Interwell Health Names Board of Directors with Deep Experience in Value-Based Care

Board Includes Co-Chairmen John Arlotta and Bill Valle, as well as Alex Azar, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Gina Loften, former Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft U.S.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Interwell Health, a physician-centered organization dedicated to reimagining kidney care, today announced the appointment of eight leaders to its Board of Directors, including John Arlotta, former Chief Executive Officer of eviCore which was acquired by Express Scripts, and Alex Azar, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, as independent directors. Mr. Arlotta will serve as co-chair of the board along with Bill Valle, Chief Executive Officer of Care Delivery for Fresenius Medical Care.

The company will benefit from strong physician leadership on the board including Dr. Carney Taylor and Dr. Charles Zachem, both of whom have led their nephrology practices on the transition to value-based care. Interwell Health also welcomes Gina Loften, former Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft U.S. and executive at IBM. Ms. Loften brings a proven track record of helping enterprises drive value through technology and innovation.

"I am honored and humbled to work alongside this exceptional group of directors to advance our mission of helping people with kidney disease live their best lives," said Interwell Health CEO, Robert Sepucha, who also serves as a member of the Board of Directors. "This is a dynamic group of leaders whose diverse perspectives and wealth of experience will help guide us as we begin this next chapter. Together, with our skilled and passionate team of employees and physician partners, we are well positioned to continue to transform kidney care."

The experience of the new Interwell Health Board spans the public, private, clinical, and government healthcare sectors. These directors will help guide the company in its mission to deliver improved outcomes and better quality of life for people living with kidney disease, reduce total cost of care for payer partners, and provide physicians with the resources and support needed to deliver the highest quality care.

Interwell Health's Board of Directors is composed of:

• John Arlotta, Co-Chairman of the Board, brings more than 40 years of leadership in the healthcare industry, most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer of eviCore, which was acquired by Express Scripts and is currently a Cigna/Evernorth business. He has held leadership roles at a wide range of start-ups and high growth companies, both private and publicly traded. He served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Office of Denver-based Coram Inc.; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NeighborCare Inc.; Chief Operating Officer of Caremark RX; and Chairman of Kindred at Home. He began his career at Baxter International, and has worked with numerous private equity portfolio companies. Mr. Arlotta earned his BBA in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame and is a retired U.S. Army Reserve Captain.
• Bill Valle, Co-Chairman of the Board, is the Chief Executive Officer of Care Delivery for Fresenius Medical Care, leading global divisions focused on improving the quality of life for people living with kidney disease and other chronic conditions. He previously served as President of Fresenius Kidney Care, where he was responsible for the successful management of outpatient and inpatient programs, as well as home dialysis growth across the U.S. He also served as President of the company's Integrated Renal Services business, which he helped transform into a high-performance network focused on improving outcomes and reducing the costs of managing kidney disease. Mr. Valle also sits on the Management Board of Fresenius Medical Care and brings more than 35 years of industry experience, including executive roles in sales, marketing, and business development.
• Alex Azar served as the 24th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2018-2021, leading over 85,000 employees with a budget of over $1.4 trillion to improve the health, safety, and well-being of Americans. As Secretary, Azar led the largest changes in 50 years to how chronic kidney disease is prevented and treated in the United States. Mr. Azar was also the architect of Operation Warp Speed, which accelerated the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. Prior to serving as Secretary, Mr. Azar held several other executive roles including President of the U.S. affiliate of Eli Lilly and Company, Deputy Secretary and General Counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, and Partner at Wiley Rein LLP. Mr. Azar earned a Juris Doctor from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College.
• Tracy Bahl serves as Managing Director at Valtruis, a WCAS company focused on investing in organizations leading the transformation to value-based care. He was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer of OneOncology, a network of leading community oncology practices across the U.S. Prior to OneOncology, Mr. Bahl served as Executive Vice President of Health Plans for CVS Health and held leadership and advisory roles at Emdeon (now Change Healthcare); General Atlantic; UnitedHealth Group; and Cigna. Mr. Bahl earned his Master of Business Administration degrees from Columbia University and the London Business School as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gustavus Adolphus College.
• Gina Loften most recently served as Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft U.S. before retiring in 2021. She has more than three decades of experience helping enterprises put innovation into practice to deliver shareholder and business value. Ms. Loften has held senior executive positions in research, development, sales, and consulting at IBM and Microsoft including Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Technology Officer roles. Ms. Loften has an excellent track record scaling businesses from emerging opportunities to multiple billion-dollar impact to the organization. She is also a sought-after speaker and author on topics such as leadership, artificial intelligence, cloud, cybersecurity, innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Loften holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
• Robert Sepucha, CEO of Interwell Health and former CEO of Cricket Health, brings over ten years of value-based kidney care experience to his role on the board. Prior to joining Cricket Health, Mr. Sepucha spent seven years with Fresenius Medical Care in Government Affairs and Corporate Affairs leadership roles. Earlier in his career, Mr. Sepucha served as General Counsel at the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Chief of Staff to Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., and practiced as an attorney with Gunderson Dettmer in Silicon Valley and Boston specializing in venture capital and high-tech startups. Mr. Sepucha received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College.
• Dr. Carney Taylor is the Co-President of Eastern Nephrology Associates and is a leading nephrologist with more than 20 years of clinical experience. Dr. Taylor is a double-board certified physician in nephrology and internal medicine and holds a medical degree from East Carolina University School of Medicine, a Master of Business Administration degree from East Carolina University, and a bachelor's degree from the Virginia Military Institute. Dr. Taylor completed his residency and fellowship in nephrology at Vanderbilt University.
• Dr. Charles Zachem has practiced medicine for more than 25 years and serves as Managing Partner at Kidney Care of Oregon. Dr. Zachem is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, Board Member of Pacific Health Associates, and Medical Director at Fresenius Medical Care North America. Dr. Zachem is a double-board certified physician in nephrology and internal medicine. He received his medical degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed his residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, and his fellowship at University of Washington.

Interwell Health is a kidney care management company that partners with physicians on its mission to reimagine healthcare – with the expertise, compassion, and vision to set the standard for the industry and help patients live their best lives. The company is differentiated by its ability to deliver improved clinical outcomes and better quality of life for patients, reduce the total cost of care for payer partners, and provide the resources physicians need to thrive in a value-based world – all at scale. To learn more, visit interwellhealth.com.

CONTACT:  Brad Puffer, Corporate Communications, [email protected] 

SOURCE InterWell Health