Highmark, Inc. Committed to Hiring People with Disabilities

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Hi everyone, welcome to the show, to everyone in the United States and around the world. A special shout out to Richard Roberts, my friend from the State Department who I first met in South Korea, and Cheryl Harris from Tunisia with the State Department, and Gang Young from South Korea, and Venyamin from Kazakhstan. Now, these are all people from the State Department that when I went overseas, I was with the entire time. Working to talk about the importance and dignity of people with disabilities. And they all became like disability rights leaders. I love all of you. And of course, I have to have a special shout out to my wonderful friend Yoshiko Dart. And if you don't remember, her husband, very well known internationally, was Known as the greatest disability rights leader, um, and he passed away several years ago, but we are making sure we remember him since he was the general. And Yoshiko, his wife, still with us, is also a disability rights leader. Love you, Yoshiko. Well, I always thank my sponsor, and boy, is this timely today because the sponsor of this show For the past 6 years, you know, this has been on 18 years. But when I say past 6 years, I mean as the lead sponsor of the show is Highmark, Highmark Health and Highmark Inc. And Highmark has just been absolutely supportive forever. This has been on so long. And that is no surprise because of their great, incredible leadership, such as my guest today, Deb Reich Johnson, President of Highmark Inc., Chief Growth Officer, and one of the best people I have ever met in my entire life. Deb, welcome to the show.

Thank you, Joyce, and I appreciate that introduction because you're one of my favorite people as well. Thank you for having me.

Oh, it's a thrill to have you. And before Deb talks, you know, she is, as you just heard me say, you know, Highmark is a huge organization. She's the president of Highmark Inc. She is one of the most well-known healthcare leaders in the country. And you know what? She is humble. And see, that to me, a great leader serves. And that's her. And I would endorse her well before all of you in the world. So with that, you don't all have the pleasure that I do of knowing Deb Rice Johnson. So Deb, for our listeners around the world today, largest listening audience in China, would you start by telling your story? Like, you know, when you grew up and how you went to Highmark. And then you do have, for all young people, I believe, the most incredible success story of where you were when you started and where you are today. So how about if we just start telling your story?

Sure, sure, Joyce. I'm happy to. Thank you. Well, I am a health insurance executive, and I assure you, whenever I was 12 years old or even 16, I wasn't thinking that that was in my path, nor did I really understand what that meant. But I had, you know, I think a really great childhood. Thankful for my parents raising me in strong faith, which, you know, I think has helped me throughout my career. Whenever I started more than 35 years ago, what was then Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania, I had just graduated high school. And actually, I pursued my degree while I worked at Highmark so many years ago, which was just a great opportunity and a real blessing in my life. So we became Highmark in 1996, and so we have been a company of mergers and affiliations. So when Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania, which is the company I sat in, merged with Pennsylvania Blue Shield, we created Highmark. And so here we are today, and it's been just a great opportunity for me. I've been so blessed to be in many different roles and areas within the company. Never limited, you know, the company— people talk about glass ceilings. I just haven't felt it. So, you know, for that I'm so grateful. I've been able to move throughout the organization in many different roles. I was in IT, I was in strategy, in operations, customer service, in management roles all through. And then in 2010 I became the president of Highmark Inc. And just recently including the growth— executive growth officer. And very excited about the opportunities that it's provided for me. And Joyce, you know, we're an industry that just keeps changing, and it's a good thing I have a large appetite for change because I feel like I've been able to not just help evolve the change that's happened within the company, but have had the benefit of being able to lead some of that. And so it's been a really exciting career for me.

Well, you know, many young people will say with disabilities have goals and dreams, but you know, if they go to Highmark or wherever, of course they often start at an entry level. And my point is, look where you started and look where you are. So that means all dreams are possible with hard work and perseverance.

That's right, Joyce Bender. And I think not limiting yourself, right? And certainly not allowing others to limit your ability to move throughout a career that's most meaningful for you. And so I believe in the power of all things, and I think that, you know, people with disabilities, they just bring so much value to the table. And if they can let that shine and not let people limit or let themselves limit what their abilities are.

