Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Breaks Ground on South Side Expansion

CHICAGO, Nov. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL), a division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), broke ground today on a new multipurpose solution center that will bring up to 550 jobs to Chicago's South Side. Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot attended the event, which kicks off the rehab of nearly 130,000 square feet at the Marshfield Plaza, 11840 S. Marshfield Ave. in the Morgan Park neighborhood.

"Today we're deepening our commitment to the people on Chicago's South Side," said Maurice Smith, president of Health Care Service Corporation. "When we needed to expand our operations, we looked to areas where we could make the most impact - for our members, our employees and the entire community. And here we are ? getting ready to turn a former retail store into a hub for the community ? offering jobs and other opportunities that can make a difference to the economic and physical health of the community."

"Our mission to expand equity across Chicago isn't limited to economic investment, but includes access to health and wellness support, jobs, and other vital resources needed for our families and communities to thrive," said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. "This commitment by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois marks the latest step in that important journey, reflecting the vitality of our Morgan Park community and drive continued investment across our entire South Side."

The new site will eventually house up to 550 employees. New positions will include customer service support for members and health care providers in the BCBSIL network. Those interested in applying for positions should go to hcsc.com/careers beginning in January 2020 to learn more.

BCBSIL is literally raising the roof to bring the outside indoors in the employee workspace. Employee desks will surround open-air atriums to maximize natural light in the space.

The location will also house our second Blue Door Neighborhood Center®, which will be aimed at making a positive impact on the health of people beyond the walls of hospitals and physician offices. It will offer no-cost health and wellness classes, connections to community resources, education on how to better use health insurance and more. In April, BCBSIL opened the first Blue Door Neighborhood Center in Pullman. The second center will serve a similar mission, but it will be customized for the new location.

"Programming in Morgan Park will be geared towards the specific needs of Morgan Park and the surrounding communities," said Laron Taylor, director of the Blue Door Neighborhood Center. "We're looking at community data as well as meeting with groups of faith and community leaders to understand the most pressing needs and work together to meet those needs."

The BCBSIL Morgan Park location is expected to open in mid-2020.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois