>> SOMEONE GAVE.

SOMEONE DONATED.

SOMEONE LEFT A LEGACY.

HOW DO YOU THANK THEM?

BY LEAVING YOUR OWN LEGACY.

WE CAN HELP.

>> WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF IN ANOTHER OPINION.

OUR DISCUSSIONS ARE FOCUSED ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

I AM YOUR HOST, PETER WELLS.

MY GUEST TODAY IS THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION MANAGER AT BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.

YOU FOLLOW A NUMBER OF DIVERSITY OFFICERS FROM BLUE CROSS WHO HAVE BEEN ON THIS SHOW.

BUT YOU ARE THE BOSS.

SO, IT IS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO TODAY IS INTRODUCE YOU TO VIEWERS AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IS ABOUT, WHAT ITS GOALS ARE.

>> OUR TEAM IS A PRETTY SMALL TEAM.

I LIKE TO SAY THAT WE HELP FACILITATE OUR WORK WITH THE REST OF THE ASSOCIATES.

WE DON'T DO THE WORK ALONE.

WE DO IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR DIVERSITY COUNCIL AND OUR EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS.

WE HAVE SEVEN OF THEM.

WE PROVIDE RESOURCES, TRAINING, WE HELP FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS AND CHANGE POLICY.

WE ARE SORT OF A CENTRAL HUB AT THE ORGANIZATION FOR EVERYTHING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION.

WE HAVE A GROUP CALLED LATINO LINK THAT FOCUSES ON THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE BLUE PRIDE, PARENTS AT WORK, AND MOST RECENTLY, WE JUST ADDED OUR DISABILITY INCLUSION NETWORK, WHICH FOCUSES ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SO THEY ALL INCLUDE ASSOCIATES FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE BUSINESS, SO WHETHER YOU IDENTIFY WITH A PARTICULAR DIVERSITY OR YOU ARE AN ALLY, WE INVITE ALL ASSOCIATES TO BE A PART OF THOSE GROUPS.

PETER: AND WHAT DO THOSE GROUPS DO, DO THEY HOST EVENTS?

>> THEY PLAY KEY LEADERS IN THE ORGANIZATION NOT JUST INTERNALLY, BUT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

A LOT OF GROUPS ARE HOLDING IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS.

WE HAVE A CONVERSATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.

WE HAVE PROGRAMMING FOR BLACK HISTORY.

WE HAD MOST RECENTLY OUR BLACK COUNCILMEMBERS OUT AT THE JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL AT ROGER WILLIAMS THIS PAST JUNE, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF BLUE CROSS.

WE HAVE OUR PARENTS AT WORKGROUP WHO RECENTLY VOLUNTEERED WITH FOSTER FORWARD HERE IN RHODE ISLAND AS WELL.

THEY ARE VERY BUSY GROUPS, ALL PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS WORK, AND WE HELP GIVE THEM A PLATFORM AND FACILITATE THAT FOR THEM.

>> ARE THE EVENTS INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL?

>> MOSTLY INTERNAL.

THE FOCUS IS WITH CURRENT ASSOCIATES.

PETER: AND WHEN YOU SAY ASSOCIATES, IS THAT BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD EMPLOYEES?

>> YES.

I GUESS ASSOCIATES IS INTERNAL LINGO.

PETER: IT MAKES ME THINK OF AN INSURANCE SALESPERSON.

BUT OK.

I WAS ON YOUR ADVISORY BOARD, BY THE WAY.

I WANTED OUR VIEWERS TO KNOW WHAT ASSOCIATES MEANS.

SO, THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS HAVE EVENTS.

THEY DISCUSS IMPORTANT ISSUES.

IS THIS SOMETHING THROUGHOUT ALL OF BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD, OR JUST IN RHODE ISLAND?

>> I AM A PART OF A GROUP CALLED THE BLUE ALLIANCE IN RHODE ISLAND.

WE MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS WITH THOSE WHO HAVE A SIMILAR ROLE.

HOW ARE YOU ELEVATING YOUR EVR GS?

IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING DONE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>> SO THE GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY AND PARTICIPATE IN LEARNING SESSIONS.

DOES THAT PRETTY MUCH COVER IT?

>> YES, BUT ASIDE FROM PROGRAMMING, THEY PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING HR RECRUITMENT, BEING AMBASSADORS FOR BLUE CROSS, BLUE SHIELD OF RHODE ISLAND, AND THEN ALSO PLAYING A ROLE IN CERTAIN POLICIES, PARTNERING WITH HR TO REVISE OUR CAREER PAGE, THEY ARE SORT OF OUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND SOUNDING BOARD FOR A LOT OF OUR VARIOUS EFFORTS.