Well, I— yeah, because sometimes people lower the bar. But, you know, if I had to use an example of starting at an entry level and look where you are now, it would be you. And I too am a person of faith, and I always say, no matter what I teach you, at the end of the day, integrity is the bottom line. Because if you don't have that, Nothing else matters. And I think that goes with your character and your faith. And I believe that is such a strong component of people being successful.

Thank you, Joyce Bender. I believe that way too. And I'm glad you mentioned the word integrity, right? It is just so important. And in the business world today, and you think about everything that this world is facing with the pandemic, with so much split in beliefs and that sort of thing. Integrity is just so important. I like to believe, I always tell my leaders that work for me, let's assume positive intent. If you can assume positive intent about somebody, then typically you're gonna make your way through whatever those issues or challenges that are presented. Integrity is just, you know, a staple in that whole equation.

That's right. I believe that also. So, Deb, how about if you explain to our listeners about your role at Highmark? And if you don't mind, because I know, you know, when I first met Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania, they were in that small building, you know, that's amazing when I think where I can still see it in my mind. I could still see that building. And who would ever think from that to, you know, one of the most beautiful buildings in Pittsburgh, Fifth Avenue Place. But you were there from the beginning. But if you could talk now today about your role, and also this is what's going to shock people if they just remember Highmark from before, the size of Highmark, and the locations in which Highmark operates.

Yeah, for sure, Joyce, and I remember that building too. It was small. I think maybe either 3 or 4 floors. Yeah. And certainly we're multi-state now. You know, we're a company, we're about $24, a little more than $24 billion in revenue, and you know, we have businesses, we have the health insurance, business, which I manage, our diversified businesses, which I am leading, so our dental and our stop loss. We have a delivery system, so Allegheny Health Network, really important in this community. So we're a large company, excited about the growth that we've seen. We, you know, now are in 4 different states, and Joyce Bender, the time that you remember us sitting in that small office building, we were just in Western PA, right? And so, you know, now we're in all of Pennsylvania with the exception of the 5 counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, but we do partner with our sister company, Independence Blue Cross. We are in Delaware, we're in West Virginia, and we're in parts of New York. And so it's quite exciting. We're representing as a health plan, 6 million members across those 4 states and nationally, which is exciting. We, um, have the 8th largest dental company, so United Concordia, um, and they are national. And our HM Insurance Group is in the top 10, uh, national stop-loss carriers. So we're growing quite a bit. And more importantly, I feel like the, uh, businesses that we are operating in really are helping us to solve problems for our customers. And so those solutions are just so important. So yes, we are multistate and, you know, continue to be good partners with other Blue Cross Blue Shield plans across the country. And so that's how we got our national presence.

Oh my God, when you think about this, from Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania and that building I'm talking about to Highmark, and it was Bill Lowry, who was there during that merger, you know, that stood behind me to start Bender Consulting Services. So it's just the growth has been phenomenal, which I attribute to the leadership such as you. So I say congratulations to you. Um, you have been a friend of the disability community since I have known you. I am sorry to say, I wish I did not have to say this, but there are not many people like you at the top, you know, at other companies. And actually, the amount of people now not counted in the workforce has gone from 70 to almost 80%. This is horrific. And you know, too bad we don't have, you know, 100, 1,000— imagine that if we had 1,000 Highmarks. Oh my goodness, how many people would be working. But you— Highmark is known nationally because from the disability community because of— I mean, this has been going on so long, it's unbelievable. So why do you think that is? There are not many people like you. Why have you yourself always included people with disabilities? I can never remember a time ever that you would not have, but why? Why have you, like, made that an initiative?

