Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Announces New CEO

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) has announced the appointment of Patrick J. Geraghty as chief executive officer to succeed Dr. Robert I. Lufrano, effective Sept. 1, 2011. The BCBSF board of directors also plans to elect Geraghty as chairman in September.

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Geraghty has been serving as president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBSMN) since 2008 where he is also a member of BCBSMN's board of trustees and the BCBSMN Foundation board. Additionally, he serves on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Health Policy and Legislative Committee and is chair of the BCBSMN Diversity Council.

Geraghty has more than 30 years of health industry experience and previously held senior leadership positions at Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey and Prudential Insurance Company. He is a graduate of Colgate University. Geraghty is a frequent speaker on a range of health care topics including payment reform strategies, innovation in health care, prevention and wellness and health care reform.

"We are delighted that Pat will be joining BCBSF. He brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience and has been very successful in leading large, diversified businesses in complex markets," said Tracy Leinbach, lead director of the BCBSF board. "Pat will continue the stewardship of our company with its focus on improving the health and well-being of our communities in Florida."

A plan is being developed to ensure a smooth transition between Lufrano and Geraghty. "Pat is a wonderful individual and an excellent leader," said Dr. Lufrano, who announced his retirement earlier this year.  "I have known and worked with Pat for a number of years and am confident that he, along with the strength of the leadership team and the employees, will continue to provide meaningful health solutions to our members."

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) is a leader in Florida's health industry. Since 1944, the company has been dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of all those it serves by offering an array of choices. BCBSF is a not-for-profit, policyholder-owned, tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please see its website at www.bcbsfl.com.

Patrick Geraghty
President and chief executive officer
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Patrick Geraghty serves as president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. He is responsible for the strategy and operations of the state's largest health plan, serving 2.7 million members, with a full scope of health plan products and services. He is also a member of the Blue Cross board of trustees and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation board and chairs the company's Diversity Council.

Prior to joining Blue Cross Geraghty served as Senior Vice President of the Service Division for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. His experience includes senior leadership positions with Prudential Insurance Company, and he has been a senior leader for teams in health care management, marketing, and operations. He has served on the advisory panel of the Deloitte Center for Health Care Solutions, and served on a national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association committee that reviewed emerging issues in health care. He is a graduate of Colgate University.  

Geraghty is a frequent speaker on a range of health care topics including impact of health care reform, payment reform strategies, innovation in health care and prevention and wellness. His most recent presentations include:

• The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' national meeting
• The World Bank Forum on African health care
• The Future of Health Care: The Minnesota Experience – National Institute of Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation
• Health Care Industry Reform and the Future – Health Fitness Executive Summit
• Transform: A Collaborative Symposium on Innovations in Health Care Experience and Delivery – Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation
• Obama's Reform Agenda and the Impact on Insurers – World Health Care Congress
• States as Labs for Innovation: The Front Line for Policy and Politics – World Health Care Congress

Geraghty represents Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota as a board member for a diverse group of organizations including:

• Minnesota Council of Health Plans: Chair
• National Institute of Health Care Management (NIHCM)
• The State Health Care Challenge: Co-chair
• TriWest Healthcare Alliance
• Prime Therapeutics
• Minnesota Business Partnership: Co-chair, health policy committee; executive committee
• Community University Board, Clinical and Translational Science Institute - University of Minnesota
• American Cancer Society: Chair, CEOs Against Cancer
• American Heart Association: Co-chair, 2010 Start! Heart Walk
• Jefferson Awards
• Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF)
• Second Harvest Heartland: Executive advisory committee
• Greater Twin Cities United Way: Campaign cabinet

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today as a health company: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, taxable organization. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida