Becker's Hospital Review

9 CEO / STRATEGY Ochsner LSU Health CEO to return to Kaiser By Kristin Kuchno C orwin Harper, who most recently served as CEO of Shreveport, La.-based Ochsner LSU Health, will rejoin Oakland, Calif.- based Kaiser Permanente on Jan. 21. Mr. Harper has been appointed president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, according to a Jan. 17 Kaiser Permanente news release. In this new role, he will oversee coverage for more than 327,000 Kaiser Permanente members. With 39 years of healthcare experience, Mr. Harper previously spent 25 years with Kaiser Permanente, including serving as senior vice president of the Central Valley area, according to his LinkedIn profile. He joined New Orleans-based Ochsner Health in 2021 and served as senior vice president and chief growth officer before being named CEO of Ochsner LSU Health in 2023, a role he held until November 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile. n FIU Health taps CEO By Kelly Gooch O smel "Ozzie" Delgado, PharmD, has been appointed CEO of FIU Health, the clinical practice of Florida International University's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami. He has also been appointed associate dean of clinical affairs at the medical school. In his new role, Dr. Delgado will oversee FIU Health's clinical operations, according to a Jan. 16 news release. Dr. Delgado's healthcare experience includes roles as COO of the Healthcare Outcomes Performance Co., an orthopedic value-based care organization, COO of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Region, and director of pharmacy at Cleveland Clinic Florida. n Why wellness is a high priority for Banner Health's CEO By Kelly Gooch Amy Perry's first 100 days as Banner Health CEO involved a great deal of listening to employees, with a focus on the organization's vision. To afford every Banner staff member a chance to be heard, she visited the health system's facilities and explained her vision for the organization, she told Becker's. She also collected direct feedback from employees during the listening tour, including what they find meaningful and what motivates them. "Now, it's really, in my opinion, our plan. It's not, 'Oh, this is the administration's plan. is is what they want to do.' Collectively, as a very large, diverse team, this is our plan," Ms. Perry said. "And where I have focused is all about people and relationship building and building a culture of 'One Team.'" Ms. Perry succeeded Peter Fine, who led the Phoenix-based organization for 24 years. Before assuming the CEO role, she served as president and COO, then president, of Banner, which operates in six states with more than 55,000 employees. In addition to a "One Team" culture, Banner, a payer and a healthcare provider, is focused on its insurance options. Options range from Medicare to private health plans, serving 1.2 million members across all insurance products. Ms. Perry said the health system is specifically focused on social services that help older adults live more actively and independently. For example, Banner Olive Branch in Sun City, Ariz., provides thousands of meals a day for older adults. "When we are able to have members be part of our Banner family and achieve that premium revenue, we are able to afford to wrap preventive services around our neighbors," Ms. Perry said. "And so, for our [older] neighbors who need care — such as food, insurance and social support, which we do through our community programs — providing behavioral health support, providing access to someone who can listen and be a friend, is critical. "We know how impactful social isolation is with our [older adults]. We've been able to use population health tools and outreach to help keep our [Medicare Advantage] population healthier." Still, she acknowledged the administrative challenges faced by Medicare Advantage plans across the U.S., such as rising drug costs. So far this year, Becker's has reported 20 health systems opting to end or not renew contracts with Medicare Advantage plans. Amid these challenges, Banner has provided incentives for people to try step therapy and other avenues to ensure they are managing their chronic diseases effectively. Currently, health plans are about 28% of Banner's revenue. Over the next 10 years, the organization seeks to grow that to at least 40%. "We're really trying to shi the pendulum into a value-based, premium-based funding of care so we can continue to invest in wellness," Ms. Perry said. "We believe that that's the future for our communities and a better future for our country because, ultimately, over time, it will cost less to keep people well than to continue pouring money into a more reactive system." n

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