GEHA Unveils First-Ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Report

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. (Dec. 6, 2023) Government Employees Health Association, Inc. (“GEHA,” pronounced G.E.H.A) today announced its Inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Report. The inaugural report demonstrates GEHA’s evolving and multi-faceted journey toward building and executing a DEIB strategy that is reflected in its workforce, members and community.

“Rooted in GEHA’s core values and championed by leadership from our Board and C-suite to our front-line supervisors, our DEIB strategy continues to evolve and mature to a best-in-class, leader-led way of living our mission,” said Art Nizza, DSW, GEHA President and CEO. “Inclusion has always been a part of our DNA, and as a health care organization, we are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our members and the communities we serve through exceptional service. While the journey is continually evolving, we are proud to share our story and progress in our Inaugural DEIB Report.”

In 2019, GEHA sought to further formalize an intentional focus on embracing DEIB. Through thoughtful discussion and analysis, GEHA deployed an all-organization survey and worked with partners to analyze processes and policies, enabling GEHA to create a comprehensive strategy to hold the organization accountable as it pertains to DEIB.

GEHA continued to evolve its strategy in 2022 to include a new governance model and key focus areas. This included enhancements to its DEIB Executive Council, enabling the organization to set strategy with full leadership support. To carry the strategy forward, the DEIB Operating Council, made up of functional leaders, implemented that strategy across the organization around four focus areas. The focus areas were developed to measure success and accountability toward progress, and they include:

• Diverse Workforce: GEHA strives for diversity and representation throughout all levels of the organization through targeted and consistent efforts.
• Inclusive Experience: An inclusive experience enables employees to feel connected to, accepted by, and valued by their colleagues and leaders.
• Health Equity: Close health equity gaps and provide exceptional service to all members.
• Community Impact: Partner with diverse community organizations aligned with GEHA’s mission and vision to create positive change.

“In one form or another, DEIB has been the first item on our Board agenda since November 2020, not because we had to, but because it was – and still is – the right thing to do,” said Steve Weber, GEHA Board Chair. “This led to funding the Barbara Sheffield Medical Scholarship in early 2021 to address health inequities and racial injustice associated with going to medical school. Although there is more we can do, our Board could not be more proud of the DEIB progress made since then.”

GEHA recently received two notable designations, further reinforcing the organization's commitment to DEIB.

GEHA received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. GEHA joins the ranks of 545 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year and were designated with the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.

The Center for Disability Inclusion presented GEHA with the “Seal of Accomplishment for Leader in Disability Inclusion,” which recognizes business and organization partners across the U.S. who are leaders and influencers in advancing disability inclusion. GEHA is committed to and has worked through the proprietary Disability Inclusion Process, which provides a proven roadmap for businesses in the completion of milestones, resulting in outcomes that elevate disability inclusion in the workforce, workplace, and marketplace.

“In order to truly understand and comprehend our members’ health needs and barriers to care, we are deliberate in seeking diverse perspectives among our employees and leaders,” said John Brown, GEHA Chief Operating Officer. “The intentionality and aspiration to grow our diversity enables us to deliver products and services that address their health care needs – ultimately furthering our mission to empower all members to be healthy and well.”

To learn more about our DEIB strategy and report, visit geha.com/careers.

About GEHA

GEHA (Government Employees Health Association, Inc., pronounced G.E.H.A.) is a nonprofit member association that provides medical and dental benefits to more than 2 million federal employees and retirees, military retirees and their families. Offering one of the largest medical and dental benefit provider networks available to federal employees in the United States, GEHA empowers health and wellness by meeting its members where they are, when they need care.

GEHA has gained distinctive civic recognition in 2023 by being named one of the top 100 Healthiest Workplaces in America, recognized by the Stevies 21st Annual American Business Awards® as a Gold winner for the Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year and Bronze winner for an Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility, acknowledged by Newsweek Magazine as one of the 2023 Most Trustworthy Companies in America, ranked #55 on the Forbes 2023 America’s Best Midsize Employers list, and listed as number 33 on the DiversityInc Survey specialty as one of the Top Regional Companies.

In 2022, GEHA was named the 2022 Corporate Partner of the Year for the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the 2022 Nonprofit Champion of Diversity for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, 2022 Truly the Best Business of the Year for Lee’s Summit (Missouri) Chamber of Commerce and named a top 20 finalist for the 2022 NACD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award. In 2022, GEHA signed the CEO Action Pledge, furthering its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Headquartered in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with approximately 1,500 employees, GEHA is committed to its members and their communities. To learn more, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram, and visit geha.com.