At the end of 2020, eHealth Technologies announced its expansion into the state of Virginia, with the intent of hiring at least 100 new employees over the course of five years, diversifying its operations and strengthening customer support through replication of its network and redundancy systems. With its growing footprint in Virginia, eHealth Technologies became a member of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, with the purpose of becoming an active member in the Virginia community. Soon after, the company was approached by the Virginia Chamber Foundation to become an active participant in and advisor to its Health Care Executive Committee – a strategic coalition of corporate executives working collaboratively to strengthen the state’s health care system. Michelle Halloran, VP of Human Resources, now serves on this committee, representing eHealth Technologies among an impressive roster of local contributors, such as Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Pfizer, among others. We caught up with Michelle to learn more about her role on this committee and what her experience has been like so far.
Q: What does it mean for eHealth Technologies to have a larger member role within the Virginia Chamber of Commerce?
Michelle: I was honored to be invited to serve in this important role on behalf of eHealth Technologies. I had a virtual meeting with Virginia’s Health care Executive Committee team to learn more about the opportunity and its purpose in regard to improving health care across the board. I learned that numerous areas of Virginia are rural, and that health care accessibility is a large issue for many in the state. The purpose of this committee is to create a blueprint for improving health care accessibility for its residents, and the goal is to have a solution mapped out by the end of the year. I knew it would be very important for eHealth Technologies to have representation on this committee, not just to give back to the communities we serve, but to better serve our current and future employees in Virginia. Given everything that has come out of the global pandemic, it’s a privilege to have a seat at the table where we are discussing opportunities for a nationwide health care plan instead of individualized plans by state. I see this as a small step towards a larger goal. It is very forward-thinking of the Chamber to have representatives from different states who can provide a fresh perspective to the issues at hand.
Q: What contributions do you envision eHealth Technologies can make to the Health care Executive Committee?
Michelle: Before I joined this committee, it was clear that a lot of groundwork had already been laid by the different health care organizations involved. Through listening and observations, I had a great opportunity to provide input and share my perspective, given the human resources role I have at eHealth Technologies. The team has been very warm and welcoming, and they appreciate the perspective I bring to the table. It became very clear that the concerns and challenges surrounding health care accessibility in Virginia are not unique to those experienced by New York residents; however, the situation is more challenging in Virginia. Health care access remains a concern due to the physical location of patients to available health care facilities and availability of health care professionals in certain disciplines – such as mental health – to be attracted to set up their profession in the area. By combining our collective experiences and expertise in health care, I know that eHealth Technologies is a part of something that will have an impact, and I am proud to know we are contributing to this effort.
Q: What policies and initiatives are important to eHealth Technologies in this space?
Michelle: We’ve always advocated for increasing access to health care and affordability, as well as preventive care, offering annual Flu Vaccine clinics, Blood Drives with American Red Cross, monthly blood pressure checks, and first aid and CPR training for staff – it’s much easier to treat high blood pressure than a stroke! Now we have an opportunity to provide similar opportunities to our Virginia staff.
Q: What are you most looking forward to in this community role?
Michelle: I am playing catch-up as one of the newest members, but the team has been awesome. There are so many intelligent and dedicated people who are committed to making a real difference and it’s an honor to be a contributing member. If I can make a difference in the grand scheme of things, it will be a great experience knowing there is a solution that can positively influence health care for our staff across the country. I walked into this thinking I would learn a lot about Virginia and its health care concerns, but now that I’ve seen the drive and passion of the community members, I realize that people can either make the choice to sit back and do nothing, or act. I now believe there is a chance to enact real change and make an impact. It will be a challenge, but this group is not going to take no for answer!
