Paladina Health Announces New Chief Medical Officer During Annual Provider Summit

DENVER, Oct. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Paladina Health, a leading-edge healthcare provider whose model improves patient care and satisfaction while lowering costs, today announced Tobias Barker, MD, MHCM as the company's new Chief Medical Officer. Paladina Health offers a patient-first approach to primary care, including unhurried appointments, 24/7 physician access for urgent needs, referral management and care coordination, and no or low co-pays.

A board-certified physician of over 15 years, Dr. Barker most recently held the role of Vice President, Medical Operations and Chief Medical Officer of CVS MinuteClinic where he oversaw all clinical care delivered at over 1,100 clinics within 34 states. Dr. Barker led initiatives to provide telemedicine capabilities nationwide and was responsible for developing partnerships and collaborations with health systems to jointly manage patients in the chronic care space including a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Department of Veteran Affairs and CVS. As CMO at Paladina Health, he will lead the network of providers and medical directors, and continue to shape the overall medical and clinical direction of the organization.

"We are extremely proud of the culture at Paladina Health, a company driven by our vision to be the leader in transforming primary care in America. Throughout our search for a Chief Medical Officer, we emphasized the need for someone with a strong clinical background who demonstrates a passion for exceptional patient care in addition to building and growing a strong, cohesive team," said Chris Miller, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Paladina Health. "We are thrilled that Dr. Barker is joining Paladina Health as Chief Medical Officer. In addition to being a practicing physician, he has comprehensive experience in patient-first clinical strategy and operations, most recently through his role as CMO for CVS MinuteClinic."

The announcement of Dr. Barker's appointment comes during Paladina Health's annual Provider Summit, held in Denver, which includes the company's physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. This gathering serves as a face-to-face opportunity for the company's care teams to discuss clinical best practices, service delivery, continuing education, and changes within the broader medical community. In addition, the Provider Summit stands as an opportunity to recognize Paladina Health's clinical team for the outstanding care they deliver to patients across the U.S.

"This is a very exciting time for Paladina Health and I am extremely proud to join the team," said Dr. Barker. "In addition to retaining a focus on patient-first care, I look forward to applying my experience and expertise in building high-performing teams and implementing clinical innovations to positively impact Paladina Health's already successful trajectory."

Previously, Dr. Barker served as the Director of Physician and Nursing Education for the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center. He earned his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he also received the prestigious Howard Hughes research scholarship. In addition, he was recently awarded a Master's degree in Healthcare Management from the Harvard School of Public Health.

In addition to Dr. Barker's appointment, Paladina Health also recently announced their acquisition by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), as well as a follow-on financing round from NEA, Oak HC/FT, Alta Partners, Greenspring Associates  and other strategic investors. The company currently operates doctors' offices in Colorado, Washington, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, New Jersey and Florida, with plans for continued expansion.

About Paladina Health
Paladina Health is a physician-access model of health care that improves patient care and satisfaction by providing convenient and unhurried patient-centered care and a broad scope of services. Employers who offer Paladina Health to their employees aim to provide the highest-quality benefits while keeping a long-range view of improving the health and wellness of their covered population. For more information, visit https://www.paladinahealth.com.

SOURCE Paladina Health

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