Current Position:

Chief Medical Officer, Health Partners Health Plan, April 2020 to Present

Immediate Past Positions:

Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer National Health Plan and Hospitals Quality, May 2014 to April 2020

Medical Director, HealthPartners HealthPlan, Bloomington, MN, 2011 through March 2014

Medical Director, virtuwell, 2011 through March 2014

Clinical Practice, Family Practice 1988 through 2011

Media/Public Speaking Experience:

Extensive experience in development and delivery of content and messages in a wide variety of venues including on air television, interviews with print and electronic media journalists, frequent invitations for speaking engagements before national audiences, policy groups, as a member of expert panels and in expanded treatments on topics such as quality performance, culture change, and public reporting of data. Work has been featured on the websites of Kaiser Permanente, HealthPartners, The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation and America’s Health Insurance Plans among others. Now with HealthPartners and previously with Kaiser Permanente serves as media and organizational spokesperson on national and regional issues related to Quality, Safety, Emergency Response, and the future of Health and Health Care.

Government Relations:

Extensive experience in working with government relations professionals as well as legislative staff and committees at both the state and federal level. This includes testimony before Minnesota State Legislative committees on the topic of overuse of high tech imaging in 2007 as well as testimony and questioning in 2013 on the topic of payment reform before the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington, including its implications for fixing shortcomings inherent in the Sustainable Growth Rate Medicare Update process. Now with HealthPartners and previously with Kaiser Permanente National Public Policy structure focused on State and Federal Public Policy issues in payment reform, education, quality, licensure and health workforce development.

Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine:

As the Kaiser Permanente National Executive Sponsor guided the School of Medicine Business Case to approval by the Kaiser Foundation Board of Directors. Until the formation of the School of Medicine Board of Directors, the school of medicine Planning Dean and core team reported to me, with transition to the School of Medicine Board of Directors in 2017. Until March 2020 served as member of the School of Medicine Board of Directors and as national leader primarily responsible for overcoming organizational barriers and helping to assure proper structure, autonomy, financial and governance models to meet accreditors requirements. Having decided to achieve degree granting authority the school had three separate accrediting bodies to satisfy. Work included the governance over design and construction of a new School of Medicine building.

Management of Complex Initiatives:

A recognized strength engaging in effective diplomacy and productive conversations with a broad range of stakeholders to find innovative solutions and positive results in areas known for controversy, contention, and misunderstanding. A key example in High Tech Imaging: In 2007, served as lead medical director for a HealthPartners project to address the problem of overuse in High Tech Imaging. Partnering with HealthPartners Care Delivery developed and deployed a decision support approach that ultimately became the first and only statewide example of imbedded decision support, eliminating the need for traditional external Radiology Benefit Management. Involved all delivery systems, owned and contracted, in the HealthPartners Network, taking full advantage of the ICSI Community Collaborative framework. As a result the trend for growth in High Tech Imaging flattened and it saved HealthPartners an average of $8 million a year on a population of 800,000 members. At Kaiser Permanente, School of Medicine, reorganization of the National Quality Committee Structure and National Quality Strategy, Mental Health and Wellness Strategy, Precision Medicine/Genomics Strategy, and Telehealth are a few of the more recent examples requiring these skills.

Disruptive Innovation:

Medical Director for virtuwell.com, HealthPartners online convenience clinic. Having treated over 80,000 patients in its first three years in just two states. Earning 97% “would definitely recommend” rating from patients, saving $88 per episode and slated to expand from three to 17 states served by the end of Q1 2014. At Kaiser Permanente, I served as the Kaiser Foundation national executive sponsor of our Telehealth Strategy working in close partnership with medical group and hospital leadership. Kaiser Permanente is a recognized industry leader in wide deployment of comprehensive telehealth services.

Academic Preparation:

Family Practice Residency, University of Minnesota, Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park, MN, 1988

M.D., University of Minnesota, Duluth and Minneapolis, 1985

B.A. in Biology, summa cum laude, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, 1981

Certified Health Insurance Executive, AHIP Executive Development Program, 2006

Licensure:

State of Minnesota, License to Practice Medicine and Surgery, License Number 30083, continuous, since 1986

State of Wisconsin, License to Practice Medicine and Surgery, License Number 55822

State of California, License to Practice Medicine and Surgery, License Number G134621

Certification:

American Board of Family Medicine: Board Certified, continuous, 1988 through 2018

Academic Appointments:

Associate Clinical Faculty, University of Minnesota Department of Family Practice and Community Health, continuous, 1988 through 2005, working with students and residents in University of Minnesota.

Invited Faculty, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota Medical School, and University of St. Thomas Executive MBA program 2009 through 2014.

