Awards

Alison Banks-Moore was named to Diversity MBA Magazine's first ever Top 25 Outstanding Leadership and Diversity Impact Awards.

Alison was selected based on her contributions to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion and how she leveraged her position as a leader to drive change in the organization and in the communities we serve.

Having gone above and beyond to transform the landscape of diversity, Alison has earned her place in this ranking. In May, look for Alison and the other awardees in Diversity MBA Media's inaugural issue of Top 25 Outstanding Leadership and Diversity Impact.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected as one of the inaugural recipients of the Diversity MBA Top 25 Leadership & Diversity Impact Award,” said Alison. “With the work that's been accomplished as well as the work that lies ahead, this award is a validation for DEI practitioners recognizing and reaffirming that our efforts are valued and celebrated. This means a great deal.”

This award was designed to recognize the incredible work and impact of the leaders whose longevity, consistency, dedication, and discipline in driving change have inspired others and made a difference in their organizations and communities. These leaders possess a sharp vision, are courageous, and have integrity, honesty, humility and focus. Moreover, they consistently contribute to the success of others by intentionally mentoring, sponsoring, and helping people reach their goals while making a significant impact on business.

Jean Reyes, Director, Clinical Transformation and Quality, was named among the Top 50 Multicultural leaders by the National Diversity Council. The Multicultural Leadership Award recognizes individuals who achieved success and implemented change.

Denise O’Connor, Assistant General Counsel, was named among the Top 50 Women Lawyers by the National Diversity Council. Individuals on this list are prominent leaders and have reached the top of their profession by being effective leaders in their organization.

The National Diversity Council gives the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Champion Award to professionals who are passionate about DEI. It honors those who put diversity first through visionary leadership and a commitment to fostering change. The following Horizon BCBSNJ leaders received this prestigious award:

• Daisy Chan – Vice President, Enterprise Communications
• Ruth Ann Paige - Director, Service OSC & IVR Systems
• Marie Crea - Director, Talent, Engagement & HRIS
• Tracy Parris-Benjamin - Director, Clinical Design Community Health
• Jeanette Grego – Recruiting Coordinator

Alison Banks-Moore, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, earned a spot on the National Diversity Council’s Top 100 African American Leaders in Business list. The award distinguishes a select group of leaders during Black History Month.

Alison Banks-Moore, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, was awarded the Business/Community Service Award by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, Inc. (AACCNJ).

Each year during Black History Month, the AACCNJ recognizes a distinguished group of African Americans that have attained a significant level of accomplishment in business, politics, education, sports and/or entertainment.

Horizon BCBSNJ has been named one of the 2020 Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Working Mother magazine — an honor recognizing companies that create and use best practices in hiring, retaining and promoting multicultural women in the United States. The winners will be featured in the June/July issue of Working Mother and at workingmother.com.

The Working Mother Research Institute has conducted the initiative since 2003, tracking corporations’ progress in creating cultures that encourage multicultural women to join and rise through the ranks.

Participation in this initiative, which tripled from 2018 to 2019, was up another 12 percent this year. Working Mother attributes the increase to recognition by companies that they need strong measures to close the gap between multicultural women’s readiness to be promoted and the actual pipeline to the top. While the survey shows progress in multicultural women moving up, there still are only two multicultural women CEOs in the Fortune 500.

"Corporate interest in assessing and promoting multicultural women continues to rise dramatically,” said Subha V. Barry, president of Working Mother Media. “We recognize the significant progress these 50 companies have made in closing the gap between multicultural women’s readiness to be promoted. The path isn’t easy, but they continue to pave the way toward a more equitable corporate world."

Key findings of the 2020 Working Mother report include:

• The percentage of multicultural women has increased since last year at most levels. Multicultural women were 11 percent of senior managers (compared with 10 percent last year and 8 percent five years ago).
• Asian women show the most significant gains. For example, the percentage of Asian women managers and the percentage of Asian women in the top 20 percent highest-paid earners are both up by about a third.
• There is encouraging news at the top with increases in promotions for black, Latinx and Asian women with profit and loss (P&L) experience and in heading major divisions or country revenues of more than $1 billion. For example, the percentage of black women with P&L experience who were promoted and the percentage of Latinx women leading major divisions more than doubled since last year.
• The improvement at the very senior positions correlates to progress in participation in best practices, including recruitment initiatives, formal sponsorship, mentoring and leadership development. For example, the percentage of companies requiring diverse slates of interviewers for new hires is up a third.
• More CEOs have publicly declared their support for diversity and inclusion, including the hiring and promotion of multicultural women.