Right, it's a great question, Joyce. And so personally, what I would say is that I've always felt that it was critical that we as a society demonstrate a commitment to individuals with disabilities and their, frankly, their loved ones. And, and we need to do that on a daily basis. You know, I think that the talent and experiences and and probably the unique perspectives that each person can bring to the table with a disability is just far beyond what people maybe imagine. And so all I can say, Joyce, is maybe folks don't understand or haven't employed somebody with a disability. I would tell you, once you do, you know, you're going to be on the same track that we are. I really believe that there's so much value that people with disabilities bring to the table and those unique perspectives which can then be integrated into our business practices. And frankly, you know, we're serving people with disabilities, so why shouldn't we have them employed with us and helping us to shape, you know, the kinds of services and solutions we put into our marketplace? I just feel like we're better off because of them.

Frankly. I just want to add to that. It is competitive employment. I mean, we're not talking about janitorial work or only— customer service is great, but not every single person with a disability should they say you can only do this. We're talking IT, marketing. People are right in Deb's area, procurement. All across the board. And I will tell you, having this leadership from the top, you know, like Deb as the president of Highmark Inc., that makes all the difference. But it's— I just want to mention one other thing. You know, Deb knew Mary Broeker very well, and everyone knows how hard this has been. For me losing her. And I just want to say, unsolicited, Highmark made a generous contribution, unsolicited, to the Mary Brocker Mental Health Initiative. And it is Deb also that gave me the first generous contribution to launch the Bender Leadership Academy. And I just want all of our listeners to know listeners to know that.

Yeah, Joyce, I appreciate you bringing up Mary. I'll tell you, she is just one of the most special people that I knew. I claimed her before you did. I think you'll remember that she worked for me, and you so carefully came to my door and said, I'd like to hire her. And it was the best thing that we together could Joyce Bender has done. I think her fingerprints will be all over not just Bender, but also, you know, people with disabilities and their opportunities to gain really meaningful employment. She was just such an advocate. And as you know, she served sort of as a mentor to my daughter, so she had an extra special part in my heart.

Yeah, well, she will never be forgotten, ever. Um, and hey, we have a caller on the line right now. Uh, Maria, are you on the line?

Hi Joyce, yes, I'm on the line.

Hi Maria, how are you?

I'm doing well, how are you Joyce?

Good. And Maria Town is the CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, and it's always a pleasure to hear from you, Maria.

Well, it's always a pleasure to be, um, on your, on your show, Joyce, even if that means I'm calling in as a listener. I just wanted to call in today to, to thank, uh, Deb for her commitment to the disability community and particularly to disability hiring. You know, Deb, as you and Joyce Bender were just saying, you know, people with disabilities, we experience so many disparities in every aspect of life. And so often, all of those disparities in earnings and homeownership and quality of life in general can begin to decrease when someone is able to get and keep a good job. And Primark is just doing such a great job of hiring people with disabilities, and I just wanted to say thank you.

Oh, well, I so appreciate you coming online to say that. I, I do appreciate it. You know, we sometimes forget the importance, um, that this— the importance this has for people with disabilities. I look at it frankly as This is a great business move, right? They provide so much value and loyalty to the company. You know, I sometimes forget about the value that they're getting back, so I really appreciate you bringing that up. It's just, you know, it's part of our mission, freeing people to be their best, and we mean all people.

And I will say, Deb, Maria Town, as I said, is the CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. Just a phenomenal disability rights leader and so known nationally that if you say Maria, they know you're talking about Maria Towne, who worked at the White House for President Obama as an appointee, but was also with ODEP, the Office of Disability employment policy, and most recently you were in— was it Houston, Maria?

Yes, I worked for the mayor of Houston managing the mayor's office for people with disabilities.

So why I'm bringing all of that up is Maria has great credibility, and Maria, I tell Highmark all the time that there are not a lot of companies so committed to employing people with disabilities from the top down. You know, as you know, last year, 30 hires to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ADA. This year, 31 to celebrate the 31st anniversary. And I just wanted Deb to hear it from you, how unique that is, sadly.

