Humana has named its first chief medical officer, Roy Beveridge, MD, an oncologist and internist currently working as CMO at McKesson Specialty Health.
Also holding the title of senior vice president, Beveridge will start at Humana on June 17 and be responsible for clinical businesses and policies, the company said.
Beveridge "will play an important leadership role in helping us create a collaborative and engaging environment for our providers," Humana CEO Bruce Broussard said in a media release. "As Humana looks to expand our care delivery capabilities, a key element of the company's integrated care delivery model, Dr. Beveridge will be instrumental in enabling us to achieve this important objective."
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Beveridge was medical director of the 1,000-plus physician practice firm U.S. Oncology when it was acquired by McKesson for $2.16 billion in 2010. Prior to that he practiced at Virginia Cancer Specialists, a clinic in the U.S. Oncology network, and was co-director at the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church.
Beveridge has also published research on topics like hematology, stem cell transplantation and healthcare quality and cost-effectiveness, most recently co-authoring an article titled "Defining Cancer Care Quality or Delivering Quality Cancer Care?," which outlines U.S. Oncology's physician-generated voluntary standards, called pathways, for cancer treatment.
"Humana's dedication as a longstanding advocate for encouraging providers to move from pay-for-service to pay-for-value and better health outcomes is vital to addressing the health care challenges we face today," Beveridge, a Cornell University Medical College graduate, said in a media release.
In other news, Humana is also adding 500 jobs nationwide in telesales and leadership for Medicare Advantage. About 60 will be in Madison, Wisconsin, 110 in Phoenix, 80 in San Antonio and 250 in Florida, in Tampa and Miramar.
"When a company such as Humana is expanding in Florida that's a good sign," commented Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson in a press release.