Best Companies Workforce Composition

The 2020 Best Companies for Multicultural Women employ about 2 million people at 29,000 work sites in every state across the following 13 industries:

• automotive
• consumer products
• financial services
• hospitality
• healthcare
• insurance
• manufacturing
• nonprofit/not-for-profit
• pharmaceuticals
• professional services/management/accounting
• retail and apparel
• science/technology/engineering/aerospace/medical devices
• telecommunications

September 14, 2020 – Dr. Giovannie Jean-Baptiste, Medical Director, has been honored as Working Mother of the Year for 2020.

Dr. Jean-Baptiste has worked as a physician in multiple correctional facilities, maintained a private practice, and served as the Associate Medical Director at a Nursing Home in Staten Island, New York. At Staten Island University Hospital, she also served as Faculty Teaching Attending in the Department of Medicine and Geriatrics and as the Director of the Anticoagulation Clinic. As a geriatrician, she focused her practice partially on home visits and partially on hospice home care.

A published author and noted public speaker, her research on palliative medicine and End of Life Care has resulted in multiple poster presentations and speaking engagements throughout the United States as well as a speaking engagement at Trinity University in Dublin, Ireland. Her research focused on the attitudes of health professionals towards end of life patients.

Dr. Jean-Baptiste has been with Horizon BCBSNJ since 2015. Congratulations!

Diversity Best Practices (DBP), a division of Working Mother Media, unveiled its fourth annual Inclusion Index. The index helps organizations understand trends and gaps in demographic representation, creates a road map to drive internal change, and identifies diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) solutions to close the gaps. Organizations provided data and were measured in three key areas: best practices in the recruitment, retention and advancement of people from underrepresented groups—women, racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ people; inclusive corporate culture, including leadership accountability; and demographic diversity for women and racial/ethnic minorities.

Horizon BCBSNJ was among the 98 organizations that earned a score of at least 60 percent and a place on the index. This year, 185 organizations participated in the Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index, a 25 percent year-over-year increase. Twenty of those listed on the 2020 DBP Inclusion Index are recognized for superior achievement by receiving an 81 percent or higher score and qualifying as a Top 10 Percent Inclusion Index Company. Nine of those listed achieved at least 75 percent of the available points to qualify as a Leading Inclusion Index Company. Completed applications were collected online from December 2019 through March 2020. Results reveal opportunities for all organizations to target their diversity and inclusion efforts for greater effectiveness.

"Diversity, equity and inclusion continues to be a topic of critical importance, especially in these times of heightened racism and social injustice,” says Deborah Munster, vice president, Diversity Best Practices. “The good news is that corporate America is paying closer attention to its D&I practices, and I am proud to recognize the work our Inclusion Index companies are doing to elevate their efforts to drive a more equitable future."

Key findings from the 2020 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index are:

• Recruitment, retention and advancement: While 100 percent of the top 10 percent require diverse interview slates, requiring diverse panels of interviewers remains less common at 75 percent of Leading Inclusion Index companies (compared to 45 percent of companies on the index). One hundred percent of the top 10 percent and of Leading Inclusion Index organizations, and 97 percent of those on the index, use employee resource groups to recruit underrepresented talent. Eighty-five percent of the top 10 percent organizations require gender and racial/ethnic diversity in succession planning (compared with 79 percent of Leading Inclusion Index organizations and 59 percent of companies on the index).
• Inclusive corporate culture: Ninety-five percent of the top 10 percent organizations set percentages goals in diversity (compared with 90 percent of Leading Inclusion Index companies and 65 percent of index companies). Sixty-five percent of the top 10 percent organizations compensate managers for DE&I results (compared with 62 percent of Leading Inclusion Index companies and 42 percent of index companies).

This year’s LATINA Style 50 survey directs special attention to Latina promotions, recruitment & retention, increase in the number of Latina employees at the company, veteran and military personnel programs. Overall, the report recognizes companies who find diversity and inclusion essential to their success.

The LATINA Style 50 Companies will be honored during an Awards Ceremony and Diversity Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. in February 2021.

At Horizon BCBSNJ, we are proud of our commitment to diversity and inclusion among our employees, members, physicians and business partners. Diversity is part of who we are as a Company. We embrace and value differences of culture, education, experience and perspective in our workplace.

