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Hello, everyone. This is Jacob Emerson with the Becker's Payor Issues podcast. Thrilled today to be joined by a very special guest. Kim Funderburk is the president of Cigna Health Care's government education and health system business. Kim, thank you so much for taking the time to be with me on the podcast today. Thank you for having me. So, Kim, before we dive into everything we wanna talk with you about, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself in terms of your career background in health care and what it is you're doing today at Cigna? Yes. I appreciate that. I am currently Cigna's health care's president of government education and health system business division. And so, for government, that is state and local government. For education, that is public k through 12 along with colleges and universities, whether they be public or private, and then our hospitals, go across the country. And in my role, my primary responsibility is to drive strategy and growth in this particular segment, and we do that through specialization. So many new launches within this business. So it just requires that there be customization and recognition of these employees' unique needs. Rest of my background, I'm a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and I pride myself, for my deep passion for health and community advocacy. My journey to these very important segments that I service today really began right here at Cigna where I started my career. I served in many capacities. I I was once in the operations center and did all of the roles there in a management trainee program and then moved over to sales where I served in all the client facing positions. So from a service representative on up to a new business sales role, which is really what I would call my defining moment in my career. So at that time, there was not really this dedicated business division, if you will, for government and education that exists today. It was the responsibility then of the local markets, and I have been fortunate enough to rise to the level of large group sales. So many of the sales opportunities would have been the larger ones that we would see. And, obviously, when you look at local markets, certainly, public sector would be those large single site accounts. And so I had the opportunity to work on many large school systems, many large public entities, and that's really really when I developed a real affinity, for this business. And in the public, these servant leaders, it reminded me so much of my experiences as I was growing up. I'm a product myself, a proud product, I will say, of the public education system, Atlanta Public Schools, and I've always had that connection, especially to teachers. And when I look back, many of those, my early mentors and role models were the teachers who were at that front desk right there, in front of me. So it does really feel like a full circle moment. I did leave Cigna for a short while to join a competitor, but even during that time, I was focused on education and public sector. I can't be without this business so much that they do for us, and I just want to have an opportunity to do as much for them as they have done for me. So, the opportunity arose back here at Cigna, and I was happy to come back home, really to lead this vertical. Fantastic. Well, it sounds like a long and impactful career at Cigna thus far, Kim. And in that vein, I wanna talk about the the company's partnerships with organizations such as school districts and city governments, to support workers that are facing stress and burnout. Can you talk to us a little bit about the specific strategies or programs that you and and the company has found most effective in addressing these these top of mind issues for so many? And, ultimately, Kim, how do you ensure long term engagement with these programs? Yeah. Sure. So, certainly addressing stress and burnout among, you know, public sector and school district employees, it it really requires targeted strategies that, again, align with the unique demands of these roles. So here at Cigna, we've implemented programs that are focused on the whole person health, which integrates then physical, mental, and social well-being. Our vitality programs, they foster long term health by promoting preventive care, stress reduction techniques, and, lifestyle improvements, I'll say, through our on-site wellness coordinators. So that's an important piece. We will bring on-site resources to our, business partners, if you will, to help support them in that way. In addition, another program is our mental health first aid training. How important it is to, arm these professionals with the ability to address, you know, mental health crises right there on the spot. If you think about everything that goes on in the classroom, how important it is for a teacher to be armed with those resources, but then also, more importantly, to ensure that we have a panel of physicians that are equipped and that our members then have access to that understand everything that this, unique population faces. So these initiatives to me have helped employees develop resilience and adopt some of those sustainable habits. I was looking at some research actually, and about 44% of teachers report experiencing high levels of burnout. And then with public sector workers, they are facing job stress. You know, there are limited resources and that emotional exhaustion. So, again, through customized support, it could be behavioral health programs, you know, that we have employee assistance programs. And, to a point that I made earlier, on-site clinicians in those resources and even on-site clinics, that personalization then ensures those solutions fit the needs of that workforce. And so, you asked the question about longer term engagement, I believe. And so as I think about that, I believe it to be achieved through collaborative planning with our clients. So we rely heavily on data informing, our solutions, our decisions. So we're analyzing that data on utilization and health trends to continuously improve our, programs and to tailor those interventions. We also are serving, our employees to understand what is working, what isn't because it's an iterative process, and we want to ensure that we keep those employees