Brogan: There's Nothing Sad About Singing These 'Blues'

I don’t quite recognize the person in the picture accompanying this blog. He certainly has a lot of hair not to mention something growing on his upper lip. In some ways it seems like eons ago while in other ways it seems like only yesterday.

When this blurb ran in the weekly Blue Cross and Blue Shield newsletter, I was about 4 ½ years into my 7 plus year stint working for one of Concord’s largest employers at the time. Blue Cross and Blue Shield sat prominently on Pillsbury Street in Concord, providing employment to nearly 1,000 people in their 6 story building. Within those walls worked a great many individuals who were committed to providing amazing levels of service to those in New Hampshire and Vermont who relied on BC/BS to pay for their healthcare needs.

I started with the Company in early 1976, just as they were starting to hire a lot of males to fill clerical positions. I was one of about a dozen or more who began employment in the early months of 1976. I was also very “green” in the workings and machinations of so large an organization. However, I needn’t have been concerned.

Before you ever picked up a writing utensil to code a Blue Shield Claim, you underwent weeks of intensive training by, in my case, Betty Jean Curdie and Flo McAllister. You learned medical terminology, anatomy, how to correctly code a claim for timely processing. You were not tossed in the water and forced to swim on your own. The kind of training we received reminded me a bit of Basic Training at Camp Barry when I enlisted in the United States Navy.

By the time you’d finished, you not only knew how to do your job but also had an understanding of the Company, its goals, and the reason so many of the employees settled in for lifetime work. At least in those days, it was not about merely accomplishing a job but rather about nurturing individuals for everything they might want to accomplish in their future. An intense loyalty and dedication to Blue Cross as well as your work colleagues, became a natural extension of the workplace.

You were encouraged to expand your horizons and to try for other positions within the Company as they became available. I could barely pronounce Subrogation prior to working in Coordination of Benefits/Subrogation, but I learned quickly. Tuition Reimbursement was available for those who wished to further their education with an eye toward advancement within Blue Cross.

Long before it was called Human Resources, I worked in the Personnel Department and during those 2 ½ years had the opportunity to really see the inner workings of BC/BS.

At Blue Cross there was no snobbism or class distinction. Whether you worked in the stock room, the cafeteria or on the 6th floor in one of the executive offices, everyone treated everyone else with warmth and good-natured friendship because we knew we were part of something extraordinary.

Dozens of candidates a week came through the Personnel Department looking to find employment at this Company whose reputation was sterling. We always gave time and attention to those who took the time to stop by. We also cared about the lives of our employees and the Employee Assistance Program helped hundreds of individuals who had issues – whether within the Company or in their personal lives, and needed someone to listen to them or possibly help them find their way back. It was never about lip service but about a core of caring that I’ve never found anywhere else.

In an era today where one of the greatest frustrations is the lack of real customer service, BC/BS had a team that was second to none.

Whether you called on the phone, wrote a letter or dropped in to meet personally with one of our Customer Service Reps, you were never given stock answers learned by rote. You were treated like a valuable customer and given the amount of time necessary to find an answer or clarify a problem. The human touch was evidenced in all aspects of the Company.

I learned a veritable college course in office decorum from multitasking to time management to the importance of being where I said I’d be. A team approach was nurtured and encouraged and structure was never smothering but rather stimulating.

Long before it was chic, Blue Cross began a health program for employees, providing a gym within the facility. Our Employees Association was mostly a social group but we did try to provide outlets and opportunities for employees who participated. I was Welfare Chairperson in 1978 and President in 1981 and those experiences only increased my respect for the hundreds who help the Company run so seamlessly.

While I did not become one of those many employees who spent twenty, thirty, forty and more years working for the Company, I carried the memories and lessons from those 7 ½ years with me to a number of subsequent positions. Running into former workers at the most surprising places (once at LAX in California), was always a most pleasant surprise and a reminder of the bond that we all had with one another. A large contingent showed up in June of 2011 at Gibson’s for the book signing for my book and I’ll admit I had to fight back the tears because of their unerring kindness and generosity.

On June 28th, scores of former employees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield will gather at Concord’s Red Blazer for an annual luncheon.

In all honesty, I was a bit nervous the first time I attended several years ago but I need not have been. The most amazing thing happened - I instantly resumed the kind a camaraderie and level of comfort as though the nearly 30 years in between had never existed. I spoke to others in attendance and they agreed with my thought that it felt as though we’d been wrapped in this wonderful warm blanket. Better yet, every name seemed to rush back easily as I caught up with the lives of a great group of people.

The event is open to any former Blue Cross and Blue Shield employee who would like an opportunity to enjoy the company of those with whom they have an unalterable connection.

The price is more than reasonable and includes a selection of meals for every palate with lots of time for socializing too. However, if you have an interest in going, you’ll need to contact Jan Orff prior to June 15th. Her e-mail is: jorff50@aol.com

Trust me when I say this is not some walk down memory lane but rather a wonderful opportunity to revisit and to be reminded of so many experiences and life lessons learned – lessons that continue to resonate in all aspects of my life.