PETER: YOU KNOW I AM GOING TO HIT YOU WITH THIS NXT QUESTION.

WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY AND EQUITY, WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN AT BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD THESE DAYS?

I KNOW A LOT OF THE WORK AT BLUE CROSS IS CONTRACTED OUT.

DO YOU HAVE AN IMPACT ON THOSE FOLKS AS WELL?

>> I DON'T DIRECTLY WORK WITHIN HR, BUT I OFTEN CONSULT WITH HR ON THE PRACTICES THEY HAVE AND THE STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING DIVERSITY ACROSS OUR DIFFERENT LEVELS.

OUR SPECIFIC FOCUS RECENTLY HAS BEEN AROUND INCREASING DIVERSITY WITHIN MANAGEMENT.

I PLAY A BIG ROLE IN SUPPORTING OUR CURRENT ASSOCIATES IN HELPING THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE PARTICULAR ROLES, JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THAT REPRESENTATION IN MANAGEMENT.

PETER: FOR SURE.

WHY WOULD PEOPLE WANT TO USE A COMPANY THAT DIDN'T RELATE TO THEM?

>> EXACTLY.

PETER: SO, NOT HOLDING YOU DOWN TO ANY SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT WHAT IS A MID-LEVEL OR FIRST LEVEL, SECOND-LEVEL, HOWEVER YOU MIGHT DEFINE IT, HOW IS THAT REPRESENTATION IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY AND EQUITY TODAY?

>> WE CURRENTLY HAVE -- I AM NOT SURE SPECIFICALLY FOR MANAGEMENT, BUT ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION WE HAVE ABOUT 20% THAT REPRESENT THEMSELVES AS PEOPLE OF COLOR WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.

SO FOR US, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC NUMBER THAT IS GOING TO BE NECESSARILY ENOUGH.

WE WANT TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER AS MUCH AS WE CAN, NOT JUST BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, BUT ALSO BY GENDER, ORIENTATION, ETC.

WE KNOW THAT HAVING THAT NOT JUST FOR EXTERNAL MEMBERS, BUT FOR SOME OF THE POLICIES WE ARE MAKING, IF WE HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE ROOM MAKING THOSE DECISIONS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET CLOSER TO WHAT WE ENVISION FOR THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN REGARDS TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.

PETER: WHAT IS THE NUMBER YOU ARE ASPIRING TO?

>> FOR MANAGEMENT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 25%.

BUT THAT IS SPECIFICALLY MANAGEMENT.

NOT THE OVERALL ORGANIZATION.

OUR FOUR GROSS -- FOCUS IN THE PAST YEAR AN MOVING FORWARD HAS BEEN AT THE MANAGEMENT LEVEL.

PETER: IS THAT MID-LEVEL MANAGEMENT?

>> MID-MANAGEMENT, YES.

PETER: HOW ARE WE DOING AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL?

>> THERE IS DEFINITELY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THERE.

THIS IS NOT A SPRINT, IT IS A MARATHON.

THIS IS WORK THAT WILL TAKE TIME.

WE HAVE A GREAT HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT DOING WORK NOT JUST INTERNALLY BUT EXTERNALLY TO IMPROVE THE POOL OF CANDIDATES WE HAVE.

>> IS BOBBY RODRIGUEZ STILL THERE?

>> HE IS NOT.

>> I MET HIM WHEN HE FIRST STARTED UP BLUE CROSS.

-- AT BLUE CROSS.

>> WE CURRENTLY HAVE HILLARY -- PETER: I KNOW HILLARY.

>> SHE IS IN CHARGE OF THIS.

PETER: THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR -- NOT THAT HE IS GONE, BUT I IMAGINE HE HAS GONE ON TO OTHER THINGS.

BUT HIS LEGACY IS WITH YOU.

I GUESS THE NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE DOES BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD CORPORATE HAVE A GOAL OR A MISSION FOR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT DOWN THE LINE?

>> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I AM NOT SURE IF WE HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS AT THE MOMENT.

BUT WE ARE STARTING OFF OUR NEXT FIVE-YEAR DI STRATEGY IN 2022, SO IT'S DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT SOME SPECIFIC GOALS AROUND THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL.

