OAKLAND, Calif., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- John H. Austin, M.D., founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Medical Officer of Arcadian Management Services, was killed in an airplane accident on May 29th, 2009. According to a spokeswoman for the Garfield County, Utah, Sheriff's Office, his private plane, a Storch two-seater, crashed this morning.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090529/LA24851)

Dr. Austin's legacy includes leading Arcadian Management Services, a provider of high-quality, cost-effective administrative infrastructure and management services to health care provider groups, hospitals and health plans, which he founded in 1996. In 2005, he grew the company to offer Arcadian Health Plan, a contracted Medicare Advantage health plan. Through state or locally-branded health plans, the plan offers Medicare health plan options to Medicare beneficiaries who reside in secondary metropolitan and non-urban communities. With over 46,000 members in 11 states, Arcadian Health Plan continues to live his vision to serve the health care needs of traditionally under-served members of rural communities in a high quality and cost efficient manner.

"John passionately believed in the critical mission Arcadian provides to all of our members - that is to provide quality healthcare services to the underserved populations in many of our country's most needed rural areas. It is through his vision, diligence and commitment to this mission that has brought Arcadian to where it is today. His background as a physician, spirit of compassion and critical focus on providing further opportunities to medical choices for our members serve as his remarkable legacy. We are all deeply saddened by his passing and will carry on his mission in testament to him because we are committed to serving our members and clients with respect and care," states Robert Fahlman, Chief Executive Officer of Arcadian.

Prior to founding Arcadian, Dr. Austin was President and CEO of UniMed, a physician management company based in Southern California. From 1987 until 1992, Dr. Austin was Executive Vice President for Health Plan of America, a California HMO. From 1982 until 1987, he was with HealthAmerica a Nashville based HMO with over one million members, ultimately, as Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Austin was the Chairman of the Board of Coventry Health Care until January 1, 2005, a public managed care company with over 2 million members and $7 billion in revenues, and most currently was a Coventry Board member. Dr. Austin received his M.D. degree from the University of California in San Francisco, in 1970, a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University in 1972, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine.

SOURCE Arcadian Management Services

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