Adaeze Enekwechi Joins Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe as an Operating Partner in the Firm's Healthcare Group

NEW YORK, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare and technology industries, announced today that Dr. Adaeze Enekwechi will join the firm in June as an Operating Partner. She will also join The Health Management Academy, which has a strategic partnership with WCAS, as an Executive-in-Residence.

Dr. Enekwechi is a well-known expert on health policy. She has served at the highest level of government and as a leader in the private sector. Most notably, Dr. Enekwechi headed health programs at the White House Office of Management and Budget under President Obama. In that role, she provided policy, management, and regulatory oversight for more than $1.6 trillion in federal government health spending, including Medicare and Medicaid. She had primary responsibility for all operating divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration.

From March 2019 until October 2020, Dr. Enekwechi was President of the Columbia, Maryland-based IMPAQ, LLC., a policy research and implementation company focused on health, workforce, and advanced analytics. The 400-person company was acquired in May 2020 by American Institutes for Research (AIR), one of the world's leading behavioral and social science research organizations. Dr. Enekwechi previously held executive positions at consulting firms where she led the evaluation of Medicare payment policies, helped investment firms review healthcare marketplaces and companies, and used advanced analytics to support healthcare policy implementation.

"We are thrilled that Adaeze will be joining our firm," said Brian T. Regan, Head of the Healthcare Group & General Partner at WCAS. "We have built a team here with a broad array of experience across healthcare investing, policy, and operations. Adaeze is not just a well-regarded healthcare policy expert, but she also brings deep analytics and research experience."

"I look forward to building value for WCAS's investors by finding and funding cutting edge companies that improve health care delivery for Americans in general and for vulnerable populations in particular," Dr. Enekwechi said. "Success in health care means that patients are the winners."

"I have been friends with Adaeze for many years, so I couldn't be happier for her to join WCAS.  We've made a significant investment at WCAS in understanding and engaging healthcare policy makers, and I look forward to partnering with Adaeze on this," said Tom Scully, a General Partner at WCAS and a former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

In addition to her role at WCAS, Dr. Enekwechi will remain an active board director and advisor for various healthcare companies. She also will keep her academic position with the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University.

Dr. Enekwechi completed a BA at the University of Iowa, an MPP at the American University, and a PhD in Health Services and Policy from the University of Iowa. She did her postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago. Her research area covers the aging population and Medicare, health equity for vulnerable populations, and evidence-based policymaking in the U.S. context.

About Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe 
WCAS is a leading U.S. private equity firm focused on two target industries: healthcare and technology. Since its founding in 1979, the firm's strategy has been to partner with outstanding management teams and build value for its investors through a combination of operational improvements, growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions. The firm has raised and managed funds totaling over $27 billion of committed capital. For more information, please visit www.wcas.com.

Over the past four decades, WCAS has successfully invested approximately $10 billion of equity in over 90 healthcare companies through its 13 private equity funds.

About The Health Management Academy
The Health Management Academy (The Academy) is a member-based organization that works at the intersection of Leading Health Systems and industry companies to help solve healthcare's biggest challenges. The Academy convenes C-suite executives, provides leadership development programs, creates targeted research content and insights, and facilitates the development of strategic alliances. For more information, visit us at www.hmacademy.com. 

SOURCE Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe