FRISCO,
Texas, May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare
Highways today announced the addition of Jack Martin, the founder of Public Strategies,
Inc., and Carlos Zaffirini, the President of Adelanto Healthcare
Ventures (AHCV), to its board of directors as the company continues
to expand its already strong partnerships in the Austin community. Martin and Zaffirini will
serve on the Healthcare Highways board of directors alongside other
prominent Texas leaders, including
Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt
Smith and Austin-based
Santé Ventures founding partners Doug
French and Dr. Joe
Cunningham.
Healthcare Highways is a Texas-based organization that helps local
hospital systems, employers, and providers reintroduce desperately
needed competition into the healthcare marketplace, lowering the
cost of healthcare coverage for Texas families. Healthcare Highways' unique
approach ensures the Texas health
insurance market isn't just dominated by large, national insurance
carriers, ensuring a more fair, competitive, and affordable
market.
These additions to the board come as Healthcare Highways is
already lowering the cost of healthcare in Austin. Healthcare Highways has created a
high-performance provider network, available to local employers for
use in their employee health plans, that is centered around St.
David's HealthCare facilities and many of Austin's highest-performing local and
independent providers.
This new, collaborative approach to employee healthcare coverage
directly benefits Austin
employers. In the last two years, four large school districts in
Central Texas, including in the
Austin area, have made the switch
to this high-performance network. Healthcare Highways is seeing
significant membership growth and, on average, has successfully
reduced members' medical spend by approximately 25% relative to the
legacy insurance carriers.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Jack and Carlos to our Healthcare
Highways team," said Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith. "They will both be tremendous
assets as we make healthcare more affordable in Austin and across Texas."
"I'm honored to join this diverse group of Texans who are
committed to cultivating talent in our Austin community," said President of
Austin-based Adelanto Healthcare
Ventures, Carlos Zaffirini. "Healthcare Highways is already doing
exceptional work advancing health equity for our underserved
neighbors in Austin, and we are
just getting started."
"Healthcare Highways is challenging healthcare to do better,"
said Santé Ventures founding partner Doug
French. "Their innovative and transformative approach is
exactly what we need more of to assist our many diverse communities
here in Austin."
Biographies of current board members of Healthcare
Highways:
Michael Wilson
Michael G. Wilson is the founder,
CEO and head cheerleader of Healthcare Highways, a father of two,
and a leader of hundreds who believes collaboration breeds candor,
integrity, ingenuity, and drive. Michael has more than 36 years of
experience in healthcare consulting, building out high-performance
value-based networks and consulting with hospital systems and
employers. A 5-time All-American gymnast and NCAA Champion, Michael
was a member of the World Cup and World Championship teams in 1978
and 1979 and earned a coveted position on the 1980 US Men's Olympic
Gymnastics team. Over his career, Michael has successfully founded
and led multiple healthcare companies that engender competition and
empower American businesses and families with alternative,
sustainable solutions for quality healthcare.
Bart Conner
Bart Conner has built an
impressive business and philanthropic career focused on his
passions, leading to, among many things, the TV production company
Perfect 10 Productions and the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy in
Norman, Oklahoma — one of the
largest and best-equipped gymnastics centers in the United States. A member of three US
Olympic teams, Bart Conner is the
only American male gymnast to win gold medals at every level of
national and international competition. Bart currently serves on
the Board of Directors of the Special Olympics, one of many
charitable endeavors he and his wife dedicate themselves to.
Joe Cunningham, MD
Joe Cunningham is board certified
in both internal medicine and quality assurance and peer review. He
is a Managing Director and founding partner of Santé Ventures and
is nationally recognized for his expertise across healthcare
delivery systems, physician associations and compensation models.
Prior to founding Santé, Dr. Cunningham was a healthcare Venture
Partner with Austin Ventures and was previously the Vice Chair of
the Ascension Health Ventures investment committee. He is also the
former Chief Medical Officer of the Providence Health System and
Executive Director of the 300-physician Providence Health Alliance,
both of which belong to the Ascension Health system. Currently, he
serves on advisory boards for both United Healthcare and Health
Care Services Corporation.
Stan Dennis
Stan Dennis has over 30 years of
experience in healthcare services and payer services. Mr. Dennis is
currently the Managing Director at Gauge Capital and was an
Operating Partner at Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe. Prior to
WCAS, Mr. Dennis was an Executive Vice President for Optum,
responsible for over $10 billion in
Physician Services, Post Acute-care, and Specialty Network
Businesses. He has held several executive leadership roles
throughout his career, where he successfully scaled health care
businesses at Texas Health Resources (THR), Anthem Health Plan,
Allina Health System, and Phycor.
Doug French
Doug French is Co-Founder and
Managing Director of Santé Ventures. Mr. French has more than 30
years of experience as a distinguished healthcare executive. A
Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, he has
published and spoken extensively on healthcare ventures,
innovation, and IT. Formerly, Mr. French served St. Louis-based Ascension Health — the largest
nonprofit system in the United
States with an operating revenue of $18 billion — as president and chief executive
officer, bringing growth to more than 70 facilities operating in 36
markets and 20 states.
Jack Martin
Jack Martin is an entrepreneur,
businessman, and rancher. He is perhaps best known for his
behind-the-scenes advice to C-suite executives, navigating them
through strategies involving their most complex challenges.
