Check out your Company Bowl for anonymous work chats.
We recently partnered with the NYC Department of Education and the Partnership for New York City for a day of career exploration with students from James Madison High School. Tenth-grade students enrolled in the Brooklyn high school’s medical science program visited our corporate headquarters to meet with executives, and network with employee speakers. The day concluded with 10-minute presentations featuring insightful solutions to real-world problems in health care developed by the students themselves. NYC Public Schools Chancellor David C. Banks commented, “I am confident in the growth that will come from our students after they are immersed in this experience and are faced with the endless possibilities for their careers.” Find out more about this inspiring program at the link below.
During Black History Month, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans. We are excited to honor Black pioneers and are forever grateful for their impact, especially within health care. Recently, we hosted a Black History Month Leadership Panel and are pleased to share some of the wisdom of the panelists. We thank Dr. Wayne Rawlins, chief medical officer of WellSpark, for his thoughtful and inspiring comments. WellSpark Health and AdvantageCare Physicians are part of the EmblemHealth family of companies.
We gathered in celebration of Black History Month for an enterprise-wide discussion with three remarkable leaders: Dr. Nicole Thomas-Sealey, Vice President, Clinical Training & Education, for AdvantageCare Physicians; Tynina Lucas, Head of Procurement, EmblemHealth; and Dr. Wayne Rawlins, Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, for WellSpark. Karlin Larkin, Diversity Strategy Leader at the EmblemHealth family of companies, facilitated an inspiring program featuring anecdotes from the workplace as well as practical advice for growing your career, while continuing to foster an inclusive culture where others succeed. We will be sharing some of their wisdom throughout the month. Thank you to our host, speakers, and all those who participated for their lively and engaging questions.
EmblemHealth and AdvantageCare Physicians colleagues had a blast kicking off the Year of the Rabbit by honoring Asian-American heritage alongside our local partners, community organizations, and leaders in the 2023 Flushing Lunar New Year Parade. We're always happy to visit with community champions like U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, New York State Senator John Liu, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. Thank you to all of our staff and volunteers who helped us ring in the Lunar New Year. We wish you all prosperity and good fortune this year and beyond.
Spirits were bright at our recent holiday toy sorting event. Colleagues from across the EmblemHealth family of companies gathered at our headquarters to sort and pack up over 5000 toys that will delight children at toy giveaways and Holiday Wonderland events throughout the five boroughs. A great big thank you to our Community Engagement team for organizing this and multiple Healthy for the Holidays events throughout the season. Your passion for the people we serve is inspirational!
Each year, City & State casts a spotlight on 100 exceptional people who are quietly putting in the time and effort to help address challenges faced by their most vulnerable neighbors. This year they have chosen to honor Nazneen Rahman, AVP of EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care. Nazneen and her team at Neighborhood Care are at the forefront of developing innovative programming, in-person customer support, and community engagement efforts - open to members and nonmembers - that tackle barriers to care – from improving physical health, to eliminating gaps in transportation access, food insecurity, and even housing. Congratulations, Naz, on this well-deserved recognition. Find the full list at the link below.
As part of our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Presente, our Latinx employee resource group, hosted a presentation on the uses of theater and culturally relevant art forms to promote health topics in Latinx cultures, particularly as a tool to combat childhood obesity. Dr. Manuel A. Morán, founder and artistic director of Teatro SEA (Society of the Educational Arts, Inc.), a bilingual arts-in-education organization and Latino children’s theatre, led the discussion on the value of stories, representation, and belonging in a bilingual environment in building a healthier future for children and Latinx families. Thank you, Dr. Moran for sharing your insights.
Prism, our colleague resource group for members and friends of the LGBTQ+ community, was honored to host a discussion of the impacts of bullying on LGBTQ+ youth featuring Joan Clementi of the the Tyler Clementi Foundation, and Liz Verrastro and David Diamond of the Westchester Jewish Community Services Center Lane program for LGBTQ+ youth. Attendees were treated to insights on the legal underpinnings of protections for LGBTQ+ students, how schools can support LGBTQ+ student well being, and what to do if someone you know is being bullied. Thanks to our speakers for helping to keep us informed and empowered to make a difference in our own communities.
To honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, over 150 employees and their families participated in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks in Hartford, Albany, Syracuse, Long Island, and Central Park. In total, our teams raised $8,000 for the fight against breast cancer. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who enthusiastically supported this important event.
Meet Karina, our summer associate from Columbia University in the City of New York! “My role on EmblemHealth’s Strategic Initiatives team is giving me invaluable experience. I’m expanding my business/financial acumen while advancing health equity and supporting New Yorkers. I’m gaining experience in business development, strategic planning, and operational activities. I’m learning from my colleagues, building mentoring relationships, and getting to work on some pretty cool projects!” -Karina Zysman, Summer Associate
