Pictured from left to right: Rev. Luis Cortés Jr., founder, president, and CEO of Esperanza; Greg Deavens, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross; Jaime-Alex Fowler, founder and CEO of Empower Network; Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; Christine Deputy, chief people officer of Pinterest; Joe Pitra, vice president for Benefits Operations and Employee Experience at Comcast NBCUniversal; and Calvin Allen, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Independence Blue Cross president and CEO Greg Deavens gave opening remarks at an Oct. 20 event in Philadelphia to mark the release of a Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
In his remarks, Deavens said that the Surgeon General’s framework is “an outstanding encapsulation of what employees can, and should, expect from the workplace.” He also discussed Independence’s commitment to equitable, whole person health.
“As work evolves, our responsibility as employers to make any working environment healthy and supportive for everyone becomes more important than ever. That responsibility has been deepened by the mental health crisis affecting people across America,” said Deavens.
The Surgeon General’s framework highlights five essentials needed to help organizations develop policies and practices that best support the mental health and well-being of all workers. These essentials include:
- Protection from Harm
- Connection and Community
- Work-Life Harmony
- Mattering at Work
- Opportunity for Growth
Held at the National Constitution Center, the event also featured a panel discussion about mental health in the workplace. The discussion was moderated by Murthy and featured Calvin Allen, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Christine Deputy, chief people officer of Pinterest; Jaime-Alexis Fowler, founder and CEO of Empower Work; and Joe Pitra, vice president for Benefits Operations and Employee Experience at Comcast NBCUniversal.
Also providing remarks at the event were Rev. Luis Cortes Jr., founder, president, and CEO of Esperanza, and Pedro Ramos, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Foundation.