Florence Kariuki, Director, Episodes of Care, and Divya Paliwal, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer, were selected to receive the 2020 Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) award by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Union County. Florence and Divya were recognized during the TWIN virtual awards ceremony on September 10.

The TWIN award honors outstanding businesswomen who excel in their fields and make significant contributions to their workplace. The TWIN award also recognizes the companies that encourage high achievement by women and promote equal advancement opportunities for women with diverse backgrounds.

Andrea B. Oliver-Harris, Director, Quality Assurance and Improvement Operations, has been selected to Diversity MBA’s 14th annual list of Top 100 under 50 Emerging Leaders for 2020. Diversity MBA is a national leadership organization integrating diversity and inclusion with talent management.

Professionals named to this list have made a tremendous impact on leadership in their companies and communities.

Congratulations to Andrea!

Ruth Ann Paige and Tracy Parris-Benjamin are being honored in the first issue of DiversityMBA’s newest publication, Top 100 Magazine. The inaugural issue, Top 100 Women of Influence, will be distributed this summer and features leaders carefully selected from previous Top 100 Honorees during the past decade and beyond.

Ruth and Tracy were selected, for this esteemed list, based on their previous achievements as well as their continued contributions to diversity and inclusion.

This distinction is special because it spotlights what we already knew — the diversity of our workforce is one of our greatest strengths. Our Company, as well as the Diversity Council, is devoted to raising awareness of how individuals of all backgrounds help support our business, members and the communities we serve.

Congratulations to Ruth and Tracy on this exceptional accomplishment!

Alison Banks-Moore, Chief Diversity Officer, was honored with the Ted Childs Life Work Excellence Award, which honors and celebrates the best practices of the Working Mother 100 Best Companies.

The Ted Childs Life Work Excellence Award was created by Working Mother Media to recognize and acknowledge the contribution of work life professionals, who, like Ted Childs, have effected lasting change for working mothers and all employees in their organizations.

In 2006, Ted Childs retired from IBM after a 39-year career, spending the last 15 as the executive responsible for the company’s Global Workforce Diversity Programs.

Ms. Banks-Moore’s dedication to creating, executing and promoting innovative programs to support employees while making culture change a priority, exemplify the spirit of this award.

Ms. Banks-Moore, on behalf of Horizon BCBSNJ, the largest and most experienced health insurer in New Jersey, demonstrates how companies can take their internal programs targeted towards developing women and people of color, and extend them to their community – whether it is to other corporations, non-profits or governmental organizations.

Ms. Banks-Moore was honored on Tuesday, October 17, 2019, at the WorkBeyond Summit Awards Luncheon in New York, New York. Ted Childs presented her with the award.

Congratulations to Tracy Parris-Benjamin, Director, Clinical Design Community Health, LMSW, FHELA, for being selected by Diversity MBA for its 13th annual list of Top 100 under 50 emerging and executive leaders with advanced degrees.

Ms. Parris-Benjamin has a distinguished record of health care innovation and transformation and has worked with senior executive leadership at health plans and large hospital systems. She is recognized as a strong leader and role model by her peers and senior leaders at Horizon BCBSNJ. She has participated in several formal and informal mentorship relationships and devotes her time to increasing awareness of topics and challenges that affect the lives of many.

Working with Horizon BCBSNJ’s extensive value-based network, Ms. Parris-Benjamin leads the development of innovative health programs targeted at high-need populations. In this role, she translates executive strategy into tactical implementation for a broad variety of community health initiatives. Her responsibilities include:

• Leading payer/provider integration work, including a consumer-driven, community-centric care coordination model
• Addressing social determinants of health
• Leading an opioid workgroup focused on increasing awareness, reducing stigma and educating the Company’s employees and community agencies
• Working with provider systems to share risk positioning themselves toward assuming global risk

Additionally, Ms. Parris-Benjamin has led the development and implementation of Peer-Recovery models and served as a key speaker for the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall series. She is a fellow of the New Jersey Healthcare Executives Leadership Academy and was voted into Horizon BCBSNJ’s 85th Anniversary Hall of Fame.

Ms. Parris-Benjamin’s work spans both the non-profit and for-profit sectors of health care. Her background showcases her work as an advocate and facilitator for community-based programs for HIV-positive pregnant teens and their families, survivors of domestic violence, individual and group counseling, parenting workshops to reunite families, and care coordination for underserved and chronically ill persons.

