Frank Fernandez has spent his career at the intersection of health care and law, thriving in a dynamic field where he can utilize his industry knowledge, legal skills, and leadership abilities. He serves as vice president of government programs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, where he oversees the company’s public products such as Medicare and MinnesotaCare.
Since graduating from Arizona State University, Fernandez has held jobs of increasing responsibility in the health care realm. His first position was in customer service at the largest HMO in his native Las Vegas, where he soon was promoted to manage part of the call center. Fernandez also served as executive director of a health plan trade association and worked full-time as a paralegal while earning his law degree through Hamline University’s weekend program.
Fernandez joined Blue Cross in 2005 and was promoted this summer to his new job. He is now responsible for a staff of 100 and several insurance products with a total enrollment of more then 350,000 people. He staunchly supports his employer’s mission to provide health care coverage to everyone, including minorities, the disadvantaged, and elderly and disabled people. Fernandez gains fulfillment from sharing his unique perspective as a Latino to help Blue Cross reach out to different communities and broaden access health care.
A board member of the Hispanic Bar Association, Fernandez also gives back to the community through work and on his own time. He has taught a citizenship class at Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES), works on anti-tobacco efforts with high school students, and serves on the steering committee for Fuerza Azul, a resource group at Blue Cross for Latino employees that is heavily involved in the community through La Opportunidad and Los Jovenes de Salud.
This father of two spends most of his down time with his children, coaching their soccer teams, participating in water sports, snowboarding, and learning to love hockey.