I agree, Joyce Bender. It is sad. We try to not only incorporate into our organization, but people we work with and some of our customers, helping them to understand why we're so committed to hiring people with disabilities. I think it's just, you know, it's smart, and we try to be the mouthpiece for people with disabilities and sharing the opportunities, right? It's, in my mind, it's a good proposition for everybody, right? And I can tell you countless stories of people that we've hired and just how loyal they are and what great workers. And their opportunity to grow in their careers has been really just It's just so important, and, you know, it's one of the things that make me smile, frankly.

Maria, are you still with us?

I'm still here.

Isn't that true, Maria, that there— that it is so incredible how Highmark is in this country?

It is. It is. And I, you know, I hope that more employers will follow your lead. And, you know, I think you're exactly right. Like, it's not just about making that initial hire. It's about investing in employees and ensuring that they can develop over the course of a, you know, long and meaningful career. I want to see people with disabilities at every level of a company like Cardmark, from from frontline kind of consumer-facing jobs all the way to board memberships. And I think one of the ways that we see that transformation change is just making sure that people with disabilities have equal access to job opportunities. And what I see Highmark doing is really part of a movement much longer strategy of just changing the trajectory for disabled Americans across the country.

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Could not agree more.

Well, Maria, now you know. I only have to say Maria. You're like famous. Maria, thank you so much.

I have heard that.

Yeah, it's true. If I'm in a disability rights meeting, I say Maria. Oh yes, Maria Town. Everyone knows Maria. Maria, thank you so much for calling in.

Absolutely, and thank you again, and have a great day. I see you enjoy.

Thank you, great meeting you, Maria. Thank you.

Okay, how about this? We have another caller on the line, and this caller, I think you know this caller, uh, Tony. Are you on the line?

I sure am, Joyce Bender.

Hi, Tony.

Hi, Deb, how are you?

Good, it's good to hear you.

Well, I was just listening to your discussion with Maria, and I thought that the most interesting thing that you said— we all know the value that Heimart has to those of us with disabilities by all the jobs that you end up placing, but your acknowledgement of what those of us in the disability community mean to Heimart, that we're loyal, that we're on time, that we do good work and so forth. Not many companies say that, Deb. I know that they appreciate their helping us, but the bottom line is that most people would never hire us if they didn't think we were helping them. And just, you just, you just openly acknowledging without any prompting, it's what you believe, and that's why I love you. That's, um, is one of the, one of the examples that I point to a lot. And I just love everything that IMART does, but especially your leadership in making sure that we are appreciated and we appreciate you. So thank you very much. I'm really honored to be on the call just to let you know that.

Thank you, Tony. That means so much. Your role in the disability community is just so important, and for years Joyce Bender has talked about you. When I had the opportunity to meet you along the way, it was just so meaningful, and so you calling in, sharing that, just is really important. Thank you.

No problem. Joyce knows I mean it because we talk about it all the time. We talk about— Well, if everybody would just be like Highmark, we would be able to do X, and so forth. So, anyway, I just—

You know, Deb, coming from the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I can tell you, Tony and I have been friends since 1996 when he was the chair of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities reporting to President Clinton, and from that day until today, his heart and soul is in one thing: employment. Employment, employment, employment. That's all he talks about, and that's his crusade. And it is true, we talk about Highmark all the time.

Well, that's great to hear.

And the reason, Deb, that I talk about employment, as so does Joyce Bender, but the reason I talk about it a lot is that I think people don't really appreciate what that job means to us. It means that we have the opportunity then to buy or rent a house. We have an opportunity to buy or use a car. But the most important thing is we have what a lot of other people have—pride of being able to have a job. I don't think people really understand how important that is to us, just to be part of society and be able to benefit from what society provides and be able, more importantly, to give to society what we can give. And so a job is just everything. And yeah, I There are so many other things that I think are important. I was just with Highmark Health in regards to a committee that I'm helping on, and we recognize that there are problems in the health area that those of us with dis— or some of us with disabilities, particularly in power chairs and other situations, that their health situation is not the same as others. But it's something that IMART Health wants to address and is helping. But I just think in so many different areas, you folks are right there with us. But as Joyce Bender points out, the most important thing that you do really is providing an opportunity for people to participate in society just like anybody else. So I love you for it. Absolutely.

