Sady Alvarado-Fischer, CDP, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield shares what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion means for the company, as a DEI Champion Sponsor.

“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI as it is commonly referred, is a phrase that broadly outlines the efforts an organization takes to create spaces for all people to feel valued, seen, and empowered. At Excellus BCBS we take it one step further and include Access as part of our DEI work. Access is the permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, connect, or engage with a space, service, person, technology or thing. It’s the freedom or ability to obtain and make use of something.

It’s so important to focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion all year-round because people need spaces to feel valued, seen and empowered all year round. It’s critical to think about DEI as a part of all the work you do, not a separate division or team. When you begin to see it as an integral and essential part of organizational culture, it can be applied to every aspect of business.”