IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Health Plan Alliance, a national organization for provider-sponsored and independently-owned health plan collaboration, today announced that Cathy K. Eddy, founder and president, will retire effective April 30, 2018. After a nationwide search, Joe W. Lastinger has been selected as the new Alliance president, effective Feb. 5, 2018.
Lastinger, a native of Dallas, most recently served as the system vice president of strategy and market development for Baylor Scott & White Health. Prior to that, Lastinger was CEO of the North Texas Accountable Healthcare Partnership (NTAHP), a regional healthcare improvement collaborative serving 145 hospitals and 7 million citizens in North Texas. During his time at NTAHP, Lastinger created a health information exchange and a regional payer claims database in partnership with large employers and health systems, along with regional and national payers. Earlier in his career, Lastinger served as chief marketing and strategy officer for T-System, Inc., a clinical IT solutions company, which provides emergency and urgent care documentation and coding software to 1,900 hospitals and clinics.
Lastinger has a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Dallas and an MBA in health services administration from the University of Dallas School of Management. He is a co-founder and board member of Families Fighting Flu and is an active board member of many other professional and community organizations.
Eddy founded and has led the Alliance for more than 20 years. Formerly known as The HMO Alliance, the organization was started by Eddy in 1996 while she was the vice president of managed care and clinical affairs at VHA Inc. (now known as Vizient). Eddy has worked at Vizient for 25 years, starting in public policy and later went on to spearhead the organization’s national community health improvement initiatives. She also served as a health policy analyst for the 1992 Ross Perot presidential campaign.
Eddy is a current member of the Board of Trustees for both Health First Health Plan and the Health First Health System in Rockledge, Fla. She recently served on the Presbyterian Health Plan Board in Albuquerque, N.M., where she also chaired the Quality Committee of the Board. She serves on the advisory boards of Women Business Leaders and DST Healthcare and served on the Health Industry Council Board in Dallas.
“Cathy has led the Alliance for more than 20 years, and this organization would not be what it is today without her,” said Garry Maisel, Alliance board chair. “The Alliance is operationally sound and positioned for continued success. Cathy and the senior leadership team have laid out a vision for the organization with the support of the board and our shareholders that will guide the Alliance for many years to come. The Alliance and the executive committee are confident that the organization will continue to grow under Joe’s leadership.”
About the Health Plan Alliance
The Health Plan Alliance is a national organization that brings provider-sponsored and independently-owned health plans together with their health system and provider group leaders for unparalleled peer-to-peer collaboration. Alliance member health plans are well represented across various stages of development and all lines of business. For more than 20 years, Alliance members have leveraged the collective knowledge of our community to enhance their business acumen and advance the quality of health care delivery in their communities.
