Tag Archives: Florida Blue

PRESS: Florida Blue

Huge THANK YOU to Pat Geraghty, Florida Blue CEO, for his continued support of our “We Are Straight Allies” campaign!

“Honoring the dignity of every person is an ethic that I wholeheartedly believe in. In addition, respect is one of our core values at Florida Blue. The company is an inclusive organization that honors and draws upon the diverse experiences, abilities and backgrounds of our employees. This is what helps us attract the best talent and create an environment of teamwork.

In demonstration of this commitment – I have joined the We Are Straight Allies campaign as a Straight Ally in support of a Human Rights Ordinance in the City of Jacksonville…To reinforce the We Are Straight Allies message, “nothing is more important than our humanity,” and everyone has a right to the same opportunities.”

To read the rest of Pat’s article, click here.

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Darnell Smith: Market President, Florida Blue

Darnell Smith, Florida Blue’s market president for the North Florida Region, explains why it is imperative that we have a Human Rights Ordinance that protects the LGBT community from discrimination. 

[Despite some misinformed beliefs, no there are currently NO protections at the City, State or Federal level for the LGBT community…]

Read his full profile here:  http://wp.me/p3PnKk-dn

Ally Profile: Darnell Smith

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Darnell Smith is Florida Blue’s market president for the North Florida Region.  In his role, Smith is responsible for Florida Blue’s business market growth, as well as customer and community engagement across 36 North Florida counties, stretching from Palm Coast through Pensacola.

Prior to his current role, Smith was group vice president, Service Organization and Business Process Management Organization (BPMO) where he was responsible for leading a team of approximately 2,000 people who provide service to more than 3 million customers each year. Within BPMO, he oversaw the company’s business process management strategy and deployment of Continuous Improvement and Six Sigma methodologies. Prior to that role, Smith was vice president of Virtual Office where he helped transform operations by streamlining services for providers and members. In 2003, virtual office and private business operations combined to form what is now known as the service organization. Smith assumed leadership as group vice president and helped the Company achieve a market leadership position in customer satisfaction.

Throughout his career, Smith has been very active in the community serving on the board of directors for the PACE Center for Girls in Jacksonville, the Otis Smith Foundation, Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum, Communities in Schools-Florida (CISFL), and the Cathedral Arts Project. Smith also serves on the board of directors for Incepture, OptaComp, YMCA and the Florida Blue Foundation, Florida Blue’s philanthropic affiliate.  Darnell states it quite simply:

I am an ally because every human being is a child of our God and, therefore, deserves the same basic human dignities and rights afforded the rest of us.”

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Florida State University. He is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, the Advanced HR Executive Program at University of Michigan and Leadership Jacksonville.

Ally Profile: Pat Geraghty

“I believe that engaged employees are a key ingredient for a business to be successful. Internal diversity within the workforce helps businesses better understand who they serve and allows the focus to be on the work and not on definitions that limit inclusion.” – Pat Geraghty

Patrick “Pat” Geraghty is chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer (CEO) of Florida Blue, the state’s largest health plan serving more than 7 million people in Florida and providing Medicare payment services to beneficiaries across 15 other states.   He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and has participated in executive education programs at Harvard University School of Public Health and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has three children; Sean, Briege and Kiera.

Throughout his career, Geraghty has been active in community and professional organizations. He is a board member for a diverse group of organizations, including the National Institute of Health Care Management (NIHCM), Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Prime Therapeutics and the Oliver Wyman Innovation Center Advisory Board. He is a member of United Way’s Tocqueville Society and, in 2011, was appointed to the Florida Council of 100.  He received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from Kappa Alpha Psi for Florida Blue, the American Values Award for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the community from the North Florida Council Boy Scouts of America, The Jefferson Award for Public Service for BCBSMN, the 2012 Game Changer Award from Politic365 for Florida Blue and the Gold Standard from the CEOs Roundtable in support of the American Cancer Society with BCBSMN and Florida Blue.

Geraghty has been featured in Florida Trend magazine and interviewed on Bloomberg TV’s Street Smart program and the Nightly Business Report which airs nationally on PBS. Additionally, he has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Florida Times Union, Miami Herald, Tampa Tribune, Tampa Bay Times and Orlando Sentinel, among other publications.

Pat has seen discrimination in many forms throughout his life, amongst family members and in the workplace.  He learned about discrimination early on when his grandfather, an Irish immigrant. was denied employment.  “When we discriminate against others in our everyday lives, people pay a price.” he explains.  “Discrimination in any form is wrong.”  As Chairman and CEO, Pat wants employees to fully experience the opportunities they have available, both at work and home.

Pat is proud to be a Straight Ally, working to build a more inclusive, more fair, community for everyone to live in.  “Florida Blue stands for inclusiveness and for passing the Florida Competitive Workforce Act.  We will also be supportive in the efforts to work on the changes in Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance.”

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Pat Geraghty, HRO Message

Pat Geraghty, Chairman and CEO of Florida Blue explains why we need a comprehensive Human Rights Ordinance (HRO) to protect everyone’s rights in Jacksonville, FL.

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