Global Healthcare Leader Dr. Richard Merkin Honored With Medical Visionary Award From UCLA

MARINA DEL REY, Calif., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO of Heritage Provider Network, received the Medical Visionary Award from the Department of Neurosurgery at UCLA at their gala Visionary Ball in Beverly Hills, California on October 24, 2013.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131030/LA06805)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120418/LA89605LOGO-a)

Dr. Merkin was recognized as one of the country's leading visionary healthcare executives, a role model of excellence with over 30 years of experience creating medical networks responding to the changing global healthcare marketplace. Named one of the world's "10 Most Innovative Companies" in healthcare, HPN has become the largest physician-owned and operated integrated delivery systems in the US with over 50 related healthcare companies.

"I am deeply honored to receive the Medical Visionary Award from UCLA," said Dr. Merkin. "Our important work and commitment to the neurosciences leads us to critical, life saving breakthroughs impacting the intersection of science and technology. The Department of Neurosurgery at UCLA is one of the best in the country and I applaud their efforts as they continue to explore the brain sciences."

"Dr. Merkin has developed a vision for a new American healthcare – engineered for both higher quality and cost efficiency - so that everyone can have access to affordable and excellent healthcare," said Dr. Neil Martin, Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "He has not only conceived and planned it – he is making the vision come to life through his work as CEO of Heritage Provider Network, and originator of the $3 Million Heritage Health Prize for innovative predictive modeling in population health management.  For these inspiring achievements, we are honored to recognize him with the 2013 UCLA Neurosurgery Medical Visionary Award."

Dr. Merkin is committed is supporting advancements in the neurosciences and established the Richard Merkin Foundation for Stem Cell Research at the Broad Institute at Harvard and MIT; the Richard Merkin Initiative at the John Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute and the Richard Merkin Foundation for Neural Regeneration at UCLA.

Also honored with Dr. Merkin at the Visionary Gala event was Academy Award winning Director William Friedkin, Writer/Producer Chuck Lorre, Producer Steve Tisch and Rabbi David Wolpe. Comedian Larry Miller served as master of ceremonies and the evening included a performance by Randy Newman.

ABOUT HPN:
Heritage Provider Network, Inc. (HPN) is on the cutting edge of the accountable care model of healthcare delivery: coordinated, patient-doctor centric, integrated health care systems that represent the future of health care in the United States. HPN and its affiliates operate in California, New York and Arizona providing high quality, cost effective healthcare to over 700,000 individuals and are dedicated to quality, affordable health care, and putting patients' wellness first. (www.heritageprovidernetwork.com)

SOURCE Heritage Provider Network, Inc.