Pat Geraghty

We all witnessed the extraordinary and disturbing events that took place Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I shared with my team this week that although our country is deeply divided, the things that unite us are always stronger than our differences. At GuideWell and Florida Blue, one of our Corporate Values is respect. We’ve leaned heavily on that value lately, and we must continue to do so.

Wednesday’s events remind us how important it is to remain committed to listening to each other, respecting each other and finding common ground. Violence has no place in our political process, and I remain hopeful that we will be able to accomplish a peaceful and orderly transition of power.

I am heartened to see that, in the end, the system worked. Leaders came together for the common good.

This week, like many of you, I am reflecting on the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a trailblazer for women’s equality and an icon for women of all ages.

After fighting gender discrimination early in her career, she paved the way for women through her support of numerous gender equality laws. That includes recognition of pregnancy discrimination; providing the right for women to apply for credit cards, bank accounts and mortgages without a male co-signer; and of course equal pay for women.

It remains of critical importance to maintain vigilance in our response to COVID-19.

As we all work to stop the spread, the most important step is still one of the easiest---wear a mask.

Masks help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto others. This can happen when you sneeze, cough or talk wearing a mask isn't just about keeping you safe. It helps protect our families and neighbors because symptoms often don't appear for several days after infection, a mask can help ensure that you don't spread the virus without knowing.

Today it is very clear that COVID-19 is not easing up. In fact, in Florida – we’re hitting new COVID-19 records almost daily. The number of new cases is climbing. And hospitalization rates are also on an upward trend.

It is imperative to urge one another, our families and our neighbors to renew our commitment to stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Each of us need to do the right thing for ourselves and one another to avoid our community experiencing an even more severe impact.

The most effective way to prevent the spread of the virus is to avoid being exposed in the first place. There are four proven, simple steps we can take to reduce the risk of transmission.

1: Wear a mask.

2: Practice social distancing.

Dear GuideWell employees:

Last Monday, we observed Memorial Day, the holiday when Americans honor the men and women who have died defending our country’s ideals serving in the U.S. military. And last Monday, George Floyd’s tragic, shocking death reminded us all that our country has a long way to go before its central promise of equality becomes reality. Last week and all weekend, the country reeled in pain and protest at George Floyd’s death, and with anger and frustration at the racism and inequality people of color still experience in America every day.

While many of our local economies are beginning to take slow steps to reopen, we know for sure the implications for the coronavirus pandemic will be long lasting.

Caring for our members, customers, partners, and employees, as this situation evolves will require a long term, sustainable response.

We are uniquely positioned as a mission-driven health solutions enterprise, to respond to this pandemic in meaningful ways.

Our holistic approach to health care is what sets us apart. Our work goes far beyond providing quality health insurance, and the compassion we're demonstrating during these unprecedented times is reflected in our response efforts across our family of companies.

COVID-19 has the potential to change many things for the health care industry and for the way we operate.

We've long been advocating that everyone deserves access to high quality affordable care. COVID-19 doesn't change that, but it is accelerating our creative thinking so that in the midst of crisis we can continue moving our mission of helping people and communities achieve better health forward.

This pandemic has required us to reimagine how we do business and how we can best serve our members and communities.

We've been required to adapt, be nimble, and further lean in to our corporate value of imagination.

Stay-at-home orders forced us to temporarily close our Florida Blue centers.

For us, as a health solutions enterprise, it means finding innovative ways to ensure that our employees, members, neighbors and communities are safe and healthy. And there's been no more important time to do this than right now.

Throughout the course of this pandemic, we've heard a great deal about the shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE. I'm proud to share that we are playing a role in helping to address this issue.

At Florida Blue and GuideWell,we're a mission-driven health solutions enterprise,committed to helping people and communities achieve better health.

This isn't something we can accomplish on our own. It takes strong and innovative care partnerships in communities across the state and beyond, all working together for those we serve.

As we collectively face a pandemic unlike any other, our health care industry's network of caregivers is leading the way, walking into the crisis head on, and being the face of strength, courage and compassion in a time of fear and uncertainty.

On behalf of our enterprise, I want to thank every physician, nurse and front-line care team member putting the health and wellness of our

Every year the Lake Nona Impact Forum brings together chief executives, health care innovators and thought leaders from various industries to discuss some of the most pressing topics in our country – health care, technology, education and sustainability. It is my privilege to once again be a part of these important conversations.

It’s an honor to welcome so many prominent individuals to our GuideWell Innovation Center, which is a place we created as a hub for innovation and collaboration. That’s exactly what this convening is designed for – bringing unique ideas from different industries and perspectives together to discuss ways we can utilize innovation to improve wellness, affordability of care, and overall quality of life.