Canopy Health Announces New CEO

Ken Wood appointed CEO to replace retiring Mike Robinson.

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Canopy Health, a Bay Area joint venture originally founded by John Muir Health and UCSF Health, announced the planned retirement of Mike Robinson as CEO effective at the end of the year. Ken Wood, a seasoned Bay Area health care executive, will serve as Canopy Health's CEO effective immediately.

"The Canopy Health board of directors would like to thank Mike Robinson for his five years of service, which saw the organization grow to provide HMO coverage to more than 50,000 Bay Area residents," said Mike Thomas, chair of the Canopy Health board and the president and CEO of John Muir Health. "Prior to stepping in as CEO, Mike had served on the Canopy Health board since the organization's inception. We appreciate the knowledge and experience he brought to the CEO role and wish him the best in his retirement." 

Canopy Health is the Bay Area's leading alliance of high-performance healthcare providers including more than 5,500 physicians and 30 hospitals spanning a 10-county service area.  During Robinson's tenure, Canopy Health forged strong relationships with United Healthcare and HealthNet and expanded access to all corners of the Bay Area.

"The Canopy Health board is pleased that Ken Wood was available to step in and ably lead the organization through a planned growth phase," said Shelby Decosta, vice chair of the Canopy Health board and president of the UCSF Health Affiliates Network. Mr. Wood has previously served as Blue Shield of California's Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, a senior advisor to Covered California's CEO and, most recently, as the CEO/Executive Chair of Evolve Treatment Centers, a California behavioral health company.

"Employers are looking to Canopy Health to provide affordable access to the Bay Area's leading physicians and hospitals at a time when inflation is pushing business costs up across the board," said Wood. "By uniting access to great care with affordable premiums and low out-of-pocket costs, Canopy Health is positioned for rapid growth at a time when many HMO programs are shrinking."

Canopy Health holds a limited Knox Keene License and provides benefit plans marketed by United Healthcare and HealthNet.  The company was incorporated in March 2015 as an affiliation between UCSF Health and John Muir Health to provide a top-quality continuum of care across the Bay Area through partnerships with primary care providers, top-tier academic medical facilities, community hospitals, and medical groups.

About Canopy Health
Canopy Health is a physician and hospital owned medical alliance that delivers a refreshing approach to healthcare by providing affordable care from a network of exceptional physicians, hospitals and providers. Incorporated in March 2015 as an affiliation between UCSF Health and John Muir Health, including ownership and leadership by Hill Physicians Medical Group and John Muir Medical Group, Canopy Health developed a unique mission to provide a top-quality continuum of care across the Bay Area through strong alliances with primary care providers, top-tier academic medical facilities, community hospitals, and medical groups. Every day we work to improve access, affordability, quality and member experience. Canopy Health includes six large physician groups and 30 participating hospitals across ten Bay Area counties.

SOURCE Canopy Health