Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) announced today that Lili Brillstein, Director of Horizon BCBSNJ’s Episodes of Care Program, and Ilene Wachs, President of company subsidiary Horizon Casualty Services, Inc., were selected by the YWCA of Union County as 2018 Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) award recipients.

The TWIN award honors outstanding businesswomen who excel in their fields and have made significant contributions to their workplace. The TWIN award also recognizes the companies that encourage high achievement by women and promote equal advancement opportunities for women with diverse backgrounds.

“Lili and Ilene are highly accomplished business leaders whose professional skills and abilities in their areas of responsibility are helping to improve the overall experiences of our 3.8 million members,” said Alison Banks-Moore, Chief Diversity Officer for Horizon BCBSNJ. “Both women exemplify excellence in how they perform on the job and in private life,” she said.

Lili Brillstein joined Horizon 2013 to lead and build the company’s value-based, Episodes of Care Program, which grew from two episodes when she arrived to cover more than 10 specialties and almost 20 different episodes of care at present. Horizon’s Episodes of Care efforts in Cancer Care have been modeled and considered by CMS as alternative payment approaches for Medicare reimbursement for Cancer Care. In outside activities, Ms. Brillstein is an advocate for women and victims of domestic violence, serving on the board of directors of the NJ Coalition to End Domestic Violence, and as a founding board member of the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, an organization that promotes leadership and activism among young women.

Ilene Wachs came to Horizon in the mid-1990s to lead Horizon Casualty Services, Inc. from start-up to full maturity. Today, the company is a market leader and manages over $1.5 billion in workers’ compensation and personal injury protection claims for multiple insurance companies in New Jersey. With a deep passion for entrepreneurship, Ms. Wachs led her team to create the most successful of Horizon’s subsidiary companies. Ms. Wachs previously served in large teaching hospital management leadership roles, both nationally and internationally including consulting work for the British National Health Service, Royal Free Hospital, London. In outside activities Ilene is President of the Education Fund of the Women’s Forum of New York, a not-for-profit organization that provides financial awards for women who have experienced extreme hardship and are now back on track to get their college degrees.

She also sits on the Advisory Board of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship, Montclair State University. Ms. Wachs is a member of the Women’s Forum of New York and International Women’s Forum and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.TWIN originated in New Jersey in 1975. Now a national and international award program of the YWCA, TWIN annually recognizes outstanding business women and their companies.

About Horizon BCBSNJ’s Diversity programs

Horizon BCBSNJ has instituted many programs aimed at promoting diversity within the company including: paid minority internships and manager development programs, as well as a Diversity Council and minority leadership programs. To learn more about Horizon BCBSNJ and its diversity efforts, visit: www.HorizonBlue.com/diversity.

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