Leading With Compassion
Nov. 25, 2024
The nice guys don’t always win, but kindness can go a long way. Tim Vaughn, president of BlueChoice HealthPlan, a subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, has found that leading with compassion makes a big difference.
This year BlueChoice celebrates its 40th anniversary serving members in South Carolina. Vaughn has been with the company for the last 25 years.
“I like the impact we can make on individuals who are using our benefits. Oftentimes, it is a stressful time in their lives, so we strive to make sure that we provide excellent customer service. They know that their insurance is going to work. We’re right there beside them, and your insurance is going to be consistent and there for you,” he says.
This sense of service runs throughout his work. The company functions like a family, he says.
“The way we manage, not just me, but everyone who reports to me, we are consistent with things. We’re more than willing to jump in and help facilitate or improve or help somebody get their job back on track,” he says.
And that approach trickles down throughout the company to the products it offers. Many of its health plans are member centric. Everything it does is member-first, he says. It isn’t just a mantra.
“Everything we do is with the member in mind. It’s not just a claim. It’s a person’s claim,” he says.
The approach comes from within. It starts with management and trickles down to managers and employees.
“We put our staff first. Every person who works here is a person, not just a customer service rep, an accountant, a claims processor. They are a person first,” Vaughn says. “By having that approach and respecting our staff, it becomes very natural for them to have that same approach with our members.”
And it makes a difference in the marketplace. It contributes to the success of BlueChoice for the last 40 years.
“You know we are reliable and consistent. It is the value of what we offer. Members know the quality of what they are getting with us,” he says.
In 2008, BlueChoice launched a Medicaid plan, now called Healthy Blue. It became a commitment to helping the South Carolina community in a very real way.
“It allows us to do more than volunteer. This work allows us to truly serve the underserved population in South Carolina,” he says.
Vaughn also volunteers. That sense of service is deeply rooted at BlueCross. He joined the Junior Achievement of South Carolina board nine years ago. The organization provides economic education for students in the state.
He helped Junior Achievement by serving as a volunteer in the classroom, board member, board chairman and an investor. His contributions lead to a statewide consolidation of Junior Achievement offices, an increase in over 16,000 students in the last three years and tripling the net assets of the organization. He even taught Junior Achievement to his daughter’s third-grade class.
Earlier this year, he was awarded the organization’s Gold Leadership Award, the organization’s most prestigious national award for volunteerism. The recognition was validating for Vaughn.
“People will know when you are present or when you’re not. They saw my passion and love for it. And it just meant a lot to me,” he says. “When you see that this work you are doing in the community is valued and that you are making a difference, it just means more.”
Bringing these two ideas together is what drives his leadership.
“If you approach life with compassion and empathy in every situation as a leader, then your staff, your volunteers, the students and members are going to see that and they are going to react to that,” Vaughn says.
But more than that, it makes it easier for him. Leading with compassion isn’t just beneficial for the members, the staff, the volunteers. It makes a difference for Vaughn himself.
“If you give your time, your funds, whatever, you are going to be rewarded 10 times that in return,” he says. “It makes the tough days tolerable because it gives you an outlet to continue to give that compassion and empathy to others.”
His biggest takeaway from a successful career is to always be ready to help.
“You never know at what point you’re going to be asked to help, so you have to remain ready to do what is asked. You have to be willing to try new things and not be afraid to learn new things,” he says.