PETER: BLUE CROSS IS RIGHT UP THERE IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE AS A LARGE EMPLOYER.

MAYBE NOT SO MUCH NOW.

I GUESS THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT BLUE CROSS HAS TO THE STATE AND TO CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE THAT REPRESENTATION IS THERE AS WELL AS LOWER LEVELS OF THE COMPANY.

DO WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS BEING MEMBERS OF A DIVERSITY GROUP WORKING IN THE BLUE STORES?

>> WE DO.

WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM AND FOLKS WHO HAVE -- CAN SPEAK SPANISH, SPEAK PORTUGUESE, TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO THESE COMMUNITIES LOCALLY AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, SPREAD THE MESSAGE, MOST RECENTLY WITH VACCINE EFFORTS.

WE HAVE MADE AN EFFORT TO GET FOLKS VACCINATED AND GO INTO THE HARDEST HIT CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS RHODE ISLAND.

AND FOR THAT, WE ARE SURE TO HAVE REPRESENTATION IN THE COMMUNITY SO THEY CAN SEE A FAMILIAR FACE.

PETER: I WOULD LIKE VIEWERS TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOU.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I CURRENTLY LIVE IN PAWTUCKET.

BEFORE BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD, I WORKED FOR UNITED WAY IN MASSACHUSETTS.

I WENT ON TO BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS IN MASSACHUSETTS AND I WAS THERE FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.

DID A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK, RECRUITMENT, AND ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT A PROFESSIONAL IN DI, IT WAS -- DEI, IT WAS INCORPORATED INTO MY WORK.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE MY TITLE TO DO THIS WORK.

I BELIEVE WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ABILITY TO BE A CHANGEMAKER IN THIS SPACE.

AS I WAS TRANSITIONING OUT OF BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS, I WANTED TO DO COMMUNITY ORIENTED WORK AND SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON DEI EFFORTS.

I HAVE A HUMAN FIRST APPROACH TO ANYTHING I DO, SO THIS WORK INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.

I AM REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS AT BLUE CROSS, WHERE I AM SUPPORTED BY MY MANAGER, BY LEADERSHIP, BY MY TEAM TO ADVANCE THIS WORK AND REALLY GET EMPOWERED TO DO IT SO I DON'T FEEL AS IF I HAVE CONSTRAINTS ON MY WORK.

I AM REALLY ABLE TO TAKE THINGS UP A NOTCH AND DO THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE BOLD IN THIS TYPE OF WORK.

PETER: VERY GOOD.

YOUR WORK IS NECESSARY, AND THERE IS A NEED TO MAKE IT A PERSON-TO-PERSON KIND OF ACTIVITY AND INITIATIVE.

INSURANCE IS KIND OF AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY TO MOST PEOPLE, SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO HAVE, BE IT AUTO INSURANCE, LIFE INSURANCE, HEALTH INSURANCE.

WE NEED ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT GROUPS FOR FINANCIAL SECURITY, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY.

HEALTH CARE, OBVIOUSLY, BUT INSURANCE COMPANIES, LIKE THE BANKING INDUSTRY, IS A FINANCIAL OPERATION THAT GENERATES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT HAS A DIFFERENT ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE IT IS A SERVICE PROVIDER.

AND INITIALLY, I THINK IT STILL IS CONSIDERED A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, BUT EVEN THOUGH WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IT GENERATES SOME PEOPLE QUESTION WHETHER IT'S NONPROFIT, BUT HOW DO THE FUNDS TRICKLE DOWN TO YOUR INITIATIVE FROM THE BIGGER ROLE OR MISSION OF BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD.

HOW DO YOU COME OUT AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO GIVE JENNY AND HER DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS WE ARE GIVING HER TO DO IT?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT DECISION PROCESS GOES, BUT I DO FEEL I AM SUPPORTED BY RESOURCES AND FINANCIALLY TO BE ABLE TO DO MY WORK.

I DON'T FEEL AT ALL CONSTRAINED IN THAT PIECE, EITHER WITH OUR PROGRAMMING, OUR TRAINING, WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY INNOVATING AND TRYING TO THINK OF NEW WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH OUR ASSOCIATES, MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.

I HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE DECEMBER.

AND I HAVEN'T FELT ANY SORT OF CONSTRAINT.

THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT AND RESOURCE BEING PUT TO THIS.

AND YOU KNOW, 2020 WAS A REALLY CRITICAL YEAR, BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE TAKING THE APPROACH THAT THIS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS FINANCE.

AND YOU KNOW, OUR CASE MANAGEMENT, OUR CALL CENTERS, ANY OTHER SORT OF ENTITY WITHIN THE BUSINESS, THIS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ALL THOSE THINGS, AND WE HAVE TO PUT THE RESOURCES AND THE FINANCIAL BACKING BEHIND THIS WORK AS WELL.

PETER: I KNOW ONE OF THE ISSUES A LOT OF AMERICANS HAVE WITH CALL CENTERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE BASED OVERSEAS, IS UNDERSTANDING THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END.

BUT THE QUESTION ARISES, WHY DOES BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE FROM OVER THERE, WHEREVER THERE IS, TO WORK IN THE CALL CENTER WHEN PEOPLE IN RHODE ISLAND NEED A JOB?

HOW DOES THE COMPANY RESPOND TO THAT?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I DON'T WORK IN HR, SO I DON'T HAVE THE OVERSIGHT IN THOSE PARTICULAR DECISIONS.

I KNOW WE HAVE A MIX OF FOLKS FROM INDIA, BUT WE ALSO HAVE LOCAL INDIVIDUALS RIGHT HERE IN RHODE ISLAND AT THE CALL CENTER.

KNOWING WE HAVE DIVERSE EMPLOYEES FROM A VARIETY OF PLACES, WE DO ENSURE WE PROVIDE CONTINUED TRAINING SO THAT THESE ASSOCIATES KNOW HOW TO BEST COMMUNICATE AND HAVE THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY TO WORK WITH LOCAL MEMBERS HERE IN RHODE ISLAND.

PETER: THE TERM CULTURAL COMPETENCY STARTED ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO.

PEOPLE REALIZED THERE WAS SUCH A THING.

I HAD MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH IT WITH A CULTURAL COMPETENCY PROGRAM -- I CAN'T REMEMBER THE YEAR, BUT I WAS STILL PUBLISHING A NEWSPAPER, SO IT WAS AT LEAST THE EARLY TO THOUSANDS'S WHEN NOT STARTED.

-- 2000'S WHEN THAT STARTED.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE CULTURAL COMPETENCY TO YOUR PEOPLE?

>> IT'S THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES AND VARIANCE -- IN VARIOUS CULTURES.

AND BEST WORK WITH THEM.

I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

I OFTEN SPEAK OF NUANCES WITHIN LATIN AMERICA.

IF YOU ARE SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY WHO IS FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND SOMEBODY IN MEXICO, ALTHOUGH WE EACH IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC, THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURAL COMPONENTS, AND TRADITIONS.

THINGS THAT ARE NORMAL AND DOMINICAN CULTURE MAY NOT BE AS NORMAL AND MEXICAN CULTURE.

I REALLY ENJOY GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE ASSOCIATES ON THOSE DIFFERENCES, BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE MEMBER AND THEIR EXPERIENCE, BUT ALSO, A MUCH MORE SEAMLESS PROCESS FOR OUR ASSOCIATES WHO ARE DOING THAT WORK.

PETER: BUT HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

INTRODUCE THESE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES TO OTHER ASSOCIATES?

WAX THROUGH OUR PLATFORMS AND OUR -- WE HAVE AT BLUE CROSS INTERNAL LEARNING THAT WE DO SO THERE IS REQUIRED LEARNING, DEPENDING ON YOUR PARTICULAR ROLE, TO DO THESE TRAININGS, WHETHER IT IS ON THE COMPUTER OR IN PERSON.

FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN SPECIFIC SETTINGS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.

PETER: WHAT ARE SOME THAT HAVE COME UP SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE?

WAX WE RECENTLY ROLLED OUT GENDER PRONOUNS AT THE WORKPLACE.

IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT DIMENSION OF DIVERSITY.

WE HAD A GUEST SPEAKER WHO IS TRANSGENDER AND SPOKE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE TRANSITIONING, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PRONOUNS.

THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TAKEN ON AS AN ORGANIZATION AND WE ARE UTILIZING THAT MORE IN INTRODUCTIONS.

SO, IF I WAS STARTING A MEETING WITH FOLKS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER, I WOULD HAVE THE INTRODUCTIONS BE YOUR NAME, YOUR PRONOUN, AND YOUR ROLE AT BLUE CROSS.

SO FOR MYSELF I WOULD SAY MY NAME IS JENNY BAUTISTA, I USE SHE/HER PRONOUNS, AND I AM THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION MANAGER.

