Patrick Conway takes charge as Blue Cross NC CEO
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Patrick Conway will now officially head Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) as president and chief executive officer.
He has been serving as president and CEO-elect of Blue Cross NC since October. Conway is taking over from Brad Wilson who retired after serving seven years as president and CEO and working with Blue Cross NC for more than two decades.
Wilson, who now moves to CEO emeritus, positioned the company as a national leader in health care innovation and began North Carolina's transition to value-based care, according to the company statement.
Conway comes to Blue Cross NC from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where he served as deputy administrator for innovation and quality, and director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). He was the most senior, non-political executive at CMS, has worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations, and is widely respected by leaders on both sides of the political aisle.
Conway said: "I want our customers to know is that I am completely committed to making sure they have access to the best possible health care at the lowest possible price, with best in-class customer service. I look forward to leading this great company and making it a model for other health insurers across our country."
Wilson commented: "Dr. Conway understands the challenges families go through when trying to find high-quality health care while dealing with rising costs, That's because he's not only led the world's largest health care payer in CMS, but he also cares personally for patients as a pediatrician. Our company and our customers are in great hands. I cannot think of anyone better suited to lead Blue Cross NC."
Following this announcement, Echo Health Ventures (EHV), a strategic collaboration between Cambia Health Solutions and Mosaic Health Solutions, has also appointed Conway to its board of directors, succeeding Wilson.
"Conway is one of the driving forces behind the national movement toward value-based care, with health care payments tied to quality and innovation. He has collaborated with many of the largest health systems in the country, including several in North Carolina, to make health care more effective and affordable," Blue Cross NC said.
Conway joined CMS in 2011 as the agency's chief medical officer. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in 2014. Prior to joining CMS, Conway oversaw clinical operations, quality improvement, and research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center as director of Hospital Medicine, with a focus on improving patient outcomes across the entire multi-billion dollar health system. He also served at McKinsey & Company as a private sector consultant for health care clients early in his career.
Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Appointment, Patrick Conway, US