

You may think of Blue Cross NC as a health insurance company, but we are so much more than that. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of our customers and communities. That starts with addressing non-medical factors called drivers of health – access to food, transportation, and...
You may think of Blue Cross NC as a health insurance company, but we are so much more than that. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of our customers and communities. That starts with addressing non-medical factors called drivers of health – access to food, transportation, and housing. Think about it – if you don’t have consistent access to healthy, quality food, you don’t have a way to get to and from work/school, or you don’t have a safe, stable home, then those barriers need to be addressed before anything else.
You’ll hear from Cheryl Parquet and Tia Bass who are passionate about this topic. Cheryl was fortunate to grow up and experience life in a small town, but she also knows firsthand the struggles her community faced. When she became part of the solution at Blue Cross NC to invest in drivers of health, she was overjoyed with how our partnerships would make positive impacts on people in rural communities, like her hometown. Tia’s entire career and formal training has been dedicated to keeping people from getting sick and promoting healthy behaviors. In her role as an Analytics Consultant she uses data to understand the root cause of barriers that impact health and create interventions in partnership with our community programs that make a real difference in people’s lives.
As we continue to focus on drivers of health, it’s important for us to understand how health equity affects us all. Increasing health equity increases the opportunity for all to live the healthiest life possible.
In this chat, you’ll learn:
Cheryl Parquet is the Director of Community Engagement and Marketing Activation at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC). She is responsible for the development and implementation of all corporate-based philanthropic initiatives including community investments and outreach programs, employee volunteerism, and major community initiatives and strategic partnerships to help improve the health and wellness of North Carolinians. Parquet has been recognized as a 2017 Triangle Business Journal Diversity Leader and 2017 Spectacular Magazine Women of the Year for Community Service.
Over the past 11 years, Parquet has worked to increase Blue Cross NC’s presence and visibility across the state through community investments and volunteerism while maintaining a focus on diversity. Under Parquet’s leadership, the Community and Diversity Engagement team has supported Partners for Youth Opportunities, East Durham Children’s Initiative and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Within Blue Cross NC, she has served on all board positions for the African-American/Black Employee Network and founded the Parent Network in which she was named 2013 Blue Cross NC Working Mother of the Year and represented the company at the Working Mother’s Magazine Conference. She also earned the company’s highest recognition in 2017 as a CEO Award Winner.
Tia Bass is the analytics consultant that works with the Drivers of Health Strategy Team at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. Her role is to lead a team of data experts who are tracking and analyzing DoH metrics in order to target populations and implement pilot interventions. She is a doctoral-prepared, Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) who has a passion for teaching, training, and building capacity in underserved communities.
We often hear about how community organizations come together to support and provide access to food. How are/can we providing access to transportation and housing?
What are the different parameters to measure well being ?
Is a requirement to have direct experience with analytics to be considered?
Interested in learning more about the programs that help vulnerable communities as well as the types of data that is used to identify those communities
How do you measure the effectiveness of your work?
Tia, Do you ever find your data is skewed because information is not collected from certain demographics? Cheryl, How does BCBS look to engage during the current pandemic with vulnerable populations?
What would you consider the top 3 drivers of health in North Carolina and how can we address any inequities in those drivers?
How did you get to where you are today?
What type of health equity data is Blue Cross NC collecting on our members? I am wondering if we have established goals or particular areas where we would like to focus our efforts to address...
1. With COVID-19 exacerbating the food insecurity issue, how has the company taking steps to help provide assistance to communities that are hit worse. Such as they don't have cars to go pick up...
Studies indicate that increased use of mass transit results in lower obesity rates. Have you seen a similar relationship in your analysis? What is Blue Cross NC doing to advocate for increased...
What data have you come across that has been completely contrary to your expectations regarding drivers of health and their correlated factors?
What do you feel are your biggest challenges in getting to the right data to help move the needle on solving health and community issues?
Which data sources do you use and how do you know it's accuracy?
What future innovations in technology (AI, Big Data, etc.) will be utilized at Blue Cross to help communities?
These Qs will likely be answered by nature of this presentation, but I am most interested in learning about which pieces of data are most important / used and how our data is collected. Thank you!
How does BCBS normally collect data on non-medical drivers and how have you been doing this work during the pandemic, especially with any increased disparities/barriers to internet access and a...
how should data experts make sure they are acting ethically?
How does blue cross blue shield help employees with work/life balance?
How is BCBS using data to play a part in the fight against Covid, especially in communities of color?
What have been some of the past successes and what remain some of the biggest challenges of capturing the data available from different systems and formats to consolidate, cleanse, etc. into one...
How can local government partner with your team to meet the needs of our historically underserved communities?
