California Health Care Personnel News Update for November 2012
Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California has announced that Rob Geyer will serve in the newly created position of senior vice president for customer quality, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.
Geyer currently oversees claims, membership, customer service and planning and program management at Blue Shield.
The new role will require that Geyer manage the installation of new hardware and software to improve operations (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 11/29).
California Department of Insurance
On Nov. 8, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones (D) announced that Nancy Kincaid has been hired as press secretary in the Department of Insurance's Communications and Press Relations Office.
Kincaid most recently served as the director of communications for the federal receiver of California Prison Health Care Services.
She also served from 2001 to 2003 as a deputy press secretary for DOI (DOI release, 11/8).
CalOptima
On Nov. 1, CalOptima -- Orange County's Medi-Cal managed care plan -- named Michael Schrader as its new CEO. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
Schrader has more than 17 years of managed health care experience from serving in executive positions for health plans in California and Massachusetts.
He will join CalOptima by the start of 2013 (CalOptima release, 11/1).
Gold Coast Health Plan
The Gold Coast Health Plan has hired Michelle Raleigh as its new chief financial officer, the Ventura County Star reports (Kisken, Ventura County Star, 11/13).
Gold Coast launched in 2011 as an HMO-style alternative for certain beneficiaries of Medi-Cal.
In October, state officials imposed a corrective action plan that Gold Coast must complete by the end of the year. The plan requires that Gold Coast fill several leadership positions that were vacant (California Healthline, 10/24).
Raleigh has more than 22 years of experience working as an actuary and health care executive. She will receive an annual salary of $220,000 (Ventura County Star, 11/13).
Independent Citizens Oversight Committee
California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has appointed Diane Winokur to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, which is the governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Winokur -- an advocate for people with multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- serves on the boards of the Sanford-Burnham Institute and the Packard Center. She also served for five years on the ALS Association's National Board of Trustees (CIRM release, 11/27).
Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo
On Nov. 13, Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo announced that it has named Ron Galonsky as its new chief operations and integration officer.
Hospital officials said the new position will combine the traditional role of a COO with a "new dimension of integration" as the hospital tries to connect with health care services throughout the community and at other St. Joseph Health hospitals.
Galonsky most recently served as COO and senior vice president of O'Connor Hospital in San Jose (Mission Hospital release, 11/13).
Universal Health Services-Southern California Group
On Nov. 15, Universal Health Services announced that John Harris will serve as vice president for the health system's Southern California Group, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Harris will manage Universal hospitals in Corona, Murrieta, Palmdale and Wildomar. He also will oversee the new Temecula Valley Medical Center that is currently under construction.
Universal also named Harris to be the interim CEO of Southwest Healthcare System -- Universal's subsidiary that runs the Murrieta and Wildomar facilities -- until a permanent CEO is found.
Harris -- who previously worked at Sierra Providence Health Network of El Paso, Texas -- replaces former CEO Ken Rivers, who left in September to assume a similar role at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles (Hill, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 11/15).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.