“Graduates from the NCCU Department of Nursing come from diverse backgrounds, and most of them remain in North Carolina and serve the health needs of the communities they grew up in,” said Kathy Higgins, vice president of corporate affairs at BCBSNC. “Our company is thrilled to support this local university as it trains the health care professionals our state will need as we seek to improve access and quality while controlling costs.”

“Lisa’s years of experience in clinical research and deep knowledge of the health care industry make her an excellent addition to our board,” said BCBSNC President and CEO, Brad Wilson. “Along with her notable medical accomplishments, Lisa is a leader in her community and is devoted to improving the lives of North Carolinians. These strengths will benefit our company and our customers.”

“This expansion of the Farm to School program provides even more students with healthy, North Carolina-grown options, nutrition education and helps children connect their food to the farms where it grows, which are all important steps in preventing and reducing obesity,” said Kathy Higgins, BCBSNC Foundation president. “Our state’s child nutrition services focus on health and quality for our students and local, fresh food is an important component.”

“Our work with SAS addresses an issue that’s at the crux of the health care challenges we face today: improving health in order to reduce costs for our customers,” said BCBSNC Chief Medical Officer Don Bradley. “Traditionally, we’ve based health plan designs and care management programs on conventional research. Now we can look through a new lens at readily available data to create health plans better targeted to consumers’ needs. And, more importantly, we can offer more personalized care management programs, which individuals are more likely to respond to – making it more likely that these efforts will improve their health.”

“Working with Cisco and the Food Bank gives us the opportunity to provide nutritious food to North Carolinians in need, which is critical to a healthy lifestyle,” said Brad Wilson, BCBSNC president and CEO. “Ensuring everyone has access to healthy food will help us meet our goal of improving our state’s overall health while also giving back to the community.”

“This challenge is not only a great opportunity for us to help impact the overall health of North Carolinians and reduce the obesity rate in North Carolina, but it also supports local companies, entrepreneurs and our economy,” said Sean Kerns, BCBSNC vice president of diversified markets. “BCBSNC supports improving the health and wellness of our state, and we are excited to collaborate with Bull City Forward, Queen City Forward and the Institute for Emerging Issues to offer this challenge.”

“Every day BCBSNC’s 4,000 employees are focused on how our collective efforts as a company help improve North Carolina’s health care system,” said Brad Wilson, CEO and president of BCBSNC. “Receiving this high honor from Ethisphere excites all of us to push even harder for excellence and continue our work of doing the right thing for our customers and community.”

“Health care can be both expensive and confusing for consumers, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Michael Parkerson, vice president of marketing for BCBSNC. “By providing access to our most popular cost-saving tools and services via mobile devices, we are empowering BCBSNC customers and making it easier to make more informed decisions.”

“Overall, 2011 was a year of innovation and stable finances,” said President and CEO Brad Wilson. “BCBSNC invested in pilot programs and collaborations focused on improving the quality of health care for our customers, bringing electronic medical records to providers and other initiatives that will create cost savings in key areas of business such as claims processing, billing and bringing new products to the marketplace.”

“Alan has a keen understanding of our business and a strong record of making the most of technology to serve our customers and transform our company,” said Brad Wilson, BCBSNC President and Chief Executive Officer. “He is the ideal person to make sure that our people, our processes and technological resources are focused on meeting our customers’ needs – now and in the future.”