Has the analyst team at BCBS also had a chance yet to address or explore data on behavioral health concerns, especially as they relate to investment, intervention, and vulnerable populations?
Tele Health is become an integral part of HealthCare engagement - Can You share how Blue Cross will use Data to increase health equity in this space ?
I do not have a question at this time.
What specific initiatives does the company engage in with Partners for Youth Opportunities? Thank you!
How do BCBS on-board new hires during this pandemic?
No question at this time.
no question at this time
What are the skillsets in most demand for roles in your organization? Do you have any interview tips?
Do you utilize risk scores to help identify members who are in the most need?
Are you hiring Sr Software Engineers or Software Engineering Leads?
I would love to hear any thoughts you have on data literacy - does BCBS have any initiatives trying to empower our communities to understand their data and/or increase data transparency? Thanks so much!
How would one join the BCNS family. I’ve tried for year, but no answer.
How do you identify what areas of North Carolina to focus on? Are there certain factors in determining that focus?
What electronic system should be used to collect data?
What kind of resources are you using to get closed loop referrals?
How do you and your team remain up to date and compliant with industry standards and set standards against competitors nationally and internationally?
I have read both of your bio's . They are very impressive. Can you tell me if you work in the communities of Greensboro, NC? I am getting ready to receive a certification as a Community Health...
We know the digital divide impacts rural communities heavily. What strategies are in place to bridge this divide to make tech enabled care accessible to this population?
Are you hiring for member services?
How do you handle obtaining relevant data and planning interventions for these non-medical drivers of health in a way that respects and protects patient privacy?
Hi, thank you for taking time to put this together, how transferable are Military Career Positions to Blue Cross Blue Shield?
What projects have Data Analyst interns worked on in previous years?
How to enter the workforce during a global pandemic as a new MBA Graduate with Honors?
How big is the data science team at BCBS?
I have applied for the rotation program, may I ask why I am not selected for an interview?
What is BCBSNC's strategy for growing its membership base in the aftermath of COVID-19 and within the overall landscape of rising health care costs nationally and across the state.
How does BCBS support work life balance?
What are specific skill you look for when people apply for positions at Blue Cross
Is this a virtual job event?
Who are the current stakeholders in the community when it comes to addressing food security?
Are any of the positions remote and or office based only?
How do you handle confidential data during analysis ?
Looking forward to meeting with you all.
I work on the data science team at another BCBS. Do you all have access to individual social determinants of health (SDOH), or is it area-level aggregates like county? We are looking to...
I have a strong HR background with a desire to transition into another profession. Does BCBS seek candidates with diverse backgrounds for roles other than what they may have applied for?
What does BCBS hope to accomplish in 2021 in terms of health equity for communities of color, especially as it relates to women of color?
I am looking for any IT QA or Business Analyst positions within the company. I have 15 years of career experience.
What are the traits you look for when hiring candidates?
is positions for professionals-success manager/reimbursement available at this time
How can we identify food insecurity within our employer population? Is there an opportunity to support an initiative within our worksite that will help improve access?
Are you hiring for a call center manager at thistime
How does the team prioritize potential initiatives; how does the team work with internal and external stakeholders to deliver projects and measure improvement?
Any tips for submitting resume and cover letters as I transfer skills from another career?
How do you all utilize medical social worker to improve community well being.
I’m looking for IT career opportunities at BCBSNC. I currently live in the Northeast but want to start a career with Blue Cross NC. Any advice?
What sources of real-world data are used to help inform decisions to advance health equity? What data sources are needed / what infrastructure or process needs to be put in place to support data...
Job opportunities in Information Technology for back women within your company
Nothing to ask. Listening to learn.
How BCBSNC utilizes data to drive improvement?
As the mother of a T!D child, I would love to hear about any special programs that may help kids who have an acute and/or chronic condition.
IS there data scientist position available now ?
I am looking for future or available opportunities in data analytics available.
Are there any current or future virtual employment positions available? I'm a quick learner and have worked in managed care, prior authorization and pharmacy services or retail pharmacy claims....
With a nationwide talent pipeline shortage in the medical field, what steps are you taking to ensure proper staffing for the future?
What do you think is the best way to ensure data integrity and protection between inter-connected human services systems when used by volunteers, versus paid workers? Thanks! Agyei (AJ (Ekundayo
What has BCBS done to help with the rising prices of insulin and helping keep diabetics healthy between visits with thier doctor.
I know that Blue Cross of NC donated $5 million to implement the Diabetes Prevention Program across the state. As a former facilitator of this program, I am super excited about this. Are there...
Are you collecting data that informs decisions about mental wellness? If so, could you share some of the programs that address mental wellness?
Is there a specific question you have for the speaker? Let us know!