Beth Stern
Beth Stern is a seasoned professional in the healthcare insurance industry, currently serving as a Billing Support Analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. With over a decade of experience at the company, she specializes in enrollment and billing operations, premium invoicing, and process design, helping streamline systems and develop playbooks for new implementations. Beth’s approach emphasizes clear communication, trust-building, and being present for her colleagues, which has guided her progression from entry-level roles to leadership and analyst positions.
Beth’s career journey demonstrates a strong commitment to growth and adaptability. She began in entry-level positions, quickly taking on responsibilities such as training seasonal staff and managing remote teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time, she advanced to managerial roles before transitioning into an analyst-focused position where she now contributes to system design, workflow optimization, and process improvement initiatives. Her professional philosophy centers on listening, mentoring, and fostering a supportive environment for her teams.
Beyond her core responsibilities, Beth is deeply engaged in organizational inclusion and community initiatives. She serves as secretary on the Blue Cross Inclusion Leadership Council, participates in peer mentorship programs, and advises the Blue Wings professional women’s affinity group. Additionally, she is involved with the Rainbow Collective through the Arizona Coalition to End Domestic Abuse, reflecting her commitment to equity, inclusion, and advocacy in both her professional and personal life.
• Combating Burnout with Mindfulness
• Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better
• Psychological Safety: Clear Blocks to Innovation, Collaboration, and Risk-Taking
• How to Manage Your Attention and Your Priorities
• How to Beat Burnout, Exhaustion, and Stress
• Essentials of Team Collaboration
• How to Speak with Effortless Confidence
• How to Say No without Guilt
• The Six Words that Dramatically Increase Your Impact
• Thriving Amid Stress and Irritation
• How to Speak Smarter When Put on the Spot
• Compassionate Directness
• Conquering Freak-Outs and the Fear of Failure
• Glendale Community College
• Elected to leadership on the Inclusion Leadership Council
• Inclusion Leadership Council
• Blue Wings
• Rainbow Collective
• Period Poverty Awareness and Drive for Women Tempe
• Pride Parade Participation
• LGBTQ+ Community Advocacy
• Peer Mentorship Program Coordination
What do you attribute your success to?
I really attribute my success to leaving myself open to opportunities and investing time in community and personal development. I always say, if your manager put something on your calendar for 30 minutes every other week, you wouldn't think you couldn't get all your work done - you would just make it work around those two meetings. So I make that kind of time to invest in myself and invest in the community too. I've learned to schedule development time into my calendar in a creative way whenever possible, whether it's starting a book club, joining a mentorship program, or just looking into the things my company offers. It's so rewarding, and the relationships that you build out of that turn into these networking opportunities, which turn into other opportunities. I wouldn't have gotten to be on this cool team that's building this playbook for the path forward had I not engaged in networking with other people. I'm also very avid into audiobooks - I listen to books nonstop - and I love to do LinkedIn Learning courses. I just feel like, however I'm feeling in that moment, or whatever I'm being challenged on in that moment, there's probably some sort of expertise that I can go and glean wisdom from, and why not take up that opportunity? Curiosity is really helpful. Even though I don't have a traditional college degree, I do feel like I'm pretty well versed in things because I've built my experience brick by brick.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think it's really just being open for those networking-type opportunities and community connections. If you can factor a little bit of time into your day - and I always say, if your manager put something on your calendar for 30 minutes every other week, you wouldn't be like, oh no, I'm not gonna have time to get all of my work done, you would just make it work around those two meetings - so make that kind of time to invest in yourself and invest in the community too. Schedule that into your calendar in a creative way whenever possible. Start a book club, start a mentorship program, or just look into the things that your company offers. Because it's so rewarding, and the relationships that you build out of that turn into these networks and networking opportunities, which turns into other opportunities. I wouldn't have gotten to be on this cool team that's building this playbook for the path forward had I not engaged in networking with other people. So just really neat opportunities can unfold as you put yourself out there and just open yourself up for opportunity. I also want people to know that even if you don't have a college degree, or even if you started out as a worker bee thinking that's all you want, you can get to really cool places. It's nice to have recognition for what you can accomplish without following the traditional path.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now are implementing a brand-new system and developing the associated processes and playbook from scratch, while also leading and building strong rapport with remote teams—a skill highlighted during COVID.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Curiosity is really important to me - it's really helpful in everything I do. I'm constantly learning through audiobooks, which I listen to nonstop, and LinkedIn Learning courses. I just feel like, however I'm feeling in that moment, or whatever I'm being challenged on in that moment, there's probably some sort of expertise that I can go and glean wisdom from, and why not take up that opportunity? I also value being there for people and helping them get through difficult challenges. I just always want people to know I'm listening and there for them. Outside of work, I love off-roading - we have two Toyota 4Runners, and that's actually my partner's full-time job, creating content for the off-road community. We've been doing it for about 10 years recreationally, and he's been doing it professionally for about 2 and a half years. We explore all over Arizona. It's not like rock climbing or rock rolling - it's more like just seeing a beautiful destination, and we can do something that's tricky if we need to.