HealthHelp Names New Chief Medical Officer

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. Anthony DeFrance has joined HealthHelp as chief medical officer. He brings to the role years of clinical experience as well as expertise in the appropriate use of imaging and technology in cardiovascular medicine. Cherrill Farnsworth, president and chief executive officer of the leading specialty benefits management provider, announced the hiring internally on March 5.

“Dr. DeFrance’s history with HealthHelp, his well-known national presence, and his passion for quality and safety in healthcare were the defining differentiators for his candidacy”

"Dr. DeFrance’s history with HealthHelp, his well-known national presence, and his passion for quality and safety in healthcare were the defining differentiators for his candidacy," Farnsworth told employees.

DeFrance was an internal candidate who has been with HealthHelp since 2009, first as director of cardiology and most recently as director of clinical operational efficiency. He designed all of the cardiology rule sets and ran the cardiology peer-to-peer program before working to ensure optimization of quality, safety, and efficiency for patients in the later role.

"I am very excited to take on this new role at HealthHelp," DeFrance said. "I fully believe that HealthHelp is the right model to help improve the quality of medical care and also improve efficiency in healthcare. All our rule sets are evidence based and we work collaboratively with ordering physicians to identify the best test or treatment in terms of quality and safety for the patient. I look forward to working closely with medical societies and physicians of all specialties to improve patient care."

An interventional cardiologist in clinical practice for 10 years, he turned his focus to cardiac CT angiography and the appropriate use of imaging technology in 2006. He serves as a clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and runs an education and e-learning company he founded called Digimedica. Dr. DeFrance has trained more than 2000 physicians in cardiac CT angiography and the appropriate use of medical technology to date.

He also has authored numerous articles on cardiology and radiology topics and has co-authored several peer-reviewed articles in various journals and scientific abstracts, including “Journal of the American College of Cardiology,” “Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography,” and “Radiologic Society of North America.” Dr. DeFrance speaks and presents regularly on cardiology and the appropriate use of cardiac imaging and technology, both in the U.S. and abroad.

He received a medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine, completing a residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a fellowship in cardiology and interventional cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Dr. DeFrance replaces former chief medical officer, Mark D. Hiatt, MD, MBA, MS. Dr. Hiatt recently became the executive medical director for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. During his tenure with HealthHelp, he introduced clinical decision support into the prior authorization process and helped the company achieve the recognition of adhering most closely to industry best practices (per a study commissioned by the Radiology Business Management Association). HealthHelp thanks Dr. Hiatt for his contributions, which serve as an excellent foundation for Dr. DeFrance.

About HealthHelp®

HealthHelp, a leader in specialty benefits management, generates significant savings and return on investment for health care payors by enhancing physician knowledge, improving quality of care, and reducing unnecessary radiation exposure. Each of its programs addresses a different aspect of radiology, cardiology, medical and radiation oncology, emergency medicine, musculoskeletal care, and sleep medicine. The clients of Houston-based HealthHelp administer local, statewide, and national health care plans across the country. For more information about HealthHelp’s programs, visit www.healthhelp.com/specialties.