together.
Talent
The office of Diversity & Inclusion supports
talent management and development
through counsel and education, and
collaborates on strategies that attract,
retain, and elevate diverse talent.
Education
By delivering training in key diversity and
inclusion fundamentals and concepts, the
efforts of the office of Diversity & Inclusion
support and advance an inclusive and diverse
work culture and business practices.
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5
Highmark Adopts
the “Rooney Rule”
“We’ve talked extensively about ‘putting our customers
first’ and that means that we understand their needs
and have walked in their shoes. The more diverse
perspectives we have inside the building, the better we’ll
understand the perspectives outside the building,” says
David Holmberg, president and CEO, Highmark Health,
explaining the imperative need for diversity.
Across our enterprise, we have various diversity
programs and initiatives to grow our efforts and help us
reflect and best serve our customers. Last year, David
Holmberg asked our senior leaders to go one step
further by implementing the “Rooney Rule.”
“The more diverse perspectives we
have inside the building, the better
we’ll understand the perspectives
outside the building.”
David Holmberg
President and CEO, Highmark Health
The Rooney Rule, named after Pittsburgh Steelers
Chairman Dan Rooney, was first instituted within
the Steelers organization and later across the entire
National Football League. Rooney believed that to
truly grow his organization, he would need to bring in
new perspectives. His rule required that at least one
minority candidate be part of the candidate pool for all
coaching and front office job openings.
At Highmark Health, our top leaders are committed
to interviewing at least one diverse candidate for
any open position at the director level and above.
A diverse candidate is someone who differs from
the makeup of the particular hiring group. He or
she could be a person of a different gender, from a
different ethnic, cultural, or generational background,
a veteran, or a person with a disability.
By implementing the Rooney Rule at Highmark, we
ensure that we are building leadership that reflects the
diverse consumers, patients, and members we serve.
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Inclusion Begins
With Engagement:
Education at Highmark
Diversity and inclusion education at Highmark includes
key fundamental concepts, such as Unconscious Bias,
the Trusted Ten, Honoring Differences, and Embracing
Diversity to Achieve Organizational Objectives.
Through these key learnings, the office of Diversity &
Inclusion works to equip employees and leaders with
the tools and best practices in building, engaging,
and working in a diverse workforce and delivering to a
diverse marketplace.
Inclusion Begins
With Awareness:
Communication
at Highmark
This year, the office of Diversity & Inclusion launched
the “Inclusion Begins With You” campaign to promote
an inclusive workplace and business practices. In
partnership with our corporate communications
team and social media, our efforts in educating and
increasing awareness through communication support
better performance outcomes for our employees,
customers, members, and patients.
Our communications span a number of platforms,
including our internal website, traditional print,
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and our Highmark
blog. These platforms house content about the diversity
efforts, initiatives, and programs of our business
resource groups, partners, employees, and leaders.
It is not just what we communicate, but how we
communicate that is critical to the engagement of
our employees, customers, and community. As part
of our work and partnership with the business, our
business resource groups and our team consult on
diverse communication in language, accessibility,
and cultural nuances.
Inclusion Begins
With Commitment:
Culture at Highmark
Highmark is committed to creating a caring and
inclusive environment, ensuring that individual
differences are valued at every level of the organization
and support a more diverse and inclusive culture
that benefits customers, members, patients, and the
communities we serve.
Highmark was recognized as a 2014 Best Places to Work
company in the first annual Disability Equality Index
survey. This year, in 2016, we earned the same distinction,
scoring 100 points on the survey. The index is a new
national benchmark established jointly by the American
Association of People with Disabilities and the US
Business Leadership Network. Points were awarded on
the basis of four criteria, including culture and leadership,
enterprise-wide access, employment practices, and
community engagement and support services.
“We are proud to be recognized for our efforts
through the Disability Equality Index and the Best
Places to Work designation,” said Sara Oliver-Carter,
vice president, Diversity & Inclusion, Highmark Health.
“And we thank our own leadership and our Abilities
Business Resource Group that support and are allies
of people with disabilities for helping to chart our
successful course.”
2015 marked a second successful year for our Highmark
BRG Toastmasters Chapter. Toastmasters International
is a world leader in communication and leadership
development. Members improve their speaking and
leadership skills by attending one of the 15,400 clubs
in 135 countries around the world. In Toastmasters,
members regularly give speeches, gain feedback,
lead teams, and guide others to achieve their goals
in a supportive atmosphere. There are many levels of
awards that can be achieved in communication and
leadership, as well as a variety of tracks for specific
interests in speaking. Last year, our group earned
the Distinguished Club designation, the Select
Distinguished Club designation, and the Beat the Clock
award for membership. Several of our members have
achieved competent communicator and competent
leader statuses, and are currently working on advanced
program tracks.
“We thank our own leadership and
our Abilities Business Resource Group
that support and are allies of people
with disabilities for helping to chart
our successful course.”
Sara Oliver-Carter
Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, Highmark Health
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Inclusion Begins With Our Partners
The Inclusion Advisory Council is composed of executive leaders across the enterprise who
collaborate with the office of Diversity & Inclusion to guide their respective business units in
implementing and sustaining successful Diversity & Inclusion practices. They lead by example and
consistently work to ensure that Highmark Health demonstrates a best-in-class culture of inclusion
that will enable us to meet the needs of our diverse employees, customers, and communities.
Through partnership, counsel, and support, they assist in driving Diversity & Inclusion initiatives
that enhance and are aligned to the mission, vision, and values of Highmark.
The Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Board of Directors of Highmark Inc. includes board
members and executive leaders who oversee the work of our corporate Diversity & Inclusion team,
assist in the development of goals and strategy, and establish accountability for results related to
those efforts.
Highmark Health’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs) are inclusive groups of employees with
shared interests who work together to advance the organization’s workplace, marketplace, and
community capabilities by leveraging the unique perspectives of its people. BRGs play a critical
role in the Diversity & Inclusion strategy by serving as cultural catalysts, focus groups, community
partners, educators, and innovative program and initiative pioneers. Highmark Health currently has
seven business resource groups, including a most recent addition of V.E.T.S. — Voices of Employees
That have Served.
Inclusion Advisory
Council
Christine Bertha, Vice President, HR Client
Engagement, Human Resources
Timothy Constantine, Executive Vice President,
Commercial Markets, Health Markets
James Fawcett, Senior Vice President,
Medicaid Markets
Lonie Haynes, Director, Diversity & Inclusion
Rhonda Moore Johnson, Senior Medical Director
QM, Health Equity & Quality Services
Deborah Linhart, Vice President, Women’s
Health Initiatives, West Penn Allegheny Health System
Lisa Marsh, Client Strategy Development
Consultant, Clinical Consult & Analytics, WV
Cynthia Lester Moody, Director, Operations Delivery,
Commercial Claims Operations
Jane Nicholson, Senior Counsel, Health Business
Sara Oliver-Carter, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion
Tija Hilton Phillips, Director, Regulatory Affairs
Tracy Saula, Vice President, Transformation
Lori Schoonmaker, Senior Vice President,
National Markets, National P&L
Carl Shuman, Senior Counsel, Corporate Business
Teresa Vorsheck, Director, Caring Place,
Highmark Caring Foundation
Michael Warfel, Vice President, Government Affairs
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Inclusion Begins
With Our Employees
Business Resource Groups (BRGs) came
to Highmark Health in 2008 when our
enterprise had an imperative business
need for a better understanding of our
African American and LGBT (Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) population.
In the following years, five more BRGs
have launched to lead and implement
programs and initiatives that impact our
workplace, marketplace, and community. Since program inception, BRGs have
served as internal focus groups for various lines of business and customer
products, acted as cultural change
agents, and created opportunities for
professional learning and development.
Read more about their accomplishments
here: highmarkhealth.org/hmk/pdf/
diversityBiannualReport.pdf
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Abilities BRG
Black BRG
Generation BRG
LGBTA BRG
SALUD BRG
V.E.T.S. BRG
Women’s BRG
In 2015, the Abilities BRG
continued programs in
mentoring students with
disabilities in the summer
and fall. National Disability
Mentoring Day was held in
Pittsburgh and Camp Hill last
year, in which students had
the opportunity for one-onone mentoring with Highmark
employees and participated
in career-related learning. The
group also hosted Volunteers
of America Project for
Freedom, another career and
employment training program
for high school students, and
provided a similar learning
experience. In the workplace,
the group authored and piloted
an Effective Communications
Guide and hosted a Working
Together: Deaf and Hard of
Hearing presentation.
(BNet)
(GenNEXT)
GenNEXT had a successful
year in 2015 as they launched
their Associate Program,
which pairs current employees
(associates) with new hires. To
positively impact retention,
the program’s aim is to initiate
a relationship in which new
hires can begin to build their
network in the enterprise, and
learn and acclimate to the
Highmark culture. Additionally,
the group hosted a successful
career path and development
panel, and served as a focus
group for internships and
recruiting millennials.
(Strengthening Awareness
of Latino culture Using and
understanding Diversity)
(Voices of Employees
Last year, BNet participated in
several projects with community
partners and was honored as
the outstanding partner of
the year by the National Black
MBA Association in October.
Additionally, they hosted
another successful year of their
Mentoring Matters professional
development series, which is led
by senior executives within the
organization. For Black History
Month, the group commissioned
a communications series
following the national theme
of “Hallowed Grounds,” which
highlighted the rich history
of our cities of operation. As a
keynote event, the group hosted
NAACP president and CEO, Dr.
Cornell Brooks, in our Pittsburgh
Penn Avenue Place auditorium.
The event drew an audience
of 100 community leaders,
executives, and politicians.
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Ally)
The Women’s BRG had
another successful run of
their “Paths to Success”
series, which features
career development topics
presented by a variety of
leaders and guests. Going into
2016, the group expanded the
focus into “Paths to Wellness,”
which featured presentations
on various health and
wellness topics.
The LGBTA BRG organized and
led Highmark’s presence in
Pittsburgh and Central PA Pride
for the eighth year in a row.
The group was able to collect
valuable demographic data
at the Pittsburgh event and
engaged a record number of
people at the festivals.
SALUD dedicated 2015 to
strategic planning, gaining
new executive sponsors and
champions, and identifying
new development program
opportunities. The group
continued its work as a focus
group and resource for
marketing and communicating
with Latino and Hispanic
communities.
That have Served)
Last year marked the V.E.T.S.
BRG inaugural year, in which
they organized Veterans
Day recognitions across the
enterprise. In Pittsburgh,
Camp Hill, and West Virginia,
employees had the opportunity
to sign cards for veterans
overseas, donate to Toys for Tots,
and honor veteran and military
friends and family. Additionally,
the group began working closely
with executive leadership on
an enterprise-wide veteran and
military strategy.
We look forward to sharing our BRGs’ 2016
accomplishments in our next summary report.
Thank you for reading and remember,
Inclusion Begins with You … Be Aware. Be Engaged. Be Committed.
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