When she is not tackling social issues within the health care field, Ms. Parris-Benjamin enjoys spending time with her family. She is a cherished wife and mother of two school-aged children. She is also an entrepreneur and proud business owner of a children’s entertainment venture that focuses on developing confidence in children and young adults.

Ms. Parris-Benjamin knows the importance of investing in a community. She has volunteered for many projects such as community garden restorations, fundraising to support homeless teens, leading and coordinating women empowerment seminars in conjunction with local churches and community board organizations, and working with college students on professional career development.

Additionally, Ms. Parris-Benjamin serves on the board for the American Heart Association and the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition. She has been featured on WBGO radio leading a discussion on trauma informed care and has often served as a panelist for discussions focused on raising awareness for of and identifying social determinants of health such as food insecurity, limited transportation, child care and social isolation affecting one’s overall well-being.

Ms. Parris-Benjamin holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Social Work from St. John’s University and a master’s degree in Social Work from Fordham University.

At Horizon BCBSNJ, we embrace and value differences of culture, education, experience and perspective in our workplace. As the largest and most experienced health insurer in New Jersey, our Company benefits from our diverse group of employees that reflects the diverse members we serve.

Diversity MBA is a national leadership organization that helps diverse professionals develop the skills they need to excel in corporate America.

Horizon BCBSNJ ranks #12 in Diversity MBA Magazine’s 50 Out Front Companies for Diversity Leadership’s list of the best places for women and diverse managers to work in 2019.

This is the 10th year Horizon BCBSNJ has received this recognition for our efforts to implement strategies for women and managers of diverse backgrounds to gain access to leadership roles.

There’s more! We have also been recognized in Diversity MBA Magazine’s Top 5 Specialty Categories for our:

• Inclusive Culture
• Diverse Slates (refers to considering candidates from underrepresented backgrounds when interviewing for open positions)
• Sponsorships

This recognition demonstrates to the marketplace and business community that the Company’s commitment to inclusive diversity is part of our culture, belief structure and community.

Diversity MBA Magazine is a national leadership publication for managers, executives, professionals, students and the business community.Diversity MBA’s “50 Out Front” listing showcases companies and organizations that make a strategic effort to implement intentional strategies for women and managers of diverse backgrounds to advance to leadership roles.

As the largest and most experienced health insurer in New Jersey, we are proud of our commitment to diversity and inclusion among our employees, customers, physicians and business partners.

Horizon BCBSNJ was ranked third in DiversityInc Magazine’s Top Eight Regional Companies for diversity in May 2019.

Ranking was determined after performance in four key areas of diversity management was analyzed:

• Talent Pipeline
• Talent Development
• Leadership Accountability
• Supplier Diversity

At Horizon BCBSNJ, we embrace and value differences of culture, education, experience and perspective in our workplace. We are proud of our commitment to diversity and inclusion among our employees, members, physicians and business partners. As the largest and most experienced health insurer in New Jersey, our diverse group of employees benefits the Company and reflects the diverse members we serve.

Horizon BCBSNJ received a perfect score of 100 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.

The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including:

• Non-discrimination workplace protections
• Domestic partner benefits
• Transgender-inclusive health care benefits
• Competency programs
• Public engagement with the LGBTQ community

As the largest and most experienced health insurer in New Jersey, Horizon BCBSNJ’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria resulted in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the largest civil rights organization in the U.S. working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Jill Serin, Vice President and Chief Underwriter, accepted the National Association for Female Executives’ (NAFE) award on behalf of the Company during the NAFE Top Companies Gala Awards Luncheon on March 15, 2019.

Companies that prioritize the retention and promotion of female employees at all levels and share best practices and changing trends for women in the workplace were present at the Gala and recognized with the award.

NAFE is one of the country’s largest associations for women professionals and business owners. As the largest and most experienced health insurer in New Jersey, Horizon BCBSNJ is proud to be supported by NAFE which provides resources through education, networking and public advocacy to empower its members to achieve both career and personal success.

NAFE is a division of Working Mother Media.

Horizon BCBSNJ was named to Working Mother’s list of 100 Best Companies in 2019 for our commitment to progressive workplace programs, including child care, flexibility, career advancement and paid family leave, and to a diverse and inclusive work environment. As the largest and most experienced health insurer in New Jersey, our diverse group of employees reflects the members we serve.

This is the tenth consecutive year that Horizon BCBSNJ has been recognized as one of Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies.