Regence boss: Work from home works
Apr. 20—More than 70% of Regence BlueShield of Idaho's 540 employees in Lewiston are choosing to work from home even though the COVID-19 pandemic is waning.
"We're still predominantly in a virtual environment and that is now less about the pandemic and completely about employee choice, and, candidly, employee retention," said Mark Ruszczyk, market president of Regence BlueShield of Idaho.
"We're going to be as flexible as we possibly can to retain as many of our awesome employees as we can, especially in a tight labor market," he said.
At this stage, Regence has no plans for the portions of its Lewiston headquarters that are not in use, partly because Ruszczyk believes at some stage employees may decide they prefer working in-person again.
Regence's Lewiston campus includes a three-story, 52,000-square-foot office building and an adjacent parking garage off 17th Street.
Ruszczyk is in Lewiston this week on one of the periodic visits he's made to the community since taking his position as the top executive of Regence BlueShield of Idaho in July.
Regence BlueShield of Idaho has its largest concentration of employees in Lewiston. Ruszczyk works from the corporate office in Boise, which has about 125 employees.
He's focused on a number of initiatives, including those that help patients get the treatment they need, close gaps in care, keep costs affordable and provide better outcomes for patients, Ruszczyk said.
During the pandemic, for example, a high percentage of medical care was provided through virtual appointments that hadn't previously qualified for insurance coverage, Ruszczyk said.
Even though appointments are returning to in-person settings, he sees the trend of more virtual care continuing for a number of reasons.
In mental health, studies have found patients are more likely to keep virtual appointments, Ruszczyk said.
"When people are thinking about their upcoming 4 o'clock mental health visit or their weekly consultation, what they're really thinking about is ... the drive time, the parking, the hassle ... versus just saying 'I'm home already. I'm comfortable and it's convenient for me to keep the appointment,' " he said.
At the same time, Regence is working with health care providers to increase the number of patients getting routine cancer screenings.
Nationwide, only about 65% of the women who qualify for insurance coverage of annual mammograms get the exams, he said.
Similarly physicians have to make somewhere between four to seven reminders before patients will get colonoscopies even if their insurance reimburses for the procedure, Ruszczyk said.
Both tests have good detection rates and strong track records of improving outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer, he said.
"It's always a question of people knowing what they should do and how do you actually incent them to do it," Ruszczyk said. "A lot of times, it's not costs. It's more about convenience, the scheduling, the reminders. Nothing is more powerful than having your physician be the one encouraging you to do it."
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
