CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Walter Kastenschmidt has joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) as vice president of Clinical Informatics. In this role, Kastenschmidt will lead the team that provides critical data analysis related to BCBSNC's ability to manage medical expense trends and help members make the best choices about their health.
"We are extremely pleased to have Walt Kastenschmidt join us in this essential role of gathering and analyzing information to identify member health risks before they become health problems and to help our members get the most effective care possible," said Dr. Bob Harris, BCBSNC senior vice president and chief medical officer. "Walt has the depth and breadth of experience and the leadership qualities to take our informational team to the next level in this highly competitive health care market."
The role of BCBSNC Clinical Informatics is to gather, report, analyze and utilize claims, clinical and other data to help members and providers make informed clinical decisions to achieve optimal health. One of the key uses of this data is in BCBSNC's Member Health PartnershipsSM program. Member Health Partnerships provides information and management tools to members that allow them make educated health care decisions on a number of issues such as pregnancy, fibromyalgia, diabetes and smoking cessation. More information about Member Health Partnerships can be found at bcbsnc.com.
Mr. Kastenschmidt comes to BCBSNC from Aetna Healthcare, Blue Bell, PA, where he was Informatics Head for Applied Informatics and a member of Aetna's Integrated Informatics Leadership Team. While at Aetna, he enhanced the company's acceptance of predictive modeling and evidence-based decision-making. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, and he is an associate in the Society of Actuaries.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.2 million members, including approximately 620,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 72 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.2 million members, including approximately 620,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 72 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.
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