Security Health Plan managers recognized for supporting military family
CONTACTS: Rebecca Normington, normington.rebecca@securityhealth.org
MARSHFIELD – When Maj. Jon Blair Ward’s Wisconsin National Guard unit was deployed to Kosovo in September 2011, his wife, Racheale Ward, suddenly found herself living as a single parent with a toddler. Thankfully, she had support from her supervisors at Security Health Plan of Wisconsin.
At a special ceremony March 14, Security Health Plan Sales Director Chris Bruni and Commercial Sales Manager Ginger Wolf received the Spouse Patriot Award from the Wisconsin chapter of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
“I was suddenly a single mom of a two and a half year old girl,” said Racheale Ward. “But I couldn’t have asked for more from my supervisors and manager. There was no hesitation on their part. It was, ‘What can we do to accommodate you?’”
Wolf and Bruni allowed Ward to reduce her work schedule from 40 hours to 32 hours, so she could spend more time managing the home and caring for her daughter, Josalyn.
“I look at this as another example of why Security Health Plan is a wonderful company,” Racheale Ward said. “You have supervisors and managers who are supportive of you. Managing the household and caring for my daughter during Blair’s 13-month deployment would have been overwhelming without the work schedule accommodation.”
Blair Ward, a De Pere native, returned to Wisconsin in September 2012 from a deployment that lasted more than 12 months. After his return, Racheale Ward nominated her supervisors for the Employer Patriot Award, which honors businesses that support National Guard and Army Reserve families.
“I’m honored to receive this award. I’m extremely proud of the work of our service men and women, and I’m pleased to work for a company that shares this perspective and gives us the flexibility to work with our staff in these types of situations,” Bruni said. “The National Guard has played a tremendous role in protecting our country through its service overseas. But being called into duty adds so much stress for families at home. The fact that we’ve been able to play a small role in easing some of this stress and are being honored for that is humbling.”
Employer Support of Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense operational committee that promotes cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component service members and their civilian employers. The group helps resolve conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. While the supervisor of a military spouse has no legal obligation to provide support, many employers voluntarily offer assistance to Guard and Reserve spouses.
“I’m a strong supporter of our troops and proud to be part of Security Health Plan, an organization that demonstrates this kind of support for the men and women serving this country and also supports their families,” Wolf said.
Brig. Gen. Scott Legwold of the Wisconsin National Guard presented the awards to Bruni and Wolf. Also, Security Health Plan Chief Administrative Officer Steve Youso accepted an award on behalf of the company for its support of the military.
“I’m very proud to be able to say we’re an organization that fully honors and supports the men and women in our military,” Youso said.
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About Security Health Plan
Security Health Plan is a health maintenance organization sponsored by Marshfield Clinic, now serving more than 200,000 residents in 36 counties of Wisconsin. Accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Security Health Plan insures employees of large and small businesses, individuals and families, and administers self-funded employer health plans.
