DUARTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Noted business leader and physician Norman C. Payson, M.D., has been selected as the new chair of the City of Hope board of directors. He began his three-year term on Jan. 1, taking helm of the institution’s board as the research and treatment center launches a new era of growth and scientific investment.
A senior advisor at Apria Healthcare Group since November 2012, Payson is a former chief executive officer of Oxford Health Plans Inc. and Healthsource Inc. He has more than 30 years of experience building and directing health care companies during times of growth and change. At Oxford, a leading provider of health benefit plans, Payson transformed the company financially and culturally into one of the most successful providers in the nation. During his tenure at Healthsource, which he co-founded, the health plan company grew to more than 3 million members in 15 states.
“I am honored to serve as chair of the board of City of Hope, an institution that has touched so many lives and that stands poised to improve the lives of countless more,” Payson said. “As the health care environment evolves and as the cancer rate increases, City of Hope’s role as a research institution and as a provider of specialized oncology care will become even more vital.”
Payson also served as chairman and chief executive officer of Apria Healthcare, which has more than 500 locations and 13,000 employees; as chairman of Viant Holdings and its predecessor Concentra, the nation’s largest occupational health care provider; and as chief executive officer of Hawthorne Community Medical Group, a 120-physician multispecialty group practice.
“As a highly respected physician and a nationally known expert in the management of health care, Dr. Payson understands the challenges and opportunities now facing medical and research institutions,” said City of Hope President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Stone. “He has been an invaluable supporter of our work here, and I’m pleased to have his expertise and experience as we build upon our foundation of scientific excellence and commitment to high-quality, compassionate care.”
Payson joined the board in 2004 and has served as chair of its Finance Committee and Strategic Planning Ad Hoc Committee. He is also the chair of the City of Hope Medical Foundation board of directors and, together with his wife, Melinda Payson, helped establish City of Hope’s Graduate Studies Center as well as a graduate fellowship at the school. He succeeds outgoing chair Sheri Biller.
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Payson received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School. He is a sponsor, lecturer and mentor at The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and at the Tuck School at Dartmouth. He is also a board member of the Business Leadership Council for a Generation Born HIV Free, a campaign to end maternal-to-child HIV transmission.
About City of Hope
City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope’s main hospital is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, with clinics in Antelope Valley and South Pasadena. It is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org or follow City of Hope on facebook, twitter, youtube or flickr.
