New hires begin this month in newly-created positions to support growth, innovation at public health plan
CenCal Health, the Medi-Cal health plan with over 210,000 members on California’s central coast, announced the addition of two new executives to newly-created positions on its leadership team. The announcement was made by CenCal Health CEO Marina Owen, who was named to the top position in November 2021.
Chris Morris joined CenCal Health as its Chief Performance Officer (CPO) on January 4 to focus on operational excellence and strategic advancement. He will support CenCal Health’s journey toward the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal program called CalAIM. CalAIM is the far-reaching, multi-year plan to transform Medi-Cal; it is the state’s largest overhaul of how Medi-Cal services are delivered since the implementation of managed care in the late 1970’s.
Over the past four years, Morris served as Director of Operational Excellence at Central California Alliance for Health. Prior to being selected to establish and direct a new Operational Excellence Department, he led the initiatives in Quality Improvement and Compliance for seven years. Morris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and a Master of Science in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco.
“Chris is a values-driven leader whose purpose is to support the success of people and organizations,” said Owen. “Like all of us, he shares a commitment to our mission with its focus on people and partnerships, and cares about those we serve.”
Amanda Flaum joined CenCal Health on January 10 as the Chief Health Operations Officer (CHOO), partnering with the organization’s physician leaders and its community providers to support medical management, pharmacy, whole child model and behavioral health teams. Having previously worked with CenCal Health as a consultant, Flaum will also implement a comprehensive assessment she conducted earlier, with a focus on enhancing the organization’s readiness for health services growth and expansion initiatives.
Flaum brings a wealth of experience to the health plan including as Chief Executive Officer for Aetna Better Health of California; Chief Operating Officer for Promise Health Plan, and Vice President of Medical Care Solutions, both at Blue Shield of California; and Staff Vice President Care Management at Anthem Inc. Flaum holds a master’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the California State University, Northridge.
“I am pleased to name Amanda to this new executive position focused on supporting operations in our health services department,” said Owen. “We know from the excellence of her earlier work here that Amanda is thoughtful in her approach, inclusive of the thoughts and opinions of others, and committed to our mission and our provider partners.”
Owen continued, “As we nurture our culture of continuous improvement, we are delighted that these two seasoned professionals join our well-established CenCal Health team.”
About CenCal Health
CenCal Health is a community-accountable health plan that partners with over 1,500 local physicians, hospitals and other providers in delivering patient care to over 210,000 members – about one in four residents of Santa Barbara County and one in five residents of San Luis Obispo County. A public agency, the health plan contributes approximately $50 million a month into the local economy, primarily through payments to healthcare providers who serve its membership. Established in 1983, it is the oldest managed care Medicaid plan of its kind in the nation. View its annual Community Report at cencal2020.org
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Media Contact: Sheri Mobley (805) 845-5627, 213 509-9816 sheri@seamlesspr.com
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