Blue Cross NC and Deerfield Management Name CEO of Alo, Joint Venture Company Providing Resources to Independent Physicians

DURHAM, N.C. – The joint venture between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Deerfield Management Company has begun operating under the name Alo, a practice management resource for independent physicians. Matt Eirich, former chief growth officer for Humana Inc.’s primary care business, was appointed as Alo’s president and chief executive officer.

 

“Alo creates new options for independent physician practices across North Carolina,” said Sonny Goyal, senior vice president of diversified business and chief strategy officer at Blue Cross NC. “With our investment in this new venture, Blue Cross NC is advancing our support of primary care and freeing up physicians to focus on what they do best – providing high-quality, patient-centered care.”

 

Eirich brings decades of experience growing and advancing primary care delivery. During Eirich’s tenure at Humana, he significantly expanded the footprint of its care centers, grew its patient panels, and introduced innovative patient experience programs and industry partnerships. 

 

“Matt has worked in both payer and provider environments, and these experiences have afforded him a unique perspective and deep understanding of what is needed to help physicians transition to value-based care,” said Adam Grossman, partner at Deerfield Management. “We are excited to welcome him as Alo’s president and chief executive officer. I know the team will greatly benefit from his leadership as Alo embarks on supporting independent providers.”

 

“The company’s vision is to enable physicians to focus on the health of their patients, leaving business and administrative concerns to Alo,” said Matt Eirich. “I’m passionate about realizing this vision for physicians and couldn’t be more excited to be joining Alo.”

 

As president and CEO of Alo, Eirich will lead the development and growth of Alo as a new management services organization offering support on payer strategy, practice management, patient experience, and value-based care to independent physician practices throughout North Carolina. Eirich came to Alo from CenterWell and Conviva Care Solutions, Humana’s primary care businesses, and before that served as Humana’s vice president of corporate strategy. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA from Davidson College.

 

Initially announced in June 2021 by Blue Cross NC and Deerfield, Alo offers options to help independent physicians scale and grow their practices sustainably, ease the transition to value-based care, and help them thrive during a time of great change in healthcare. Services include: 

 

• Providing infrastructure and support services to reduce administrative burdens and alleviate physician burnout

• Equipping physicians with integrated technology solutions to monitor, manage and coordinate patient care effectively

• Sharing data and insights alongside value-added services to identify and address opportunities to improve care 

• Offering flexible options to help physicians structure the management of their practices

 

The venture is an innovative and advanced phase of Blue Cross NC’s ongoing work to support independent physician practices and help them succeed in the move to value-based care. It builds on Blue Cross NC achievements in value-based care, including the landmark Blue Premier program, one of the most rapid and comprehensive shifts to value-based care by any health plan.

 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is committed to making health care better, simpler, and more affordable. We have been driving better health in North Carolina since 1933, working to tackle our communities’ greatest health challenges. Blue Cross NC serves its customers and communities of more than 4.2 million members, including approximately 1.1 million on behalf of other Blue Plans. Blue Cross NC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit Blue Cross NC online at www.bluecrossnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

 

Deerfield is an investment management firm committed to advancing healthcare through investment, information and philanthropy. The firm works across the healthcare ecosystem to connect people, capital, ideas and technology in bold, collaborative and inclusive ways. For more information, please visit www.deerfield.com.

 

Alo provides the tools for independent physicians to shape health care for the better – for patients, communities and themselves. Founded by a team that understands how to change the playing field for independent practices, Alo helps physicians focus on making sustainable improvements in care. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C.