Amazon, Berkshire, JPMorgan hire Blue Cross exec for new healthcare company

Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase have hired a senior Blue Cross Blue Shield executive for their new Boston-based healthcare company.

Dana Gelb Safran, formerly a chief performance measurement and improvement officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachussetts (BCBSMA), is joining the healthcare venture early next year, according to a CNBC Nov. 19 report.

At Blue Cross, Safran leads the company’s initiatives to measure and improve healthcare quality, safety and outcomes. Her advisory roles on national and local quality measurement include work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the National Quality Forum (NQF), the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), and the Massachusetts State Quality Advisory Council (SQAC). She also serves on the boards of directors for a number of charitable and academic organizations.

Earlier in June, the companies announced the appointment of Atul Gawande as chief executive officer (CEO) of their new venture that will be headquartered in Boston and will operate as an independent entity, free from any profit-making incentives and constraints.

The joint venture, which currently in its early stages, is aimed at improving healthcare options for their US workers while improving their satisfaction and reducing costs.