Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 17, 1993 TAG: 9303170398
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
WHY SINGLE OUT BLUE CROSS?
REGARDING the Feb. 27 article "The snowstorm wasn't so hot," which criticized Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia as a "wimp":Our company views employees as our greatest asset, and we stand behind the decision we made to close the Roanoke offices on Feb. 26 because of the inclement weather. We do the utmost to balance the needs of our customers and our business with the safety and well-being of our staff.
Based on the heavy snowfall at the time and forecasts of additional accumulation and increasingly treacherous travel conditions, I was concerned about the safety of our employees, many of whom live in mountainous and/or outlying areas. Also, many of our staff members have children who attend day-care centers and schools that were closed for the day because of the hazardous situation.
In anticipation of a major winter storm, many of our employees took work home with them the previous night. Several also showed their dedication by coming in to the office over the weekend to catch up after the lost workday. We worked hard to make up the time missed.
We regret any inconvenience to our customers, and we wonder why our organization was singled out for criticism for concerns about the snowstorm and the danger it caused to the safety of employees as well as customers. JOHN C. BERRY Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia ROANOKE