President of the Florida market for Bright Health Plans and former President Florida Blue Chief Medical Officer joins Healthmap Solutions Board as Need for Kidney Health Management Solutions Surges
OCTOBER 29, 2020, TAMPA, FL—Healthmap Solutions (Healthmap), a growing specialty Population Health Management (PHM) company with an industry-leading Kidney Health Management (KHM) program, today announced the appointment of Jonathan B. Gavras, MD, FCCP, to the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Gavras is a leading healthcare executive who has introduced innovative solutions to healthcare delivery and cost management, including implementation of best-in-class medical cost and value-based reimbursement programs for Florida Blue. That work earned his election to the Healthcare Finance Management Association’s (HFMA) National Board of Directors. He was the first member elected from a commercial insurance company. Dr. Gavras joins the Healthmap Board at a time when the growing number of people living with kidney disease is accelerating the need for Healthmap’s proven KHM programs.
Dr. Gavras is a board-certified pulmonologist and critical care physician who brings over 20 years of healthcare management experience to the Healthmap Board. He is currently the President of the Florida market for Bright Health Plan and the founder of JBGavras Consulting, LLC. Prior to joining Bright Health, Dr. Gavras held numerous positions within the healthcare payer sector. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Prime Therapeutics, where he led the specialty pharmacy efforts, with specific emphasis on the integration of medical and pharmacy drug management. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Medical Officer of Avalon Healthcare Solutions, a comprehensive laboratory benefit management company. He was also a senior executive at Florida Blue from 2006 to 2014, serving as Senior Vice President, Delivery System and Chief Medical Officer before becoming the first President of Guidewell Health, a subsidiary of Florida Blue’s parent company, Guidewell. As President of Guidewell Health, Dr. Gavras was responsible for the direct delivery of care models within the company. Prior to joining Florida Blue, he held several senior leadership positions at UnitedHealth Group and Prudential Healthcare respectively. Dr. Gavras entered his healthcare executive career after a successful clinical career in Pulmonary Medicine. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Psychology from Case Western Reserve University and a Doctor of Medicine Degree from New York Medical College.
“Dr. Gavras brings a broad understanding of the drivers in healthcare change and a unique perspective to a quickly evolving industry,” said Eric Reimer, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of the Board of Healthmap. “His experience in growing organizations by developing and implementing results-driven medical cost management programs and attention to operational and service excellence make him an important addition to our Board.”
Dr. Gavras joins the Healthmap Board at a time when regulatory changes, like the 21st Century Cures Act, are expanding access to care and emphasizing the importance of early detection of kidney disease. In the U.S. more than 37 million people live with chronic kidney disease, and close to 800,000 have end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the most serious stage which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. Most people living with kidney disease are unaware of their condition, with many first learning of their diagnosis when renal failure drives them to a hospital ER and they “crash” into dialysis. Early detection is considered the most effective treatment when it comes to kidney disease because medical interventions and lifestyle changes can be used to slow disease progression. In cases where a patient has been identified before their kidney disease reached ESRD, they can benefit from evidence-based care and proactive planning to avoid “crashing” into dialysis, ensuring an easier and medically appropriate transition to renal replacement therapy, whether it is dialysis at home or in-center, or a kidney transplant.
“Healthmap’s innovative approach to kidney health management underscores early identification and intervention, well in advance of kidney disease becoming end-stage renal disease. This model is a game changer for patients and the healthcare system,” said Dr. Gavras. “Early identification, coupled with recent breakthroughs in medical science and treatment therapies, empower us with the tools needed to improve care, outcomes, and delay disease progression for those with chronic conditions like kidney disease right now. To be on the Board of an organization that is committed to bringing about meaningful, life-improving change is professionally rewarding and a privilege.”
Healthmap Solutions is a national leader in the kidney health management sector. In May, the company announced it had entered into an agreement with a leading national health plan to provide KHM services for the company’s Medicare Advantage and Commercial health plan members living with kidney disease in Florida. A month later, Healthmap partnered with a large Blues health plan in the western U.S. to provide KHM services. Healthmap is in late-stage contracting with several leading health plans to implement its KHM services, amounting to tens of thousands of patients across the country. Currently, the company supports the health of four million lives and manages $1 billion in medical spend.
In response to a year of significant growth and increased demand for the company’s proven KHM programs, Healthmap has expanded its senior leadership team. Earlier this month Eric Reimer was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Richard Popiel, MBA as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Gavras joins Trent T. Haywood, M.D., J.D., who was named to the Board on October 15.
About Healthmap Solutions
Healthmap Solutions is a specialty population health management company with a specific Kidney Health Management (KHM) solution for kidney disease patients. The company serves health plans, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and provider groups seeking value-based solutions that improve the clinical care and financial performance of high-risk, high-cost kidney patient populations. The company has a rich history forged in data and analytics, having begun as a healthcare data clearinghouse, and later adding robust health analytics expertise. Today, Healthmap Solutions uses that experience to power a complex KHM program with its clinical experts. Healthmap Solutions also provides similar integrated programs across a full range of specialty population health management. For more information, visit healthmapsolutions.com.
Contact:
Chris Cooney
The WilMark Group
407-921-6932
chris@wilmarkgroup.com
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