Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Collaborates with Health In Her HUE to connect Black Women and Women of Color with Culturally Sensitive Health Care Providers

Place-based partnership focuses on helping community disproportionately impacted by racial injustice and health inequities

EAGAN, Minn., Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) has announced a collaboration that will provide no-cost access to Health In Her HUE, a digital platform connecting Black women and women of color with culturally sensitive health care providers. Participants will also be able to join Health In Her HUE's Virtual Care Squad experience, a support group designed by and for Black women and women of color that focuses on relevant health topics.

This effort is part of Blue Cross' five-year place-based collaboration with the city of Brooklyn Center, one of the most racially diverse cities in Minnesota and the only municipality in the state that is Black led at both the Mayoral and City Manager levels. Blue Cross will fund approximately 200 memberships to Health In Her HUE within Brooklyn Center. 

The Health In Her HUE platform is designed to empower Black women and women of color to advocate for themselves in health care settings and connect them with culturally sensitive medical providers. The platform includes a provider directory, which users can search and filter to find providers that meet their unique needs, as well as a content library that features relevant and evidence-based health information curated by Black women and women of color. The Health In Her HUE team is actively working to increase the number of culturally sensitive providers listed in Minnesota.

"My own lived experience navigating our healthcare system has been a major influence in launching Health In Her HUE. I know what it is like to not feel listened to, understood or cared for in a medical setting," said Eddwina Bright, co-founder and chief product officer of Health In Her HUE. "We want to empower Black women to advocate for themselves and help them find a medical provider they can trust."

"It's essential that as a health care company, we recognize the devastating impacts of racism on the health of women of color and Black women in particular. Black women face some of the greatest racial and health inequities in our nation," said Bukata Hayes, vice president of racial and health equity at Blue Cross. "Health In Her HUE centers culture and community to empower Black women to find a trusted healthcare provider that understands their lived reality."

The agreement with Health In Her Hue is the third tech-based pilot program Blue Cross is implementing in Brooklyn Center, following recent announcements with TurnSignl and Hurdle Health.

For nearly 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. Our 2.7 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Health In Her HUE is a digital platform that connects Black women and women of color to culturally sensitive healthcare providers, and offers health information and content that centers their lived experiences in order to reduce racial health disparities by leveraging the power of technology, media and community to improve health outcomes for Black women and women of color.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota