Excellus opens new Utica regional office

UTICA, N.Y. — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield celebrated the opening of its new Utica regional employee office with a ribbon-cutting event with the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce on July 31. The new space, located at 301 Wood Park Drive in Clinton, serves the health insurer’s more than 500 regional employees. “During the pandemic, the world of working only in an office changed for us at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, just like it did for so many,” Utica Regional President Tony Vitagliano said in a news release announcing the new office. “We found that many of our employees prefer working from home and productivity as well as employee satisfaction both remain very high, reducing the need for an office with a large footprint.” The new space replaces the region’s previous office space in the LaPolla & Ford Business Park in Utica and was designed with today’s changing workforce in mind. The new office has more collaborative space and fewer traditional cubicles. “Our team has designed a new, modern facility with a forward-thinking design that encourages our employees to come in and meet as groups either formally or informally,” Vitagliano said. The office also incorporates technology that allows for hybrid meetings between those on site and those working remotely. “We pride ourselves on being flexible and adaptable to today’s changing workforce, and I’m proud of the investments that we have made as a company to work with our employees to create a welcoming environment with a positive work-life balance,” he added. Speakers at the ribbon cutting included Excellus President/CEO Jim Reed, Vitagliano, Greater Utica Chamber Executive Director Kari Puleo, and State Assemblymember Brian Miller (R-C, New Hartford). Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and employs more than 4,200 people. The nonprofit health plan serves 1.5 million upstate New York members.