WE HAVE EVERYONE INTRODUCE THEMSELVES THAT WAY, AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT JUST SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, BUT TO PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE FOR ESPECIALLY OUR NON-BINARY ASSOCIATES WHO -- YOU CANNOT JUST TELL SOMEONE'S GENDER BY LOOKING AT THEM.

THAT SOMETHING WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE EDUCATION ON AND NORMALIZE.

IT'S NEW FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.

THIS IS WHERE WE COME IN AND PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING FACILITATE THE LEARNING AND NORMALIZING THAT BEHAVIOR.

PETER: INTERESTING.

YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS IN MASSACHUSETTS, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WAS TO ENFORCE THE EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY ACT.

AND THE EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY ACT STATED THAT A LENDER COULD NOT USE YOUR GENDER, YOUR SEX, YOUR AGE, OR THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE USED CREDIT IN THE PAST TO REJECT YOU FOR LOANS.

THERE WAS A TIME A FEMALE COULD NOT HAVE ALONE WITHOUT A MALE SIGNING ALONG WITH HER.

AND MY JOB WAS TO CORRECT THOSE ATTITUDES.

ONE THING I USED TO USE WAS AN EXPERIENCE IN NEW ENGLAND TO DETERMINE IF YOU WERE PORTUGUESE OR COVERT -- K WERT.

IF YOU WERE PORTUGUESE, YOU MAY SAY YOU WERE CAUCASIAN.

IF YOU WERE -- YOU MIGHT SAY YOU WERE BLACK.

IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, YOU ONE TIME HAD TO BE A WHITE PERSON TO BE EMPLOYED.

SO ALL OF THESE SAILORS WOULD SAY THEY WERE PORTUGUESE, THEREFORE THEY WERE CAUCASIAN, THEREFORE THEY COULD WORK ON THESE SHIPS.

AN INTERESTING HISTORY.

BECAUSE OF THAT, WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW WITH THE PRONOUNS, IT'S A SIMPLE THING, BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING.

>> AND IT GOES A LONG, LONG WAY TO NORMALIZE THAT.

FOLKS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT OUTSIDE OF WORK, TOO, SO TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO LEARN AND MAKE MISTAKES AND GET BETTER, AND TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT IS SOMETHING I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT.

PETER: WELL, SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT IN THE COMPANY, AND I'M GLAD IT'S YOU.

YOU HAVE A SENSE OF DIFFERENT CULTURES.

YOU HAVE A COMPETENCY IN CULTURE, BOTH SPANISH AND NON-SPANISH CULTURES.

AND MAYBE OTHERS I AM NOT AWARE OF.

DO YOU SPEAK ANY OTHER LANGUAGES?

>> I WISH.

I WANT TO LEARN PORTUGUESE.

PETER: WELL, THERE IS ENOUGH AROUND, THAT'S FOR SURE.

WE ARE GOING TO RUN OUT OF TIME.

A HALF HOUR BY FAST.

ANYTHING IN THE LAST 30 SECONDS YOU WANT TO TALK TO VIEWERS ABOUT WITH BRUTE -- BLUE CROSS AND WHAT IS GOING ON.

>> WE CONTINUE TO HIRE A LOT OF ASSOCIATES.

I CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE RHODE ISLANDERS TO LOOK AT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD AS A PLACE TO WORK.

WE HAVE WON A LOT OF RECOGNITIONS AROUND DISABILITY EQUALITY, LGBTQ EQUALITY, AND WE HAVE RECENTLY WON A BEST PLACE TO WORK AWARD.

A LOT OF GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN OUR CULTURE AND I AM EXCITED TO INVITE OTHERS AS WELL TO BE A PART OF THIS WORK.

PETER: WELL, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, WELCOME TO RHODE ISLAND.

WELCOME TO BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD, AND WE ALL HOPE YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

AS I SAID, THIS HALF-HOUR GOES BY FAST.

WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME.

BUT I WANT TO THANK JENNY BAUTISTA AND UT THE VIEWERS FOR TUNING IN TO IN ANOTHER OPINION.

SPECIAL THANKS TO PBS FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE.

I AM YOUR HOST, PETER WELLS.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.

AND ABOVE ALL, HAVE A GREAT DAY.

[CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY.

VISIT NCICAP.ORG] [CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY CARDI'S FURNITURE AND MATTRESSES] >> SOMEONE GAVE.

SOMEONE DONATED.

SOMEONE LEFT A LEGACY.