If there is one partner who has seen and participated in the evolution of the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, it’s Rebecca Lemmons.

Lemmons has collaborated with us for at least 15 years across different roles at a variety of organizations. The partnership began when she was working at the Central District Health Department and was deeply vested in “Let’s Move Boise” and “Be Outside.” Those community programs promoted the importance of physical activity, which was a focus of the Foundation in our first 10 years.

As the Foundation’s work shifted from event-driven philanthropy to a systems-level approach, she has been alongside in that transformation with her work at the United Way of the Treasure Valley and Saint Alphonsus Health System.

“The work evolved from events to building infrastructure and shaping policy,” Lemmons said. “Sometimes the Foundation is a co-investor. Sometimes they’re a thought partner. Sometimes they’re an advocate in the room. The Foundation isn’t just writing checks. They walk alongside communities.”

Lemmons, a community health expert, is the one of the presenters at our Community Health Academy. The learning collaborative for mayors and city staff is one of the most impactful programs at the Foundation, and the data she provides to participants regarding the connection of housing and health in each community hits home.

She points out that when municipal leaders see information about their own communities, engagement and action increase.

“It was interesting to see the connection between housing and healthcare,” one attendee of the Community Health Academy wrote in an anonymous survey. “Rebecca’s presentation absolutely opened my eyes to the connection between housing and health. I now understand that people cannot have positive health outcomes when they are housing insecure.”

Thank you, Rebecca, for your partnership over the years.