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The Voice of Business,
Industry & the Professions Since 1942
North Carolina's largest
business group proudly serves as the state chamber of commerce
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Cover Story
Corporate Philanthropy
Shining Moments
Why Bob Greczyn, a man atop the
healthcare world, happily helps those who can't afford his insurance
By Laura Williams Tracy |
Bob Greczyn reads to
children at Kidspace, the child care center at the United Way-supported
Genesis Home, in Durham. Greczyn led the 2004 United Way fund-raising
campaign.
Learn more:
Businesses rain
relief on the mountains
IBM builds stronger
communities |
 During
the dinnertime rush, Garnetta Kirk and her husband Wendell came in for
checkups at the Moore Free Care Clinic in Carthage, and both wanted to
thank their volunteer doctors for the excellent care they received.
Leaving, they picked up $200 worth of free prescription medicine for
high blood pressure and back pain.
“It was a godsend that the clinic was there,” says Garnetta Kirk,
60. “We’ve never had to use this kind of help before, and we
didn’t want to take advantage of it.”
Last month, Wendell started a new job as an electrical technician and
the couple from the Sandhills community of Highfalls again has private
healthcare. They didn’t have insurance during the year Wendell was
unemployed, but the couple remained in decent health thanks to the care
they received at the clinic since it opened in April.
For the Kirks and hundreds of others in Moore County who fall below the
federal poverty level, the Moore Free Care Clinic provides a bridge to
better health during difficult times. For others, healthcare provided by
altruistic doctors backed up by charitable giving is a long-term
solution.
Brenda Williams lost her health insurance two years ago when the plant
where she worked closed. She’s working again but her current job as a
healthcare sitter provides no benefits. After hearing about the new
clinic, she now receives ongoing treatment for asthma plus the
medications she otherwise could not afford.
“Before, I couldn’t walk from the house to the car without huffing
and puffing,” says Williams, 49. “Now I’m feeling so much
better.”
Brenda Williams, the Kirks and thousands of others like them at the
bottom of the healthcare system are feeling much better today because of
the concern of Bob Greczyn, a man at the very top of North Carolina’s
healthcare world.
Today Greczyn is widely known as the CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield
of North Carolina, the state’s largest health insurer and the fastest
growing Blue Cross licensee in the country. But few know that Greczyn
started his healthcare career in the late 1970s in the small Anson
County community of Morven, recruiting doctors and dentists to a
federally funded clinic to treat those who could afford little private
healthcare. It was an experience that shaped his personality.
“I understand what free clinics are about, and I think they do an
amazing job,” says Greczyn.
Six months after Greczyn became CEO in 2000, he started the BCBSNC
Foundation. In January the foundation made its largest gift ever – a
$10 million grant over five years to the N.C. Association of Free
Clinics. The association, which operates 63 independent free clinics
across the state, will use the money to expand services at existing
clinics and open many others in underserved communities.
“Bob Greczyn’s whole understanding of our industry comes from an
understanding of health at the community level. It doesn’t come from a
spread sheet,” says Kathy Higgins, senior director of community
relations for BCBSNC and vice president of its foundation.
Greczyn is chairman of the independent foundation board. He also chairs
the Triangle United Way campaign and is helping it reach its fundraising
goal of $11.2 million for the community care fund.
His own 3,000 employees in the Chapel Hill headquarters of the company
have donated more than $3.5 million to the United Way since 1998. They
earned the Triangle United Way’s top company and employee spirit
awards last year for employee participation. In each of the past five
years, BCBSNC employees volunteered more than 20,000 hours in the
community.
When Gov. Mike Easley appealed for help for the victims of the triple
punch of storms that socked the mountains this fall, Greczyn stepped
forward with a $1 million check to the North Carolina Disaster Relief
Fund. It was the third such contribution by BCBSNC in the last decade.
Reaching Out to the Community
Community outreach has been one of the hallmarks of Greczyn’s tenure
at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Just six months after
becoming CEO, he established the BCBSNC Foundation as a way to provide a
steady stream of charitable giving even as the company’s bottom line
fluctuated with normal business cycles. “Creating the foundation
really allows us to be the kind of corporate citizen we want to be,”
he says.
The foundation started with an initial $15 million endowment. In the
four years since then its endowment has tripled to $45 million, enabling
it to extend a helping hand beyond the company’s three million
members..
In the last fiscal year, the foundation gave away $3.5 million, the most
in its history and more than double the $1.2 million distributed the
previous fiscal year.
“We had been part of the charitable community in North Carolina for a
lot of years, but we wanted to make sure our involvement was secured
even in bad years,” says Greczyn.
