Dr. Patrick Conway, a Department of Health and Human Services holdover from the Obama administration, has been appointed CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, the company announced Tuesday.
“Blue Cross NC’s role in transforming the healthcare system in North Carolina is a model that other plans aspire to and that I want to work with the Blue Cross NC team to further improve,” Conway said. “I look forward to collaborating with Blue Cross NC employees, healthcare providers, and employers to deliver the best health outcomes and best service experience at the lowest cost for our customers.”
He will join the company Oct. 1.
Conway served as acting administrator for the CMS until President Trump’s pick for administrator, Seema Verma, was confirmed.
In his role in the Obama administration, which carried over after Verma was confirmed, Conway was deputy administrator for innovation and quality at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which aimed to improve health outcomes while reducing costs. He was also director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which tested payment models such as accountable care organizations, bundled payments and other approaches aimed at rewarding providers according to quality and value. Before working for the federal government, he oversaw clinical operations and research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio.
“Dr. Conway is a national and international leader in health system transformation, quality, and innovation,” Blue Cross NC Board of Trustees Chairman Frank Holding Jr., said. “His unique experiences as a healthcare provider and as a leader of the world’s largest healthcare payer will help Blue Cross NC fulfill its mission to improve the health and well-being of our customers and communities.”
Conway is the second Obama-era administration official to head to the insurance industry in the last week. On Wednesday, Kevin Counihan, who was CEO for the federal exchange, healthcare.gov, was appointed regional vice president for Centene’s Midwest division.
Date:Aug 08, 2017