Robert Hatch Named President of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- – Regence, the largest non-profit health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain region, has named Robert Hatch as President of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. Mr. Hatch's appointment is effective June 1, 2010. He replaces current President Scott Ideson, who retires in late summer. In the interim, Mr. Ideson will work closely with Mr. Hatch on the transition to his new role.

"Bob is an established and esteemed leader throughout the Utah community, and I am honored to have him join our team," said Mark Ganz, President and CEO of Regence. "As a long-time member of our board of directors, Bob has an extensive history with our company and has gained a keen understanding of our business and our mission. His appointment underscores our commitment to the Utah market, and we are excited to have him in this role."

As past President and CEO of Wells Fargo Utah, Mr. Hatch is recognized as a leader in the financial services industry, with proven strengths in operations, customer service and retention. He also has a long history of engagement in the health care industry and with Regence. Until his appointment, Mr. Hatch served on the board of directors for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. He also served three terms on the board of Utah's parent company, Regence, and his service included Vice Chair of The Regence Group's board of directors and Chair of the Audit Committee.

"I have seen first-hand the exceptional and innovative work that Regence is doing to transform the health care system, and I am looking forward to this next phase of my career with great excitement," said Mr. Hatch. "I have a strong relationship with the company, its people and those whom Regence serves, and I am committed to forwarding those same principles that has made Regence an industry leader."

A Utah native, Mr. Hatch has tremendous connections to the community. He served as Chair and board member of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah and Chair and board member of the Utah Bankers Association. He also served on the boards of the Utah Symphony, Holy Cross Hospital and as Chair of the Holy Cross Foundation. He currently serves as director – Salt Lake Branch – of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and secretary and trustee of the Emma Eccles Jones Private Foundation. He also serves as a member of Wells Fargo's Salt Lake community board.

Ideson Retires

After nearly 40 years of working in the health care industry, including 11 years with Regence, Scott Ideson will retire in late summer. Over the next few months he will work with Mr. Hatch to ensure a seamless and effective transition.

"Scott is a tremendous asset to the company and to the community, and he will be greatly missed," said Mr. Ganz. "We are grateful for Scott's continued commitment to our members as he supports Bob in his new role, and wish him well as he embarks on this next phase of his life."

About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah is a leading health plan in Utah, with more than 400,000 members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, serving more than 2.5 million members as Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com.

SOURCE Regence