For sure. Thank you, Tony. And that is how we believe. It's part of the fabric of our culture.

Thanks, Tony. Thank you so much for taking time to call in.

No problem. Love it. Talk to you later. Bye-bye. Okay. Bye now.

Bye, Tony.

Oh, Deb, I hope I'm going to get to ask you questions here.

Yeah. Well, Joyce Bender, if I can say one thing, you know, Tony was talking about it's so important for people to have jobs, how important it is to people with disabilities, right? And I've told this story so many times. You know, it's, I call it my Jamie story. You know, we hired Jamie years ago, I think, you know, probably almost 20 years ago, Joyce, from you. And you know, Jamie's a young man living with cerebral palsy. And, you know, he has a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in rehab and technology, really smart. And we hired him and have been thrilled to have him. But one story captures me, you know, every time I think about it. You know, Jamie was at a doctor's appointment one day and then needed to get to work. And he has a power wheelchair, and it stopped working outside the doctor's office., and, you know, people around couldn't figure out how to help him. He finally called the police department, and the police department couldn't figure out how to fix his chair, and he said, "Will you call an ambulance for me?" And they called an ambulance, and he was so determined to get back to Highmark to work, to do his job, that he had the ambulance transport him from the doctor's office to Highmark. Now, I can tell you, I don't know anybody else that would do that. But this is what I love. His determination was so important. And here's a quote from Jaime. He says, personally, having the job I've always wanted means that I can travel by mass transit, live in my own apartment, buy groceries, and afford the luxuries of life. It gives me a sense of great satisfaction and pride to be independent. And I'm going to tell you what, that is just so powerful. And so, Jamie, if you're listening, I just want to say from myself and all of us at Highmark, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh, that says it all, is right. If people forget, I'll say to them, you know what? When you go to work every day, you don't know how lucky you are. You don't realize how blessed you are. Because there are millions of people with disabilities that would give anything to go to work every day. And Jamie, for all of you, is from the African American community and is significantly disabled, and yet he is a software developer at Highmark. So this changed his life so much. He would not miss one day. And I want to say, in that quote, when he said luxuries of life, that really got to me. Because he's talking about mass transit, food, and apartment. That just shows you how different it is to a person with a disability.

And Joyce, you know how powerful that story is. You know, all these years later, I'm still telling it. Because it's just, to me, as a leader of a large organization, you strive to have employees that are engaged enough and so loyal like Jaime is, and it's just natural for Jaime, and that's so true of people with disabilities. The loyalty and the engagement is, you know, not surpassed.

It's true. It's not surpassed. When you've been left out and someone gives you a chance, it changes your life. You can buy a car, you know, you can get an apartment, you can live the American dream, only if you have competitive employment. Hey, Deb, I do have a question for you. Someone actually asked me this question. You know, Bill Lowery, Joyce Bender was the CEO before the merger and was there during the merger when you became Highmark. And he stood behind me. If it weren't for this one decision, one man, one decision, there wouldn't be a Highmark— I mean, a Bender Consulting. Same thing with you. One person made one decision and you helped me launch Bender Leadership Academy, which is amazing when you think about both entities getting started as a result of Highmark. But the question that is asked to me, you know, every CEO from that time on, every one of them up until today has stood behind me and people at your high level, President have stood behind me. And really, the leadership across the board has stood behind me. So people ask me all the time, what makes Highmark so incredibly exceptional in this area of disability inclusion? You know, why, why do you think Highmark is like this?

Yeah, well, Joyce, it's a great question. It And frankly, you know, if you think about our mission, you know, again, creating a remarkable health experience, freeing people to be their best, it means all people, right? We want everybody to be free to be their best. And that's true also in employment. To achieve that mission, frankly, it's critical that we optimize opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Both within our company and also in the communities that we serve. I think we're better because of it, and I've said that before. You mentioned the decision goes all the way back to 1995 when Highmark helped you to launch Bender Consulting Services. It was a commitment that we made, and we don't make commitments freely and then not live up to them., but it's so supported within our organization. You know, since that day that we made that commitment, I think we've maintained that initiative at the executive level. To your point, Joyce Bender, president after president in hiring people with disabilities, and we've hired hundreds, and we think that providing them competitive employment allows us to be more and more competitive. Competitive in our markets. And so it's a— I guess the easiest way to say it, it's a business imperative. It's a business imperative for us. And, you know, whenever I think about people like Jamie, and Jamie's not alone, there are many others that we employ that have disabilities. You know, I just— I'm excited to see the work that they do. I'm excited to see the commitment and the the engagement in our work, the engagement in putting our customers first, that's important. And I think we've had such great outcomes as a result. We're not going to stop. So we're going to keep supporting that commitment, Joyce. You know, we, for 7 consecutive years now, we've been named the best place to work for individuals with disability, and that, that's in the Disability Equality Index. We're proud of that, right? We're proud of that because it means we're doing what we said we were going to do. So I think we're people that, you know, we do what we say we're going to do and live by our commitments.

For 26 years. Right. Which is amazing. Which is amazing. Yeah. And testament, by the way, I believe, to the leadership You know, this is a really good company because there's, you know, there are companies, maybe one or two people, but this is across the board. This is like, as Deb said, part of the fabric of Highmark. And that is so special. And you know how I said about Bill Lowry, because of Bill Lowry, making this decision. I was able 26 years ago to launch Bender Consulting. I always say when I'm in like Kazakhstan or somewhere, I'll say, Bill would never be leaving. For one decision. I mean, look what happened. One decision. National, work around the world, one decision. You are that person. With the Bender Leadership Academy. And you were kind enough to, you know, not only did you support my dream for high school students with disabilities preparing for the world of work, leadership, and dealing with bullying, and I'll bet someday I'll be saying to you, Deb, would you ever believe that day you said yes that all of this would happen? But you were also recently the opening speaker at our event for Disability Mentoring Day. And I just was curious, what did you think of the program, you know, and the students that spoke?

Oh my goodness, Joyce Bender, it was such an honor to be part of that day, and I was just a small part, but You know, first of all, thank you for asking me to open and share some of, you know, my feelings and comments. I really appreciate that because, you know, we deeply care. And I would tell you, I was so inspired by the examples of people who are either engaged or the students who were speaking, they're amazing. They're amazing. And I love the program. I think it's so important. It prepares. It helps inspire. You know, I think the power that these students have and what they can become in their career is just amazing. And I love that you started a program that really helps them at the very beginning as they're launching into maybe their professional careers or, you know, continuing on in academia. I just think it's so important. So, you know, I was excited to look at the talent and just the commitment and perseverance of those individuals. And I'm sure one day we'll be hiring some of those individuals into leadership roles at Highmark, and for that I'm really excited. And hopefully 26 years from now, Joyce, you and I will be talking about, "Remember that day?" Yep.

Oh, I believe we will. I absolutely believe we will. And because of you, um, and whoever thought this horrible thing would happen with Mary, but in her honor, we started the Mary Brocker mental health initiative as a legacy to her, and it is amazing, uh, the support. And as I said, unsolicited, uh, you made an extremely generous donation, so thank you so much. Absolutely. So, Deb, you know, one really terrible thing is of course COVID, and this pandemic, which has taken over 700,000 lives, soon on to 800,000, which is terrible. How did Highmark and AHN, how did you manage this pandemic?

