Saskatchewan Blue Cross Celebrates 75 Years of Serving Saskatchewan
SASKATOON – Saskatchewan Blue Cross has been the serving residents of Saskatchewan since 1946. As we enter our 75th year of service, we look forward to a year of growth and exciting changes that enable us to serve our members better than ever before.
Over the past 75 years, Saskatchewan Blue Cross has undergone two name changes and many evolutions to best suit the needs of Saskatchewan. Throughout our history, Saskatchewan Blue Cross has been unwaveringly committed to providing Saskatchewan residents with the peace of mind that their health is covered.
“Our world and the insurance industry is moving faster than it ever has before and as I look toward the future of Saskatchewan Blue Cross, I’m struck with a sense of both gratitude and excitement,” says President & CEO Shelley Vandenberg. “Gratitude for a rich 75-year history in our province that began in 1946 when we first opened our doors as a non-profit organization. Back then, we were just seven doctors who saw a better path – we helped lay the foundation for health insurance in Saskatchewan. Now, we proudly support more than 200,000 individuals and more than 1,200 employers access essential health, wellness and travel services. At our core, we’re empowering our communities on their journey to whole health and wellness.”
Saskatchewan Blue Cross team is full of excitement for a bright future ahead. “We’re reinventing key parts of our business through digitization, new product and service agility, and a suite of new tools to enable stronger relationships with our advisor partners and our members,” says Ms. Vandenberg. “We’re evolving while staying true to what’s made us so special over the years: being local means that we care deeply about building impactful relationships and investing in the wellbeing of the communities we call home.”
Saskatchewan Blue Cross contributes $40K to more than 100 local charities
Building community is a foundational value at Saskatchewan Blue Cross, and it has been throughout the history of the organization. In support of the diverse communities who have welcomed our organization for the past 75 years, employees of Saskatchewan Blue Cross were given the opportunity to give back to the causes that mean the most to them.
“There’s a deep sense of meaning that comes from looking out for each other,” says Ms. Vandenberg. “Being there for our communities has and will always be part of who we are at Saskatchewan Blue Cross. We challenge each other to think and act beyond ourselves, and to help to make our province a better place. As part of our 75th year, we gave all employees funds to direct to a local charity of their choice to help make our community stronger. It’s an honour and a privilege to have donated more than $40,000 to more than 100 Saskatchewan charities across the province, including Prairie Harm Reduction, Saskatoon Open Door Society, The Lighthouse Saskatoon, Friendship Inn, OUTSaskatoon, Empty Arms, United Way, and many more.”
Saskatchewan Blue Cross partners with local artist Josh Jacobson
Supporting local is in the DNA of Saskatchewan Blue Cross, and in commemoration our 75th year of serving the health and wellness needs of the people of Saskatchewan, we partnered with local Saskatoon-based artist Josh Jacobson to create public art on our building that visually explores the concept of whole health and the intricate connections between mind, body and wellness.
“The concept of the piece relates to the mind-body connection, with the lines down the centre of the mural symbolizing our ‘heart strings,” says Josh. “We’ve all got a lot going on right now, and this mural symbolizes these challenges and serves as a reminder to listen to our hearts and our mind will follow. I hope this piece is an inspiration to people to stay positive, while also bringing awareness and attention to the causes of tension in these stressful and uncertain times.”
It’s our hope that this local art experience brings a vibrant and inspirational energy to 2nd Avenue while providing opportunity for passersby to engage playfully with the visuals.
Limited-edition prints of the mural are available to be won! To enter to win one of 75 signed prints by Josh Jacobson, enter the contest online here.
Watch the event unveiling the public art and hear from Saskatchewan Blue Cross longstanding members, partners and employees at this link.
For Media Inquiries, please contact:
Cheryl de Villiers
Director – Marketing and External Affairs
Saskatchewan Blue Cross
media@sk.bluecross.ca
306-667-5245