Philadelphia, PA – Independence Blue Cross (Independence), the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania, recently began collaborating with The Precisionists (TPI), a Wilmington, Del.-based organization focused on employment for adults with disabilities. The pilot program, which launched August 2018, uses the talents of a team of autistic adults from TPI’s workforce to tackle critical business needs within Independence’s Human Resources department.
“When properly assessed and trained, people with autism are extremely high-performing employees working in critical and challenging jobs such as administrative business functions, including scanning documents and data entry, software testing, website QA, and data analytics,” said Ernie Dianastasis, CEO of The Precisionists. “When you consider that more than 80 percent of people with autism in the country are either unemployed or underemployed, we are making a true difference in engaging a significant, untapped labor force. We are thrilled to partner on this project with a great company like Independence, and together we will positively impact many lives.”
Individuals taking part in the pilot program were identified, assessed, trained and employed by TPI. For the last four months, they have been carrying out project-based work, including scanning and uploading documents to make the information readily available in electronic format. All work is performed at The Precisionists’ Innovation & Technology Center in Wilmington, Delaware.
“The Precisionists have created a forward-thinking employment model based on excellence, innovation, and empowerment – three values that guide our work at Independence,” said Daniel J. Hilferty, CEO of Independence Blue Cross. “We are proud to team-up with TPI to offer a supportive, welcoming work environment for the people in the program, many whose talents have traditionally been underutilized in the workplace.”
“The work being done by the TPI associates is invaluable. They have enthusiastically undertaken projects essential to our business while greatly exceeding key milestones every month,” said Jeanie Heffernan, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Independence and lead executive sponsor of the pilot project.
Those entering the program go through a comprehensive four-week training program. As part of the program, Independence hopes to identify additional opportunities to expand this employment model to other parts of the business, further supporting The Precisionists’ goal of employing 10,000 people with disabilities in the United States by 2025.
About The Precisionists, Inc. (TPI)
The Precisionists, Inc. (TPI), a Benefits Corporation, is a national company focused on providing industry best practices for delivering administrative and technology services by building teams, which include individuals with disabilities. This approach enables The Precisionists to meet each customer’s specific needs, and to deliver projects with the highest degree of productivity. The Precisionists is dedicated to creating jobs for individuals with disabilities in all the markets it serves. The Precisionists, Inc. is headquartered in Wilmington, DE. Learn more at www.theprecisionists.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn.
Media contacts:
Kathleen Conlon
Independence Blue Cross
215-241-4576
Kathleen.Conlon@ibx.com
Patricia Pfarrer
The Precisionists, Inc.
302-588-2353
Patti.Pfarrer@theprecisionists.com