The foundation focuses on issues corporate leaders deem most important,
including easing access to care by the uninsured, addressing women’s
health and promoting physical activity for the overall health of people
of all ages.
“The foundation sends a message to the community that they can rely on
charitable contributions from Blue Cross and Blue Shield that aren’t
dependent on those business cycles,” says Higgins.
In January the foundation announced the grant to the N.C. Association of
Free Clinics to strengthen and expand the clinics’ health services to
the uninsured and underinsured.
Already there are 63 independent free clinics and pharmacies in
communities across the state, and the grant aims to open 28 more over
the next five years. With the help of the BCBSNC Foundation, the
association projects that by 2009 more than 300,000 uninsured patients
annually will receive $150 million worth of health services from free
clinics and pharmacies, including 750,000 prescriptions.
In 2002 North Carolina’s free clinics and pharmacies provided $60
million worth of free healthcare to more than 125,000 uninsured
patients, dispensing more than 350,000 prescriptions to both uninsured
and underinsured patients.
“The work these folks are doing with volunteers and little staff —
they can really stretch a dollar,” says John Mills, executive director
of the free clinics association.
Because of the BCBSNC Foundation gift, each clinic receives a $15,000
base grant for operations until 2009. They also are eligible to apply
for grants of $20,000 to $40,000, depending on their size, from a pool
of $750,000 to pay for technology, expand services and start new
programs.
Leveraging Existing Resources
BCBSNC Foundation board members grew so enthused about the clinics
already at work that they hoped to establish a clinic in every county.
That was not possible – some counties simply don’t have enough
doctors to staff a volunteer clinic. But 25 percent of the money will go
to establishing new clinics in places such as Bladen, Columbus, Scotland
and Polk counties and perhaps others where there is a need and enough
doctors.
Many existing clinics are using the money to hire staff who then enroll
patients in assistance programs offered by large drug companies. That
helps those who can’t pay have access to a steady supply of
medication. Thus, clinics tap into a greater stream of free medications
for their patients.
“We’ve had clinics go from getting $125,000 a year in free medicine
to $1 million or more in free medicine,” says Mills.
Moore County leaders were in the process of organizing a free clinic
when Blue Cross announced its gift.
“The Blue Cross Blue Shield (Foundation) grant came at a real good
time for us, says Dr. David Bruton, one of the founders of Moore Free
Care Clinic in Carthage and now its chairman. “We probably started a
little too much on faith but not enough in the bank.”
The clinic received a $25,000 startup grant from the foundation and
another $25,000 grant that matched funds raised in the local community.
The clinic began in April 2004. Located in the county health department,
it’s open Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8 p.m. so it can
use the department’s exam rooms after hours.
Approximately 11 percent of Moore County residents fall below the
federal poverty level and therefore qualify for clinic services. Nearly
one-third of the community has high blood pressure and an equal number
have high cholesterol. Nearly 31 percent reported periods of depression
lasting two years or more. Some 4,500 Moore County residents lack health
insurance, and most are working parents with families.
The clinic acts as a safety net for many, though the community’s needs
are greater than it can serve. The patient waiting list is booked more
than two months out.
In Moore County, much of the Blue Cross Foundation grant money is being
used for prescriptions for patients who suffer mostly from diabetes,
high blood pressure and depression, says Laura “TJ” Tremper-Jones,
clinic director.
While the clinic is often able to enroll patients in assistance programs
through major drug companies, the process can take weeks. During the
four- to six-week interim, patients can be treated while they await
other sources for their medications.
“As we looked at it we saw that we had the ability to help those
clinics provide more services to more people and provide incentives in
their communities to raise additional funding,” says Greczyn. “We
don’t have the funds to make them a success ourselves but we could
help them be more successful.”
Continued involvement by businesses and individuals in communities who
want to make a free clinic or pharmacy work is the key to long-term
viability for free clinics, says Mills. The $10 million grant won’t
address all of the needs.
“This does not mean free clinics have got it made,” says Mills.
“But this is a great step toward sustainability.”
Already, the grant is making a difference in communities without free
care. Since the grant was announced, six new clinics have opened or are
in the process of organizing.
“As the state’s largest health insurer we feel an obligation to give
back to the community and this is one way that is in line with our
overall goals,” says Greczyn.
Keeping Kids Active
Greczyn understands that good health starts before a patient visits the
doctor. And he believes the best way to stay in good health is to stay
in good physical condition through good diet and regular exercise .So
even before he established the BCBSNC Foundation, the insurer became the
founding sponsor of Be Active North Carolina.
“We had a vision early on and knew that the obesity epidemic was at
hand,” says Shellie Pfohl, executive director of the Chapel Hill-based
Be Active organization. “Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been at the
forefront nationally in providing health benefits to customers and also
seeing the big picture that a healthy North Carolina is better for all
of us, even if we are not Blue Cross customers.”
Be Active’s most successful undertaking to date is Be Active Kids, a
program that helps teach pre-school children about the importance of
nutrition and physical activity.
Child care instructors are given hands-on training, along with a free
kit containing teaching materials and curriculum guides. The Active Blue
Van, sponsored by the Blue Cross Foundation, travels across the state
providing information and activities promoting physical activity.
“Be Active Kids started in one day care in Southeast Raleigh five
years ago and is now in 6,000 day cares across the state,” says
Greczyn.
In 2003, Be Active North Carolina launched Active Steps Youth, a similar
program aimed at preventing obesity among school age children.
Be Active takes its mission beyond the classroom and works with public
policy makers to advocate for greater emphasis on physical activity.
Last year Be Active North Carolina led the charge to mandate physical
activity periods in all elementary and middle schools. Though falling
short of a direct mandate, the State Board of Education did adopt
recommendations for a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity for
elementary students and 225 minutes for middle school students.
The organization takes its platform to urban planners and local and
state entities in hopes of encouraging those who influence community
development to include bike lanes, greenways and other outdoor
recreational amenities as part of the urban environment.
“Five years ago there wasn’t very much conversation going on about
obesity,” says Greczyn. “It’s a program that was ahead of its
time. Now everyone is talking about weight and healthy eating.”
Blue Bikers is another ongoing enterprise for the foundation. It’s aim
is to help those who are making healthy lifestyle choices by exercising
remain safe. Blue Bikers pairs elementary students with cyclists
participating in Cycle North Carolina’s seven-day ride across the
state. Students communicate with cyclists from their classroom through
direct visits and daily emails, and cyclists in turn stress the
importance of wearing a helmet and other bicycling safety issues. Blue
Bikers reached more than 350 students in 2002.
Another program receiving ongoing support from the foundation is called
the Breast Health Project. Through a partnership with the North Carolina
Public Schools’ health occupation classes, the program helps high
school students to work in their communities to educate women about
early detection of breast cancer.
In July the foundation awarded 14 grants totaling more than $183,000 to
organizations that promote programs and services improving health and
well-being of North Carolina citizens.
Groups receiving grants included the YWCA of the Greater Triangle for
its breast cancer-screening program, the Yadkin County Health Department
for a free cholesterol and glucose-screening program, and the American
Lung Association in Raleigh for statewide asthma camps, among others.
The foundation also hopes to erase racial disparities in access to
healthcare through contributions that improve delivery of care to
minority and Hispanic populations, says Higgins.
Ensuring Healthy Organizations
It’s logical that the BCBSNC Foundation provides monetary support for
programs that improve the health of the community. But the foundation
also understands that the health of North Carolina is about more than
cholesterol readings and access to medication. Thus, the insurer has
taken its definition of health in an unexpected direction with the
Healthy Community Institute for Non-Profit Excellence.
Blue Cross, a nonprofit medical services coproration, has over the years
developed a broad knowledge of the specific challenges that non-profit
organizations face. The insurer knew it could help other nonprofit
entities survive, especially the many that are in the business of
delivering health and human services. It knew that organizations that
work to better the community must themselves be healthy and viable.
Leaders of nonprofit organizations attend a free, two-day intensive
course that engages three- to four-person teams in a comprehensive board
and staff training curriculum. A faculty, made up primarily of people
outside of the Blue Cross organization, instruct attendees on everything
from growing their budgets to increasing service levels. To date, more
than 600 nonprofit organizations have taken part in the Healthy
Community Institute.
“It’s very rare that I go to a conference for such a short time that
has such an impact on the organization,” says Mary Beth Loucks-Sorrell,
executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic
Violence.
“They get what nonprofits are struggling with. I don’t have to
pretend that we have all of these things taken care of. I can present a
clear picture of who we are.”
Says Greczyn: “Thousands of people in North Carolina who run or are on
the board of nonprofits have gone through our training. While we focus
on healthcare, we are interested in the health of our communities.”
Businesses
Rain Relief on the Mountains
When
a torrent of hurricanes hit North Carolina’s western mountains with a
two-storm punch, residents were fortunate that another onslaught — of
corporate donations to aid relief — was on the way.
North Carolina companies stepped in with all forms of aid to help them
make quick recovery from the devastating floods and mudslides caused by
hurricanes Frances and Ivan. Hundreds of roads were closed. Landslides
damaged highways and caused wastewater treatment plants to spill
millions of gallons of untreated water.
“We were working hard to prepare ourselves even before the storms
arrived to make sure we had what we needed,” says Jeff Lowrance,
corporate communications manager for Salisbury-based Food Lion.
