PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 17 -- Independence Blue Cross (IBC) today announced that Dr. Richard L. Snyder has been promoted to chief medical officer, effective January 1, 2010. As chief medical officer, Dr. Snyder will be the chief clinical spokesperson for Independence Blue Cross, and will have overall corporate responsibility for medical management, quality management, and all clinical policies and programs.
Dr. Snyder will continue to report to Dr. I. Steven Udvarhelyi, IBC's former chief medical officer, who assumes a new role as executive vice president for health services on January 1.
"Rich has become well known for his collaborative work with the physician and hospital community to improve health and wellness for our members and the communities we serve -- the cornerstone of our mission," said Joseph A. Frick, IBC president and CEO. "Locally, his leadership was instrumental in creating the pilot in southeastern Pennsylvania of the patient centered medical home, which is intended to revolutionize care delivery in primary care practices. Nationally, he's been involved in initiatives to both improve quality in specific clinical areas such as heart disease and to improve patient safety overall. Clearly, Rich helps us fulfill our mission with his deep clinical knowledge, his managed health care expertise, and compassionate, team-building leadership."
Dr. Snyder joined IBC in 1997 as the senior medical director of utilization management, and over the last 13 years has assumed greater levels of responsibility, first as vice president quality management and most recently as senior vice president, health services. Dr. Snyder is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and The Medical College of Pennsylvania, and is a board certified family practice physician. He is a member of various medical societies, including the American Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians.
Dr. Snyder has led a number of initiatives that improve the health and wellness of the members, customers, and communities IBC serves. These include not only the leadership of the care management and quality management divisions within IBC, but also his appointments and leadership with a variety of regional and state initiatives, including:
Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.3 million people. For more than 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Independence Blue Cross supports comprehensive health care reform that would extend coverage to all Americans, reduce costs, and improve quality. We also advocate reform that builds on the current employer-based system that currently serves 170 million Americans. Learn more about our views on health care legislation now working its way through Congress.
Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. More information about Independence Blue Cross is available at www.ibx.com.
SOURCE Independence Blue Cross
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Dr. Snyder will continue to report to Dr. I. Steven Udvarhelyi, IBC's former chief medical officer, who assumes a new role as executive vice president for health services on January 1.
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"Rich has become well known for his collaborative work with the physician and hospital community to improve health and wellness for our members and the communities we serve -- the cornerstone of our mission," said Joseph A. Frick, IBC president and CEO. "Locally, his leadership was instrumental in creating the pilot in southeastern Pennsylvania of the patient centered medical home, which is intended to revolutionize care delivery in primary care practices. Nationally, he's been involved in initiatives to both improve quality in specific clinical areas such as heart disease and to improve patient safety overall. Clearly, Rich helps us fulfill our mission with his deep clinical knowledge, his managed health care expertise, and compassionate, team-building leadership."
Dr. Snyder joined IBC in 1997 as the senior medical director of utilization management, and over the last 13 years has assumed greater levels of responsibility, first as vice president quality management and most recently as senior vice president, health services. Dr. Snyder is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and The Medical College of Pennsylvania, and is a board certified family practice physician. He is a member of various medical societies, including the American Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians.
Dr. Snyder has led a number of initiatives that improve the health and wellness of the members, customers, and communities IBC serves. These include not only the leadership of the care management and quality management divisions within IBC, but also his appointments and leadership with a variety of regional and state initiatives, including:
- appointed to the Pennsylvania Chronic Care Commission by Governor Edward G. Rendell to develop a strategy to enhance chronic care management for the state;
- leadership in the Patient Centered Medical Home Chronic Care Initiative in southeastern Pennsylvania to reward primary care practices for providing accessible, coordinated care to each patient, with an emphasis on wellness and the prevention and control of chronic illness;
- leadership with the Pennsylvania Healthcare Quality Alliance to help develop single-source hospital quality reporting;
- participation in the Partnership for Patient Care, a collaboration with the Health Care Improvement Foundation to address patient safety in the Philadelphia metro area;
- contributions to the Health Services Research Advisory Council of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association;
- contributions as a long-standing surveyor for the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.3 million people. For more than 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Independence Blue Cross supports comprehensive health care reform that would extend coverage to all Americans, reduce costs, and improve quality. We also advocate reform that builds on the current employer-based system that currently serves 170 million Americans. Learn more about our views on health care legislation now working its way through Congress.
Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. More information about Independence Blue Cross is available at www.ibx.com.
SOURCE Independence Blue Cross
