Finding the silver lining amidst a challenging year

Much has been and will be written about 2020. While it presented many challenges for all of us, I am proud of how Delta Dental responded and the amazing achievements across our organization in support of our customers, providers, communities and each other despite the extraordinary circumstances we all faced.

I took some lessons away from the year on both a personal and professional level. First, the professional. Running an organization as complex as an insurer is challenging for any senior leadership team in normal times. The pandemic added a whole new dimension of complexity that we had to grapple with – especially as the world began to shelter in place. We had to act quickly, and we had to be flexible.

First and foremost, we needed to support our employees. As an essential business, our offices remained open, but we had to ensure that we were safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our people. I am incredibly proud of our technology and facilities teams who worked quickly to build our remote capabilities for those who could do their jobs from home and to reconfigure and disinfect our physical space to protect those who couldn’t.

We also provided emergency time off for those affected by COVID-19. Employees who were working remotely were given a home office stipend to help make their new working conditions more comfortable. And for those who needed to come into the office, we provided disinfectant, hand sanitizer, thermometers and even catered lunch. What we realized was crucial was consistent and transparent communication. We organized multiple informative town halls with our CEO, Mike Castro, where employees could ask questions of leadership and provided weekly updates to our employees to offer some reassurance amid very uncertain times. Several people have asked me what is the single piece of advice that I would offer, and it is that communication is key.

The economic effects of this pandemic became very real for our network of providers who were forced to shut down for several weeks. We partnered with Lendeavor to create a $300 million loan program to support our providers, their staff and needs during this time. We also provided reimbursement for the additional personal protective equipment (PPE) required to reopen practices. To ensure that their patients returned, we educated our customers and enrollees about the additional precautions dentists were taking. We wanted patients to know what to expect at their appointments and reassure them it was safe.

In addition to the educational efforts with our customers, we also provided premium relief to our customers who may not have been able to use their full benefits last year.

We also stepped up to support vulnerable members of our communities through our Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. Of the $17 million we awarded to nonprofits last year, roughly $15 million of it took the form of unrestricted grants for COVID-19 relief. That meant that there were no conditions about how the funds were used – our partners could decide how to best use the money to continue providing vital services. Our employees demonstrated their commitment to service, volunteering nearly 5,500 hours for more than 110 causes and donating $272,000 to causes they care about.

On a personal note, last year taught me to slow down and find more balance. My husband and I were supposed to be empty nesters by summer, just after the pandemic, but in 2020 we once again had a full house as my adult children returned to continue their college courses online. It certainly created some challenges but having that time as a family was a precious gift and a silver lining amid the chaos.

As I look forward to 2021, I am optimistic about a return to normalcy – with a few key changes. I plan to apply the lessons of 2020 and continue building flexibility and resilience into both my personal and professional lives. I will focus on finding balance and ensuring that we create an environment that enables our employees to do likewise.

In spite of all the challenges last year presented, I am grateful. I am grateful to work for a values-based organization that truly lived its values last year. I am grateful for my colleagues’ support and the incredible work of our employees. I am grateful for the time with my family. And I am grateful for a new year and ready to face whatever it has in store.