Empire BlueCross BlueShield Appoints Chief Medical Officer

New York — Empire BlueCross BlueShield announced the appointment of Scott Breidbart, M.D. as its chief medical officer. Dr. Breidbart will play a key role as liaison between Empire BlueCross BlueShield, the company's more than 5 million members, their physicians and other health care providers across the state.

"As the nation and health care industry embrace a culture of responsible health maintenance and high-quality, affordable treatment, it is critical to create collaborative relationships between consumers, their doctors and insurers," says Mark Wagar, president and CEO, Empire BlueCross BlueShield. "We are extremely pleased to have someone of Dr. Breidbart's credentials, experience and reputation join our staff and anticipate that our provider partners and members will benefit from his knowledge immediately."

Dr. Breidbart assumes the role previously held by Dr. John Whitney, who has accepted another position within the company. Dr. Breidbart joins Empire BlueCross BlueShield with more than 15 years of managed care experience, and more than 10 years as a medical practitioner in New York. Most recently he served as VP, quality improvement and medical policy at Health Net, where he built and managed clinical account management teams on both coasts and built and directed the medical profiling team.

Dr. Breidbart received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and earned his medical degree from Columbia University. He performed his residency in pediatrics at Babies Hospital (Columbia Presbyterian), his chief residency at Westchester Medical Center and his fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at Montefiore Medical Center.

Sources: Empire BlueCross BlueShield, PRNewswire