Early in his career, Jack served as Executive Assistant to U.S.
Senator Lloyd Bentsen of
Texas. He remained one of the
Senator's most trusted advisors and friends throughout his career.
In 1988, Jack founded Public Strategies (PSI) in Austin, Texas, which grew into one of the most
successful corporate advisory firms in the world. PSI was later
acquired by London-based WPP and
merged with Hill & Knowlton; the combined entity is known today
as Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Jack also serves as Chairman of the
board of Baylor Scott & White
Health.
In November 2023, Jack will be
inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame. The Texas Business
Hall of Fame honors the accomplishments and contributions of
outstanding leaders in the state by celebrating and telling their
stories. He was nominated for this honor as a result of his
significant contributions both in business as well as in his
philanthropic and civic engagement in his local communities.
Mike McCabe
As an original founder and current Chief Executive Officer of
WebTPA Employer Services, Mike
McCabe brings 30+ years of managed healthcare consulting and
leadership experience to Healthcare Highways. After earning his MBA
from Southern Methodist University, Mr.
McCabe began his professional career at the consulting firm of
Coopers & Lybrand in the Actuarial, Benefits and Compensation
Practice, where he handled building, negotiating, managing, and
auditing all facets of employer benefit offerings. Channeling his
experience as a consultant along with an entrepreneurial insight
into the healthcare industry, he identified a need in the market
for a flexible benefits administrator able to meet the dynamic
needs of large employers, and WebTPA was born. He has grown the
company from a start-up in the mid-1990s serving local Texas hospitals to a multi-state enterprise of
500+ employees and more than $65
million in annual revenue.
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith is a professional
football icon who played in the National Football League (NFL) for
15 years and amassed many records that still stand today, including
most career rushing yards and most career rushing touchdowns. He
has three Super Bowl appearances, membership in the Pro Football
Hall of Fame, and was selected to the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
Currently, Mr. Smith is an entrepreneur and runs several companies
spanning real estate, construction, and technology. He is active in
charitable outreach in the Dallas
area and on a national level, providing educational opportunities
and unique experiences for underserved youth. In addition, Smith is
in-demand as a motivational speaker and best-selling author.
Dan Thomas
Starting his career as a CPA at KPMG, Dan Thomas spent several years with Medical Care
International, Inc., a national surgical center company, before
becoming the COO, president, and later the CEO of Concentra, Inc.
Mr. Thomas grew Concentra from $15 to
$620 million in revenues before
joining Viant, a leading healthcare cost-management company that
served the nation's largest health insurance companies, third-party
administrators, government agencies, and employers. After Viant was
sold for $900 million, Mr. Thomas
brought his expertise to Provista, expanding its growth through
strategic acquisitions for six years as its president and CEO
before it was sold.
Scott Wood
Scott Wood is a nationally
recognized insurance industry expert with 30 years of experience in
insurance company operations, administration, marketing, strategic
planning, risk management, product development, reinsurance, and
alternative funding, including self-funded plans. Mr. Wood is
president of Insurance Program & Risk Management (IPRM), which
boasts a record of increasing profits for insurance companies,
claims administrators, reinsurers, and MGUs. Previously, Mr. Wood
held concurrent positions as CEO and Chief Operating Officer while
at Independence Holding Co. (NYSE: IHC). He was also CEO of
Insurers Administrative Corp. (IAC), a TPA of health insurance
programs, before joining Healthcare Highways' Board of Directors.
Mr. Wood is also Managing Partner and Principal of Benefit Commerce
Group (BCG), an employee-benefits consulting firm.
Carlos Zaffirini
Carlos Zaffirini is an attorney and entrepreneur who earned
his BBA and JD from The University of Texas at
Austin. He is the CEO of AHCV, a healthcare finance
consulting company with offices in Washington, D.C.; Austin; Nashville; Tallahassee; and Laredo. He also founded Zaffirini Law, a
Texas-based law firm with national
reach, and invests in multiple ventures ranging from healthcare to
fintech. A civic leader committed to public service through
philanthropy, he prioritizes charitable interests in education and
healthcare.
Carlos' passion for public service is reflected in his
philanthropy for organizations such as the Texas Access to Justice
Foundation, South Texas Food Bank, Junior Achievement, and a
variety of programs that enhance the quality of life of low-income
Texans and their access to education, health, and justice. A
Guardian member of the Champion of Justice Society, he partnered
with the UT Law Foundation to honor his parents by establishing the
Carlos Sr. and Senator Judith Zaffirini Access to Justice
Initiative, which pays for Texas
bar exam review courses and exam fees for low-income law students
committed to increasing access to justice for low-income
Texans.
About Healthcare Highways
Healthcare Highways is a health plan and pioneer in the creation
of high-performance networks that embrace innovation and align
providers, employers, and employees. Healthcare Highways enables
health systems and self-funded employers to declare independence
from legacy health insurance carriers by reintroducing competition
into the local market. Their network and health plan solutions work
in concert to empower local employers, providers, and their
communities by controlling rising healthcare costs and offering
meaningful choice when it comes to quality care. For more
information, please visit www.healthcarehighways.com and
connect with us on LinkedIn.
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