engaged. Absolutely. And I just wanna reiterate a a statistic that you just mentioned there, Kim, that 44% of teachers are will face burnout at some point in their career. It's an amazing number. And I think let's let's talk a little bit about some of these initiatives on the ground, real examples that have happened under your leadership. You have a recent partnership with the Chicago Transit Authority, to install workout rooms within transit hubs as a creative way to help keep workers active, especially for those that are managing chronic health conditions. So going back to that that measurement and engagement question, how do you measure the impact of a wellness initiative like that with the CTA, and what's some of the feedback you've received on the ground from these workers? Yeah. Absolutely. So, you know, the the program was kind of in its early stages. Right? So through CTA, we developed that partnership. We opened 2 new wellness fitness centers as part of that pilot program, and it was really aimed at helping those CTA employees make progress in achieving their fitness goals. So there's one facility that's located at CTA University, and then we're there's an additional one then at the Chicago Avenue garage, and it is available and open to CTA employees only and is equipped with all the, you know, current, I will say, workout equipment from ellipticals and TRX suspension trainers, so yoga mats, everything that they need, so that they can have an opportunity to work out given their busy schedules, if you will. So although in the, early stages, we're monitoring the usage of the centers and whether employees are seeing a positive impact. We know that the success of this partnership, reflects our belief that health and wellness must meet people where they are. So we're using, a range of data driven metrics, I'll say, to evaluate the impact. So we wanna look at patient rates and wellness activities. We are also looking at that chronic disease management process, right, and the outcomes. Are we seeing improved a one c levels, blood pressure control for those individuals who may be suffering from a chronic disease? We're also, working with the HR team. Are we seeing a reduction in absenteeism or sick days? And then, we're also looking at preventive services. So, where did we start and where are we now? Are we seeing engagement with preventive care services? And thus far, you know, the feedback has been positive. Employees certainly appreciate having convenient access to workout spaces. So it's allowing them to prioritize both their fitness their physical fitness and mental well-being. And these workout rooms are also providing a respite, if you will, from demanding work environments. So we've heard that it's improving morale and, as I mentioned, productivity. So more importantly, though, this program in partnership with CTA has encouraged these workers to take ownership of their health and supporting them with their management of their chronic conditions and, overall, just contributing to a healthier workforce. Wow. That's amazing, and and sounds like such a great program and clearly some really amazing results you've achieved thus far with it. So appreciate you detailing that for us, Kim. Let's switch gears for a second and talk about, behavioral health, which, as you know, is a is a major focus across the health care industry, across many organizations right now, including for Cigna and for your clients. Can you talk about some of the innovations or approaches that that the company is implementing to improve access and support for behavioral health services within the public sector workforce that you serve? Absolutely. So, yeah, we understand. And and and you said it well there, just the prevalence broadly across the country and the world, really, around the need for, behavioral health and the recognition that there has to be adequate access and services to address all individuals across the spectrum. So, it certainly is essential to employee well-being, particularly in these high stress public sector roles, like teaching and emergency services. So our strategy includes integrating behavioral health services with primary care to ensure that there's access and, you know, that there's seamless access and and that that stigma is reduced. And as you know, from the pandemic, there was an increase in virtual services. So just ensuring that we have a platform, which we do, a digital platform, which provides our members access to providers as well. And what has happened as the result of that is you've seen, or you may have heard of the stigma that's sometime associated with seeking that care. So this digital platform then allows members to, seek that care in the privacy of their own personal home or their car, wherever they see comfort, and we certainly have seen an increase then in services like that. So one thing that I'll speak to is our Talkspace partnership. So it allows employees to connect with licensed therapists through a convenient confidential digital platform while on-site mental health coaches provide immediate support for those who are experiencing acute stress. And the great news about that is, we're extending or looking to extend our partnership, specifically in the education space for teens, which is so needed as you are well aware. So it's an important it's an important partnership, I will say, because a lot of times those teens are the ones who may not seek that or the parents don't know how really to address that. And to a degree, it helps provide some relief in the classroom as well by offering these, these teens access to a private confidential portal, if you will. Another thing that we are doing in partnership with o two x, we've expanded our focus on resilience training, safer first responders. So they are a partner of ours, which we've collaborated with, and they specialize specifically in resilience training. So that's physical and mental for first responders. If you think about all that first responders have to contend with on a daily basis, just helping them be able to manage their stress in those high pressure environments. And I'd be remiss. I talked about it a little bit before from another question, but just ensuring that we are bringing forward those on-site resources, you know, clinicians that are helping to educate. So