During a two week period from Sept. 12 through the 23rd Food Lion made
four separate major contributions of cleaning supplies, thousands of
gallons of bottled water and snacks to both the American Red Cross and
to the Manna Food Bank in Asheville, a hub for hurricane relief. In one
donation, the company rushed 8,700 gallons of bottled water to residents
forced from their homes by the severe flooding.
In the days and weeks following the storm, Raleigh-based Progress Energy
placed newspaper ads announcing a $50,000 company matching program for
donations to the American Red Cross. Employees and customers who made a
donation were encouraged to request the matching funds from Progress
Energy’s pledge.
“We know the match was met. People gave generously at the
beginning,” says Merrilee Jacobson, contributions specialist for
Progress Energy.
Earlier in the hurricane season, Progress Energy helped its own
employees in North Carolina and Florida to recover from the effects of
Hurricane Charley in August. The Progress Energy Fund allows employees
to apply for grants in amounts of $500 and $1,000 to repair cars or
replace personal property.
The Duke Energy Foundation contributed $30,000 to the American Red Cross
for disaster relief efforts after the flooding and storm damage. More
than 175,000 customers of Duke Power lost power during the storms, so
needs were great when the cleanup began.
Chapel Hill-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina gave one
of the largest corporate cash donations: $1 million to the North
Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, which is administered by Gov. Mike
Easley’s office.
BCBSNC was the first major corporate contributor to the fund that will
pay for everything from food, shelter and other relief supplies. It’s
charity this year was a repeat of similar large donations made by the
company in 1999 after Hurricane Floyd and following Hurricane Isabel in
2003.
BCBSNC responded not only with money but is also working with those
policy holders who were victims of the storm, providing additional time
to pay premiums in the storm’s aftermath.
“Our corporate leaders and board are committed to a holistic view of
health in how we deliver our mission, our products and how we strive to
be a neighbor of choice to North Carolina,” says Kathy Higgins, senior
director of community relations for BCBSNC.
IBM
Builds Stronger Communities
A
single mother of three found something extra when moved into the
1,100-square-foot Habitat House that more than 700 IBM volunteers
completed in October. In partnership with United Way, IBM also donated
computers loaded with educational software, arranged for Time-Warner
Cable’s fast Internet service, and IBM volunteers to teach the family
how to use them. It was all part of a “Team Triangle” project
through IBM’s “On Demand Community” volunteer program.
The company’s On Demand
Community web site organizes IBM’s vast worldwide workforce through
appropriately high tech means. The site – available only to IBMers —
includes primers explaining how to mentor students, arrange school
visits, and help teachers with technology and nonprofits with technology
planning. It includes ways IBMers can earn new computers, servers, laser
printers and other equipment worth up to $7,500 for the nonprofits and
charities where they donate their time.
IBM launched the web site in November 2003 and nearly 26,000 employees
and 3,672 retired employees worldwide have accessed the site, exceeding
the company’s first-year goals. Employees logged 778,224 volunteer
hours tracked on the site.
Habitat House turned into one of the most popular volunteer projects
this year, says Nicole Pride, IBM corporate community relations manager.
“It was one of the first initiatives hosted by Team Triangle for the
On Demand Community,” Pride says. One Triangle-based IBMer, Steven
Hill, showed up every weekend from June 12 through Oct. 2 to work on the
house while others pounded nails and sawed wood during business hours.
“The company supports flexible hours. Employees can go do their
volunteer effort then come back and make up their work,” Pride says.
“IBM cares about corporate philanthropy and citizenship,” Pride
adds. “When we’re put to the call, we answer, and Habitat House is a
good example.”
The house cost $95,000, money drawn from IBM’s annual employee
charitable contribution campaign, which is similar to United Way but
allows employees to choose where their money goes, including
organizations not funded by United Way. “We raised well over $30
million nationally and in Wake County, $95,000 was donated for Habitat
House,” Pride says.
“We’re strategic about how we do our philanthropy,” Pride notes.
“We don’t do just checkbook philanthropy.” She points to other IBM
programs that combine gifts of equipment and software with volunteer
employee expertise. “The Kidsmart program is also popular,” she
says. “IBM donates small-sized tech furniture and computers loaded
with educational software to public pre-school programs statewide.
Volunteers help install the equipment and software, which includes
multi-language parent training and support. It addresses the digital
divide and helps kids get ready for school.”
IBM’s www.mentorplace.org
connects students and IBMers worldwide for online mentoring and
face-to-face meetings. They work together on educator-designed projects.
“This year, 365 IBMers signed up,” Pride says. The program, active
in 25 countries, 32 states, and 200 U.S. schools, launched in the
2000-2001 school year. — Allan
Maurer
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