Looking back, it’s been a challenging year. None of us could have imagined how much the COVID-19 pandemic would change every aspect of our daily lives.
Through it all, it’s been inspiring to see the compassion, resilience and determination demonstrated across every corner of our communities. We’ve all come together to be there for each other when we needed each other the most.
Now is a time to look forward. All around us, there are moments of hope that show we are turning a corner on this pandemic. Many businesses are reopening. Schools are preparing to resume in-person classroom instruction full-time, to the delight of parents. Companies, including ours, are carefully planning for their employees to safely come back to the office.
At Florida Blue and our parent company, GuideWell, we take pride in being a health solutions enterprise. It’s why we are ready, willing and more than able to lead in the efforts that will help us get back to life and activities with family, friends and loved ones. Our mission of helping people and communities achieve better health compels us to do nothing less.
I want to share with you some of the things we’re doing to create more moments of hope.
We are helping our communities get vaccinated at dozens of GuideWell-affiliated locations across Florida. These facilities are currently administering up to 15,000 vaccines a week.
Florida Blue is part of a new partnership with America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association that aims to vaccinate 2 million seniors in the country’s at-risk and underserved communities as quickly as possible. To support this initiative, we’re partnering with Southeastern Grocers to host walk-up and drive through vaccination events in local, underserved communities to reach our most vulnerable neighbors.
We are also leading awareness campaigns throughout Florida with local community partners focused on the benefits and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine.
For our Florida Blue commercial and Medicare members with transportation barriers, we’re facilitating rides to vaccine appointments. We’re also helping those without access by bringing vaccines to where they work and live. We believe every American deserves equal access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Our clinical staff stand ready to volunteer to support vaccination efforts in our local communities as demand increases.
While Florida Blue and GuideWell will continue to look for ways to help this country overcome COVID-19, we can’t do it alone. You can help by getting the COVID-19 vaccine and encouraging others to do the same.
As more and more of us get vaccinated each day, I know we can turn the page on this pandemic. We’ve come so far, and by coming together, we can create more moments of hope and restore the health of our communities.