it could be an on-site behaviorist, that we are bringing to help reduce, you know, that need to go outside for some support. So we're providing those resources on-site. And then, we might even have an on-site nurse educator because oftentimes what you see is a comorbidity as it relates to mental health. So to the extent you're having a chronic condition, then there's a likelihood that you're suffering from depression or anxiety as well. So just ensuring, again, going back to the need for data and really understanding the unique populations of each individual entity and what would be required in order to support them. I will speak also for Mesa Public Schools. We implemented a comprehensive wellness program, and it included a whole team of engagement consultants and on-site wellness coordinators that focused on physical and mental health. So, here at Cigna, again, it isn't a cookie cutter approach. What we want to do is identify and understand the unique challenges of each population and then bring forward that tailored solution. Then we let the data inform us. Is it working? What should be tweaked? What additional things should we be adding? So, overall, the results have been, really strong. We've heard feedback that they have seen improvements. The data is reflective of that. We love to see that individuals are seeking the care that they need. So from our perspective, that is working for us. I think, too, I should mention that we place a strong emphasis on addressing health disparities and social determinants of health because that also is key when it comes to ensuring that someone is living a vital life, if you will. So we definitely look at trying to help our clients close some of those disparities and providing information around social determinants of health so that they can understand some of those challenges on the outside that may be affecting mental health while they're at work. Well, Kim, clearly a lot of great examples there and and a lot of innovative behavioral care strategies coming from Cigna, both virtually and in person across a variety of populations. And in that vein, Kim, if we were looking at the health insurance industry more broadly, how do you see the role of insurers evolving to meet the needs of diverse populations across the country, especially as we see an industry wide shift towards more preventive care and, as you know, more value based, care and payment models. Yeah. For sure. You know, I see the role of insurers evolving. It has to from traditional payers to health partners. That's I think you've heard me say that throughout our partnership. So you have to become a a true health partner with a focus on collaboration, customization, innovation, if you will. And at Cigna, we view this evolution through the lens of preventive care and whole person health, which moves beyond claims processing to proactively managing well-being. And as I think about what does that really mean as we're managing well-being, it's back to the data, data driven insights. So we're using advanced analytics to predict those risks and then to create personalized care plans to the individual, which is key. Our community partnerships, we couldn't do it without that. So collaborating with organizations to address social determinants of health, such as, you know, transportation gaps, housing, food access, access, and then health equity. I mentioned that as well. So working to close gaps in care and eliminate those barriers to access for diverse populations. And then our vitality and preventive care programs, which are aimed to empower individuals to manage their health early, which would then reduce the need for costly interventions later. So, for example, by integrating behavioral health support with chronic disease management, we're ensuring that employees are receiving comprehensive care, which is aligned with their unique circumstances. Just think here, as insurers, we must also recognize, right, the nuances of public sector, of the school workforce, whether it's the emotional labor teachers experience or, if you consider the physical demands that are placed on transit workers, and then you have to develop solutions that are addressing those specific challenges. So for me, the key is collaborating closely with clients to design customized solutions that are meeting their needs and reflect their organizational cultures. Fantastic. Well, Kim, what else are we missing? Any other final thoughts or final bits of advice you'd like to offer while you have the ears of a lot of health plan leaders all over the country? Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate that. I have covered, a lot of it, but, again, the future of health care, again, it lies in collaboration, customization, agility, really. Health plan leaders must embrace that data informed approach that I've spoken to, that supports the whole person care while also addressing social determinants of health, which are often driving disparities. Our experience shows that partnerships with clients are most effective when they are built on trust and those shared goals. It's essential to recognize this unique population in public sector employees, such as those teachers and first responders and just government employees in general, the unique, challenges that they are facing that require that till that tailored support. So this means understanding the emotional demands of the job, ensuring access to the behavioral health services that we spoke to, and then fostering environments that are promoting long term vitality and well-being. But, ultimately, our roles as insurers is to be, I'll call it, purpose driven partners. So balancing business goals with that commitment to improving the health of the communities that we serve. And so, success, I feel, will come from innovating quickly and listening closely to our clients. And then, again, just ensuring that every solution we develop reflects the diverse needs of the people we support. Wonderful. Well, I think that's a great place to leave it. Kim, thank you so much for taking the time to be with me on the podcast today and for sharing your insights with our listeners. We truly appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me. If you'd like to listen to more podcasts from Becker's Healthcare, you can visit beckershospitalreview.com.