What Happened?
Austin, TX-based FirstCare Health Plans Promoted Gerald Shields as Chief Information Officer
About the Company
To provide our customers access to high quality, affordable health care through strong partnerships in the communities we serve. FirstCare is a State of Texas for-profit company, organized for the purpose of operating an Independent Practice Association (IPA)-model health maintenance organization. FirstCare provides prepaid medical, hospital, and related comprehensive health care services to HMO subscribers and their enrolled dependents within our approved service area. FirstCare also owns Southwest Life and Health Insurance Company which offers the FirstCare PPO and life insurance products. FirstCare does not employ incentives to encourage barriers to care and services, specifically reward practitioners or other individuals conducting utilization review for issuing denials of coverage or service care, or provide incentives for utilization review decision makers that result in underutilization.
About the Person
Gerald Shields has more than 30 years of experience in health care management. Since he began serving as FirstCare`s interim CIO In September 2014, Gerald has led numerous technology initiatives for the organization, including ICD-10 compliance and product line migration to our new claims adjudication platform. Prior to joining FirstCare, Shields had been with Nolan Consulting Company since 2011. Shields holds bachelor`s degrees in computer science and accounting from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, as well as professional certifications from Harvard University`s Kennedy School of Government, MIT`s Chief Network Officers Program, and Aubrey Daniels International. He has been named twice in CIO Magazine`s Top 100 CIOs of the Year, and has also been the recipient of ComputerWorld`s Top 100 CIO Award. With more than 26 years in health care, Henderson, a certified health care compliance professional, has been FirstCare`s vice president of compliance and government programs since December 2014. Her past experience includes serving as vice president of compliance and audit for HealthFirst in New York, 19 years at Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield—in a variety of operational and compliance roles, including director of regulatory affairs and compliance, and then vice president of regulatory affairs and compliance until 2007, when she went on to become the corporate compliance officer for AmeriChoice by United Healthcare in Newark, New Jersey. Her promotion includes serving as corporate secretary to FirstCare`s Board of Directors while continuing her responsibilities over FirstCare`s government programs and compliance functions. Henderson graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her bachelor`s degree in communications.
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