Highmark names William Winkenwerder as new CEO

Just two months after firing its CEO Ken Melani for an alleged affair with a Highmark employee and an arrest for assault, the company today announced it has hired long-time healthcare and insurance industry veteran William Winkenwerder, Jr., MD, as the company's new president and CEO.

Winkenwerder takes the reins at Highmark at a critical junction for the health insurer, as it looks to acquire struggling West Penn Allegheny Health System amid a rancorous contract stalemate with the region's top health system University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

In Winkenwerder, Highmark appears to have found a new leader who has experience in both the healthcare and insurance industries to lead it through this complex transition.

"(G)iven Bill's extensive experience in public service, as well as his credentials as a physician and health care executive, he clearly has all of the attributes that we were looking for in a new CEO," stated J. Robert Baum, Highmark's chairman of the board in a press release. "His outstanding track record in the healthcare industry, along with his business expertise and strategic vision, make him uniquely qualified to lead our efforts going forward."

Since 2007 Winkenwerder has headed the Winkenwerder Company in Alexandria, Va., which provides consulting services for clients including 3M – Helath Information Systems, Harris Corporation and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Prior to that he served from October 2001 to April 2007 as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs in the U.S. Department of Defense. With the DoD, Winkenwerder led the Military Health System, which comprises more than 132,000 personnel and provides healthcare service to more than 9.5 million people through the TRICARE program and 70 military hospitals worldwide.

Additional past experience include a brief stint working at the predecessor of CMS, Kaiser Permanente, Prudential Health Care, Emory University's Academic Medical Center and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

"Highmark and its employees have a longstanding history of meeting the healthcare needs of millions of people. While there are many challenges ahead, I'm excited about the many opportunities we have in front of us – including our plans to create a new, integrated delivery system," Winkenwerder said in a prepared statement announcing his appointment.