Over the last two years, we’ve faced the biggest public healthcare crisis of our lifetime and experienced, more than ever, why we need a healthcare system that is worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and with each unpredictable turn that it has taken, Blue Shield of California stepped up to the challenge to protect the health and safety of all Californians.
When the Governor’s public-private task force asked us for help on testing, we leaned in to make it happen. Then, in February 2021, we stepped up to provide leadership and expertise as the third-party administrator for the state’s vaccine network. We are proud to have been a part of these vital public health efforts.
Throughout the pandemic, we also learned more about the inequities and barriers that exist and need to be addressed as we transform the healthcare system. We have an ambitious strategy, and we are moving at an accelerated pace to innovate and reimagine health care for all.
We must bring health care into the digital age. We know that providers can make better—and more timely—care decisions when they have real-time access to all of a patient’s health information. We also need to pay for value and health outcomes over procedures and processes. As we reimagine health care, we are working to improve access, serve more people, be sound financial stewards, live our values, and stand for what’s right in the communities where we live and work.
We have made great progress — and we’ve only just begun.
Delivering on our mission starts with our 7,800 employees who have chosen to be part of our mission-driven organization. Our people are at the center of everything we do, and it’s up to us to grow and develop them to bring their best selves to work, so that they can take care of the members we serve. It’s then, and only then, that we can continue to be a great place to work and make a meaningful difference.
I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to lead Blue Shield through these unprecedented times. We have endured so much and have come such a long way. I feel so incredibly inspired and optimistic about how we will continue to change health care for the better.
Paul Markovich
President and Chief Executive Officer