Hospital Appointments:

Health East, St. Paul, MN, continuous from 1988 through 2005

Children’s Healthcare, St. Paul, MN, continuous, from 1988 through 2005

United Hospital, St. Paul, MN, 1988 to 2000. Discontinued due to our medical group’s decision to stop serving this hospital

Clinical Practice:

North Suburban Family Physicians, P.A., full time, full spectrum family practice, 1988 through 2001

HealthPartners Medical Group, full time, full spectrum family practice, 2001 to September 2004, Part time clinical practice September 2004 through December 2011

Administrative Appointments:

Medical Director, HealthPartners Health Plan, January 2011 – 2014

Chair, Americas Health Insurance Plans Chief Medical Officer Leadership Council, June 2012 to 2014

Chair, Alliance of Community Health Plans Medical Director Council, Term begins October 2012 through September 2014

Member, Board of Directors, Alliance of Community Health Plans, January 2012, term continues through 2016

Associate Medical Director, Care Delivery Systems, HealthPartners Health Plan, 2004 through 2010 with wide-ranging responsibilities including provider relations, clinical quality, pharmacy, patient safety and staff support for HealthPartners Board of Directors Transformation Committee

Medical Director, North Suburban Family Physicians, 1990 through 1996

President, North Suburban Family Physicians, 1997 through 2001

Assistant Regional Medical Director, HealthPartners Medical Group for North Suburban Family Physicians, Osceola Medical Center, Amery Regional Medical Center, 2002 to 2005

Vice Chair, Department of Family Practice, St. John’s Hospital, Maplewood, MN, September 1994 through August 1995

Chair, Department of Family Practice, St John’s Hospital, Maplewood, MN, September 1995 through August 1996

Chief of Staff, St. John’s Hospital, Maplewood, MN September 1997 through August 1998

Member, Medical Board of Governors, HealthPartners, Minneapolis, MN, 1996 through 2001

Co-chair, Medical Board of Governors, HealthPartners, Minneapolis, MN, March 1997 through February 2001

Member, Board of Directors, HealthPartners, Minneapolis, MN, March 1997 through February 2001

Member-at-Large, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, HealthPartners, Minneapolis, MN, October 1999 through February 2001

Member, Board of Directors, HealthPartners Institute for Medical Education, Minneapolis, MN, October 1997 to August 2013

Chair, Board of Directors, HealthPartners Institute for Medical Education, Minneapolis, MN, 2001 to 2006

Vice-Chair, HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research, Term beginning September 2012 finished 2014

Vice Chair, HealthPartners Institute, April 2021 to present

Member, Board of Directors, Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, January 2012 through March 2014 after serving as alternate for previous Health Partners medical director for several years, and again beginning May 2020 to present

Member, Board of Directors, Minnesota Community Measurement, May 2020 to present

Member, Minnesota Hospital Association Patient Safety Committee, 2005 through 2012

Chair, Minnesota Hospital Association Patient Safety Committee, 2012

Awards:

Model Physician of the Year, St. John’s Family Practice Residents Award, 1996, “In recognition of outstanding example provided to residents in training and fellow practitioners”

Community Service:

Member, NAMI California Board of Directors, 2016 to present, Finance Committee Chair, 2017 to 1019, Board Chair, 2019 to Present

Member, C-TAC Board of Directors, 2019 to present

Member, California Future Health Workforce Commission, January 2018 through 2019

Member, Memorial Blood Centers, Innovative Blood Resources Board of Directors, 2006 to 2014

Chair, Quality Committee, Memorial Blood Centers, Innovative Blood Resources, 2006 to 2014

Roseville Area Middle School Free Clinic, Roseville, MN, free services for students in need at a monthly clinic on site, 1992 through 1995

Committee Chair, Assistant Scoutmaster, Venture Crew Adult Leader, Troop 254, Lauderdale, MN, 1996 through 2000

School District 623 Community Education Committee, Roseville, MN, 1990 and 1991

Leave of Absence:

July 2010 through December 2010, sailed as captain of a 40’ sloop from Duluth, MN to Portugal, Madeira, Canary Islands, and back to Florida.

Publications:

1. Courneya PT, Palattao KJ, Gallagher JM. Innovation Profile: HealthPartners’ Online Clinic for Simple Conditions Delivers Savings of $88 Per Episode and High Patient Approval, Health Affairs 32 No 2 (2013): 385-392

2. Rank BH, Courneya PT. Guest Commentary: Part of the Solution: Physicians Can and Want to Improve Quality, Lower Cost of Healthcare, Modern Healthcare October 12, 2013

3. Courneya PT, Insurers and Genetics: Key Issues to Consider as Knowledge Grows, Minnesota Physician XXVI, no 12 (2013): 22-23

Bio posted July 2021

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