Caring and culture is at the heart of Medavie

In 2008, a few days into her new job with Medavie as a disability claims specialist at Medavie Blue Cross, Sylvia Atkinson felt comfortable enough to let her hair down – literally. It was an important step in her evolution both as an employee and as a person.

“As a visible minority, I never felt my naturally curly hair was professional, so I straightened it or wore it in a ponytail,” says Atkinson, now manager of life and disability management. “Medavie was the first employer that made me feel comfortable with my individuality.”

Medavie is a national health solutions partner that integrates benefits management, health management and health-care delivery. Overseeing Medavie Blue Cross and Medavie Health Services, over 7,200 employees across Canada are dedicated to improving the well-being of Canadians.

CEO Bernard Lord is working hard to nurture and grow an even more diverse and inclusive culture. “At Medavie, we are fostering a culture that promotes openness, understanding and a sense of belonging where everyone can bring their true selves to work.”

Since joining the organization 13 years ago, Atkinson says her career advancement is linked to Medavie’s strong culture of caring. “Before, I never aspired to be a leader because I didn’t have any friends who looked like me as role models,” she says. “Here, I had mentors and team members who gave me the confidence and push to grow my career.”

In 2021, Atkinson was honoured to join the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion employee working group. “I felt very inspired to be part of it,” she says. “While we are making progress, we also recognize that we can continue to do better to make sure we reflect the communities we serve.”

The pandemic has been a prime opportunity for Medavie to live its values of being caring, accountable, responsive, innovative and community-minded, propelling its people to do better on myriad levels. “It taught all of us we can do things differently, and much faster, than we could ever have conceived,” says Lord. “And that implementing a flexible work environment where possible would make the company more attractive to new talent.

“Innovation isn’t just developing new gadgets and technology, it’s also adapting to new ways of thinking,” adds Lord. “We’ve been listening to our employees to understand how we can continue to provide relevant support, while being flexible with where and how our team members work. This makes us more productive, and that’s better for everyone.”

Medavie aims to align its purpose – improving the well-being of Canadians – with its culture. Since most of its office employees remain working at home, wellness initiatives such as last summer’s INSPIRE World Tour physical-activity challenge help boost morale and encourage people to be active. “We had almost 550 employees participate in our challenge, taking enough steps to go around the world almost five times over,” says Lord.

Atkinson, a national champion powerlifter, also rose to the challenge (her team placed in the top 10). “It created excitement because we shared a common goal to be healthy, especially during the pandemic,” she says. “And it motivated us to get outside during our work day.”

That compassionate culture has a broad reach beyond Medavie’s internal borders, says Lord. “Caring for our people, our members, our clients, patients and communities is at the heart of Medavie – it’s how we’re helping build a healthier Canada.”