The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recently presented Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota with the 2021 Commissioner’s Circle of Excellence Award. The annual award recognizes public and private organizations that work with DHS in order to achieve its mission of helping people meet their basic needs so they can live in dignity and meet their highest potential.

DHS honored Blue Cross and Metro Transit for the roles they played in the COVID-19 mobile vaccine bus initiative that took place in spring and summer 2021. The project involved deploying a fleet of retrofitted buses across the state to help Minnesotans, especially those from at-risk and marginalized communities, get their vaccines. The award was presented to both agencies during a virtual ceremony on January 14.

“Given the current surge, we’re so grateful for every person who’s protected by those vaccines,” said Jodi Harpstead, DHS commissioner. “You performed truly outstanding service in the midst of a public health crisis. I also applaud the cooperation and collaboration between all the agencies and individuals involved in the mobile vaccination unit project.”

Buses make an impact across the state

“When the COVID vaccine started to become available, we knew that there would be people who would have a barrier to access, whether that would be transportation or historical injustices that led to a lack of trust in the health care system,” says Dana Erickson, president and CEO at Blue Cross. “We wanted to be part of the solution and the buses were a key part of that.”

Between April and August 2021, more than 375 Blue Cross associates volunteered to staff these buses in both clinical and non-clinical roles. These volunteers administered more than 7,200 vaccines at 170 unique clinics in 42 Minnesota counties. It was the largest volunteer initiative Blue Cross has taken on in its company history. Dana called out those volunteers for their hard work, passion and commitment to the mission of the project.

“We took this as ‘every vaccination matters.’ Whether it was 1,000 people in a day or 10 people in a day, it all mattered toward our collective goal as Minnesotans.” – Dana Erickson, President/CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

“These are the folks that did something, other than their day job, every day to go out and, on behalf of Minnesotans, be in the communities that we’ve served for decades,” she says.

Brian Funk, deputy chief operating officer at Metro Transit, also recognized the bus drivers, mechanics and technicians who transformed the buses into clinics on wheels and drove them all over the state.

“The sacrifices that were made by the teams to set aside their plans to go out with the buses, build the buses, keep the buses going, and to be out in the community from International Falls to the southern border [of Minnesota] and all areas in between were truly remarkable because countless lives were saved,” Brian says.

Partnerships essential to saving lives

“When the pandemic started, we knew it would be a long race, then we thought it would be a marathon and now it has turned into an ultra-marathon,” says Jan Malcolm, commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), another partner in the mobile vaccine bus initiative. “We can only keep going because of this cross-sector, public-private partnership that really, truly brings out the best in people.”

Dana touted the cooperation within Blue Cross to help get this project off the ground and allow associates time to volunteer on the buses.

“There was a tremendous amount of effort across the whole enterprise in order to be part of this,” she says. “We really are humbled and grateful that we are not only being honored, but that we had the opportunity to be part of this.”

“DHS is honored to recognize work that has a direct, positive impact on Minnesotans,” says Commissioner Harptstead. “We’re thankful for your outstanding contributions to Minnesota as open and willing partners on some of the most complex and challenging issues our state has ever faced.”

“This partnership between Blue Cross and Metro Transit perfectly demonstrates how this COVID response has required an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to breaking down barriers, crossing boundaries and working so hard but with such heart and such commitment,” says Commissioner Malcolm.