Center for Prevention 2022 Report
The Center for Prevention works to advance racial and health equity to transform communities for a healthier Minnesota.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) declared racism as a public health crisis in 2020 and recognizes racial and health equity as an overarching organizational imperative. This past year Bukata Hayes was promoted to chief equity officer and under his leadership we have strengthened efforts to become an antiracist organization. The work of the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has been critical to this, as it is informed by community and partnerships we have fostered and strengthened through our mutual commitments to building a more just and
equitable Minnesota.
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We have a vision that racism no longer determines health outcomes, and all people can attain their highest level of health. Our work focuses on advancing food justice by ensuring access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods and eliminating access to and use of commercial tobacco – especially in communities most impacted by commercial tobacco-related health inequities.
The Center for Prevention has been actively engaging with people throughout Minnesota since 2006, building relationships, supporting leadership development, and funding community-led initiatives to improve health outcomes throughout the state. As the mainstream awakening to the distressing realities and inequities in our society, culture, and health emerged over the last few years, the Center for Prevention felt it essential that we define who and what we are, in order to make a deeper impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities. In 2022, Center for Prevention staff spent significant and meaningful time developing our 2023-2026 strategic plan. As a result, we have refined our mission, vision, values, and honed-in on our two main goals. We are proud to share our strategic plan with you here.
“Our commitment to advancing racial and health equity is more than just symbolic. This starts with understanding the root causes of inequities in our communities, recognizing the systemic barriers peoples face in attaining health, and uplifting Black, Indigenous, immigrant and communities of color as assets, knowledge keepers, and leaders. The Center for Prevention is working to increase community self-determination, leadership, and capacity to improve health and wellbeing. We are committed to working collectively to eliminate barriers to health, and proactively address the large-scale systemic issues that drive racial and health inequities.” — Bukata Hayes, vice president, racial and health equity, chief equity officer
2022 by the numbers
- 122 PSE changes to support more equitable, healthy communities in Minnesota
- 2,404 community members engaged through activities such as gardening programs, classes, trainings, and community forums
- 93 adults and 64 youth engaged as leaders in their communities
- 465 community members engaged through outreach such as door knocking, community festivals, plant giveaways, food distribution, events, or surveys
- 246 partners engaged through coalitions, advisory groups, cohorts, one-on-one partnerships, and other collaborative efforts
- 143 new decision-makers engaged through testimonies, meetings, letters, postcards, and phone calls
Read the report
To see all that the Center for Prevention accomplished in Minnesota communities in 2022, read the 2022 Report here.