Yeah, great question. You know, we know that the pandemic has touched everybody's lives one way or another. Some more more tragically than others, and then some, you know, we had the opportunity to rise to the occasion and deal with the challenge. So, you know, throughout Highmark and Allegheny Health Network, we worked really closely together. Wanted to make sure our customers were taken care of, our patients were taken care of, the community was taken care of, and frankly, our clinicians were taken care of, because that was a really extreme time for them, you know, looking at them as heroes is, you know, at least it's the least that we can do. But, you know, whenever the pandemic started, Highmark immediately, you know, we rallied, we had to send thousands of our employees home to work, and some of them are still at home working, right? So, you know, it'll be going on 2 years at the beginning of 2022. But we've been able to do it in a way that puts our customers in the center, puts them first. I can tell you I had customer service reps calling and talking to our seniors who maybe were shut in, didn't have, you know, contact with people, and just making sure they were okay and doing well. But certainly, whenever you look at what AHN did and serving the people who were unfortunately plagued with COVID helping them through that journey, helping the families through that journey was so incredible. I'm so proud of our clinicians, the nurses, the physicians, the hospital staff that just really took incredible care. And then, you know, Highmark, Health invested $1 billion to support our members through making sure they had access to care, whether it was, you know, through telehealth. Who would have thought we'd be embarking in an environment where, you know, the best way to seek care was via the telephone talking to your physician? But we wanted to make sure that care was affordable, and so we waived cost sharing. We made sure that, you know, if somebody had to be treated in the hospital, that they weren't left with bills whenever they returned home. And so we made sure that that happened. We worked with the providers to make sure that, you know, they had some of the relief payments and community grants that we could provide. And then, you know, thankfully, whenever the vaccines came along, we held vaccine clinics and, you know, vaccinated probably around 400,000 people in short order. So, you know, I feel like we rose up as a good community citizen, as many others did in the communities that we're serving. So, you know, terrible time, right? But I like to say that, you know, organizations like ours and many others, you know, rose to the occasion to make sure we were there to help our communities.

And you did. I mean, you saved so many lives. And you know that your people at AHN were calling churches by telephone because a lot of the elderly people in communities that are marginalized or poor did not have a laptop, a computer, and certainly didn't know how, even if they did, you would, you know, do this. And that you got the phone numbers and called people directly, I thought was phenomenal. I mean, I really did. I thought that was absolutely wonderful that you did that.

Oh, well, thank you. It was important that we reached people. You know, people were in different phases, you know, of what COVID brought into our community, and they were in need of help. And so I love the fact that we went into the neighborhoods where the people needed us, and that was really critical. Yeah.

Well, Deb, you know, Whoever thought the world of work would change like this? I am not kidding. Only before 2, 3 years ago, if I called a company and I said, hey, I have this person with a disability, but they live in this other area, you know, could they work from home? That was very unusual. I mean, it was almost like a perk, you know what I mean? And then everything changed. Everything changed. And as you mentioned, you were very careful to take care of your employees. You had everyone work from home. Many of them are still working from home for safety because of COVID As a business leader, do you think— how do you think this will go in the future? Do you think a lot of people will still work from home? I don't mean at Highmark. At all companies?

Do you think a lot of people would? I think, you know, our view has changed for sure, right? And so, you know, hi, Mark. I had people who work from home already, not the masses like now. And, you know, we've embraced it. I would say, you know, we call it work from anywhere, and we think work from anywhere is going to give us a lot more flexibility to hire people regardless of where they live, right? And so Joyce Bender, when you call and say, hey, I have somebody but they need to work from home, good chance that, that, that will— we'll be able to fulfill that need, right? Because we've been able to, you know, from the technology perspective to our business continuity perspective, from how we live how we make sure we're engaging people is all part of it, right? And so, you know, I'm excited to say even when people were all home, we still were able to put the customer first, and that's important to us. So, you know, I think we have— I think we have a process that allows us now to do that. And so I think broadly, beyond Highmark, you're going to see more of that. You're going to see more— remote workers and we'll find new and interesting ways to connect people and to make sure that we're creating cultures that allow our companies still to flourish. You know, who would have thought? And maybe if we had known, we would have invested in Zoom or Teams or whichever platform that you're doing virtual calls from, right? It's really interesting how that technology has really supported supported as being where we are today. And I think it's going to continue, frankly. I do too.

