Making the Most of the Journey: Jason Furlan’s Career at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI

Director of Medicare Concierge Jason Furlan, who started out in our customer service call center 14 years ago, has had a rich and diverse career experience at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI). A self-directed learner who seizes every opportunity to learn new technology, Jason worked with BCBSRI nurses and healthcare professionals to learn about care management and advocacy in healthcare. That knowledge served him well years later, when he championed our company’s pioneering efforts to create options for members to identify as nonbinary.

In the call center, Jason handled complicated issues that came through our top accounts. Working through these issues was a critical piece of his BCBSRI education. Jason was then asked to join the training team, which jumpstarted his training career: three years in customer service and then three years in organizational development (OD) on the Human Resources team.

Along the way, Jason led countless new hire orientation sessions, complete with his own brand of BCBSRI “Jeopardy!” and introduced hundreds of new associates to the company. He was part of the OD team that established our first-ever?Employee Business Resource?Groups?(EBRGs). He went on to lead Blue pRIde, our EBRG to support LGBTQ+ associates, for several years. Jason immersed himself in the work of change management and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In July 2018, Jason left OD to oversee the call center. Applying the change management skills he had honed in OD, he developed a strong, high-performing call center in the commercial space, which includes all BCBSRI plans except Medicare.

In February 2022, Jason made his next career leap as director of Medicare Concierge, the customer service team supporting our Medicare members. In this role, Jason is applying everything he learned in his previous positions, and he said he is working with amazing people who he is delighted to support, develop, mentor, and train. He has circled back to where he started, but now in a leadership role.

We asked Jason why he thinks he has been so successful at BCBSRI.?He noted that in addition to being a self-directed learner, he is naturally curious and always interested in adding to his skills portfolio. Jason also said that, rather than focus on his next step, he focuses on doing what he does now in the best possible way. He strives to shine against his own goals and targets instead of a false ideal of what he “should” be doing. Jason believes that is how the next steps appear. “You become an expert,” he said. “Roles, titles, and descriptions don’t always reflect where you spend your energy. It’s about communication, teaching, and developing others. Analytical skills don’t hurt, either!”

When we asked Jason to name his proudest accomplishment, he replied that he is perhaps proudest of our ability as an organization to lead through the pandemic. He said that everyone pulled together to bring each other along and that leaders learned to lead differently, to keep teams engaged through a time of tremendous turmoil and change.

Finally, we asked Jason what he was looking forward to.?His response: “What am I?not?looking forward to?” Jason is super excited about our strategy and how we will accomplish our bold goals: “I’m excited to continue to grow and develop, and to develop my teams into the next generation of leaders who can make a difference at the company.”

What does Jason advise others who are interested in expanding their own career horizons at BCBSRI??“No career path is linear. Your career is a journey to learn new skills and discover what makes you passionate about the work. Answer the question: ‘How can I feel most fulfilled?’”

Explore careers at BCBSRI here: Careers - Join Us | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (bcbsri.com)