Dana Erickson, a senior vice president, is moving into the top job at the Blues plan after Craig Samitt, M.D., unexpectedly resigned earlier this year.
Dana Erickson, a senior vice president at Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota, has been promoted to president and CEO of the Minnesota Blues plan.
Erickson is taking over on Nov. 1 from interim CEO Kathleen Blatz who stepped into the top job at the insurer in April 2021 after Craig Samitt, M.D., unexpectedly resigned.
Erickson, a registered nurse and registered respiratory therapist, has been a member of the Blues plan’s senior leadership team since 2019 when she was appointed senior vice president and president of the health services division. In that job, Erickson has been responsible for overall strategic planning, development, implementation and administration of racial and health equity efforts, care management, provider relations, and pharmacy and medical management.
She started at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in 2015 as senior director of care management. Prior to the Blues plan, she held leadership positions at Univita Health and Optum Health.
"Dana is an accomplished and impressive leader who knows the healthcare industry very well, both within Minnesota and across the nation," said Michael Robinson, chair of the Board of Trustees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, in a prepared statement.
Bridging the Diversity Gap in Rare Disease Clinical Trials with Harsha Rajasimha of IndoUSrare
November 8th 2023Briana Contreras, an editor with Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Harsha Rajasimha, MD, founder and executive chairman of IndoUSrare, in this month's episode of Tuning in to the C-Suite podcast. The conversation was about how the disparity in diversity and ethnicity in rare disease clinical trials in the U.S. has led to gaps in understanding diseases and conditions, jeopardizing universal health, and increasing the economic burden of healthcare.
Listen
35th World AIDS Day Marks 20 Years of PEPFAR: Challenges and Strategies to Combat HIV/AIDS
November 29th 2023PEPFAR, having invested $100 billion and saved 25 million lives in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, faces Congressional hurdles in its reauthorization due to abortion debates. Despite widespread support and no evidence of abortion-related activities, the legislative process is at a standstill. Members of PEPFAR and authors of a recent editorial stress the significance of PEPFAR and advocate for integrating behavioral and social science into healthcare programs to achieve UNAIDS targets and address barriers in HIV/AIDS testing and treatment.
Read More
Managing Editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, Peter Wehrwein, had a discussion with William Shrank, M.D., a venture partner with Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm in Menlo Park, California, about how artificial intelligence's role is improving healthcare, where we are today with value-based care and the ongoing efforts of reducing waste in the healthcare space for this episode of the "What's on Your Mind" podcast series.
Listen
Study Raises Concerns Over Insurance Barriers to HIV Prevention Medications
November 29th 2023Despite its efficacy, PrEP remains underutilized compared to the need for it. High costs are among the barriers to PrEP use, along with limited knowledge among clinicians, lack of health insurance, stigma, and underestimation of personal HIV risk.
Read More