I really do. Well, you know, guess what? This month is, yes, National Epilepsy Month. That's right. And your leadership in the community of Pittsburgh is powerful in many ways, but one that's very personal to me, as you served as the chair of the Epilepsy Association of Western and Central PA. And I just wanted to mention, you know, or ask you, what, you know, do you have some special interest in epilepsy? What is the reason?

Well, certainly one of my dearest friends has epilepsy, my friend Joyce Bender. And, you know, Joyce, whenever you started talking to me about the Epilepsy Association, I was excited because I have a niece who lives with epilepsy. You know, she's been through a lot of challenges in her life starting at birth, and we thought we were going to lose her and then found some of her chronic conditions, you know, with her heart and arteries Certainly epilepsy didn't help the situation, and so she's living with chronic conditions as well as epilepsy. You know, and she is living a great life. She is finishing her PhD. She's working at a school teaching. Very exciting. But you know, one thing that always grabs me is whenever my sister-in-law's said, "You know, Katie will never get her driver's license." And my own daughter was just getting ready to turn 16, thinking about her permit and driving, and I thought, "There's my niece, because she has epilepsy, will not be able to drive." And so it just became more and more meaningful for me, and it impacted me in a really unique way. The Epilepsy Association became just a great fit for me to engage and be involved, and I do think that people should engage and get involved in things that are meaningful for them because that's where you can give your all. And I like to think that I was able to do that at the Epilepsy Association. Oh, and I really appreciate it.

1 in 26 people people will have epilepsy in their lifetime. You know, they will have seizures in their lifetime. And unfortunately, there's a stigma with epilepsy, but you know me, I'm living with epilepsy and I'm not ashamed. And I'm so thankful that you became the chair and helped us so much. So you know what, Deb, when I think about you, I think, wow, she has done so much and has just such great character. But we are always influenced by someone. So I wanted to ask you, uh, in your life, who has been your role model?

You know, Joyce, I've had a few. I think many of us have. But you know, one that comes to mind in today's environment and conversations that we're having around inclusivity, I would have to say, you know, sort of a historical choice maybe, but a fellow Pittsburgher in Fred Rogers. And you may say, why Fred? He's just an amazing man. And what did he always say? We need to make the world a kinder and more inclusive place. We need to make the world a kinder and more inclusive place. And that's who Fred was. And, you know, I can't think of anybody better for us to look at his life and emulate some of the things that he did. And you know he was so inclusive of children with disabilities. You know, I remember seeing, you know, his shows on TV and just being amazed. And so, you know, from my perspective, perspective, I have a few role models, but he's probably the one that shines for me most right now.

Whoever is nice to a child is a hero to me. Fred Rogers. Yeah, he is. We're lucky that we have— that we have him, his legacy right here in Pittsburgh. Well, Deb, first of all, thank you so much for being on our show today and just for being You.

I— Joyce, thank you for having me.

Oh, what a pleasure. And by the way, anyone listening, if you're thinking, oh, I wish this person could have heard this, you know, go to Spotify and subscribe to this podcast, Disability Matters with Joyce Bender, uh, or go to voiceamerica.com or benderconsult.com, whatever is easiest for you. And you can share this show with someone else, and, you know, I hope you will do that. Actually, we have a large listening audience on demand, but don't forget Spotify, voiceamerica.com, benderconsult.com. You can hear all the shows because they are all archived. So, Deb, What message do you have for our listeners today?

Yeah, I'll be brief because I think this is important. I really encourage people, everybody, abled and disabled, to embrace the power you possess within yourself and to dream big and be bold because you can help shape the future and you can make this world a better place. Joyce, thank you for having me on today.

Oh, it has been my pleasure. And you know, we end every show with a quote, and this quote today from John Maxwell so reminded me of Deb, and it is: Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another. And that's you, Deb. Thank you so much for being with us, and I will look I look forward to talking to you next week, and you know, in the words of Mary Brooker, choose joy. Talk to you then.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11:00 AM Pacific Time and 2:00 PM Eastern Time for another installment of Disability Matters, right here Here on the Voice America Variety Channel. We are the leader in live internet talk radio. VoiceAmerica.com.