L.A. Care Health Plan Appoints Martha Santana-Chin as Next CEO

Board of Governors for Nation's Largest Publicly Operated Health Plan Confirms Successor

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- L.A. Care Health Plan proudly announced today that its Board of Governors has unanimously voted to appoint Martha Santana-Chin as its next Chief Executive Officer. This historic appointment makes Santana-Chin the first female and Latina CEO to lead the organization. Santana-Chin previously held several leadership roles at various organizations, including an 11-year tenure at Health Net, a Centene company, where she most recently served as Plan Chief Product President in the California Market.

As a Latina leader, the eldest of nine, and the daughter of immigrants whose family relied on Medi-Cal during her childhood, Santana-Chin takes pride in her first-hand understanding of the struggles faced by low-income communities. She has since become a first-generation college graduate and has dedicated her nearly 30-year career to working with the underserved communities of Los Angeles County and other parts of the state.

Santana-Chin has consistently been at the forefront of healthcare innovation, playing pivotal leadership roles in every stage of California's managed care journey focused on serving low-income populations. She has been instrumental in transitioning these communities into managed care, as the program evolved its focus to care for individuals with complex healthcare needs and, more recently, to address whole-person care by integrating medical, behavioral, and social services. She remains steadfast in her commitment to advocating for equitable access to high quality care and empowering communities to thrive. She succeeds outgoing CEO John Baackes, who successfully guided L.A. Care for nearly a decade and whose impending departure was announced in April of this year.

"I'm deeply honored to be the next Chief Executive Officer of L.A. Care as a representative voice of the people we're serving," said Santana-Chin. "I have a profound sense of responsibility to LA's low-income families and look forward to collaborating with the remarkable team at L.A. Care, its board, and its community stakeholders to continue advancing equity in healthcare."

The Board of Governors considered many qualified candidates, but Santana-Chin emerged as the ideal leader to inspire L.A. Care's community and ensure that the organization continues to bring structure, collaboration, and fairness to LA's complex healthcare landscape. She brings extensive experience in managed care, provider relations, operations, delivery system strategy, network management, value-based care programs, and overall business unit accountability. Her exceptional partnership-building skills, ability to cultivate a high-performing, collaborative culture, and strong team-oriented approach, will be invaluable to the organization's success.

"Martha's passion for expanding access to healthcare combined with her humility, empathy, and commitment to building strong and resilient coalitions made her the clear choice to be our next CEO," said Al Ballesteros, chair of L.A. Care's Board of Governors. "She understands our stakeholders and their unique needs – whether they be our members, providers, local, state and federal regulators, or community advocates."

"This historic appointment of a versatile and dynamic Latina community leader to helm the nation's largest publicly operated health plan bodes well for patients and providers across greater Los Angeles," added Hilda Solis, member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and L.A. Care's Board of Governors. "L.A. Care is a unifying force in our community, and I'm confident that under Martha's leadership, we will continue to get Angelenos the care they need, when they need it."

Santana-Chin also serves as Board Chair for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and Board Chair for the Integrated Healthcare Association. She graduated with a B.S. in finance from California State University-Long Beach and received an MBA from the University of California, Irvine – Paul Merage School of Business. She will assume her role as CEO of L.A. Care on January 6, 2025.

About L.A. Care Health Plan
L.A. Care Health Plan is the largest health plan in Los Angeles County serving more than one of every four Angelenos. It is also the largest publicly operated plan in the country. L.A. Care offers four health coverage plans including Medi-Cal, L.A. Care Covered™, L.A. Care Medicare Plus and the PASC-SEIU Homecare Workers Health Care Plan, all dedicated to being accountable and responsive to members. As a public entity, L.A. Care's mission is to provide access to quality health care for L.A. County's low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. L.A. Care prioritizes quality, access and inclusion, elevating health care for all of L.A. County. For more information, follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Additional Comments from L.A. Care Stakeholders:
"Martha Santana-Chin is an outstanding choice to guide L.A. Care into a promising future," said Dr. Ilan Shapiro, Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer at AltaMed Health Services and Vice-Chair of L.A. Care's Board of Governors. "Her deep understanding that quality healthcare begins with strong partnerships in the neighborhoods that we serve, coupled with her empowerment of aspiring medical professionals from underrepresented communities, makes her a visionary leader for this next chapter."

"Martha Santana-Chin understands the healthcare challenges faced by the hardworking families of Los Angeles and will fight to make sure that quality, affordable care is available for all," said Fatima Vasquez, a consumer member of L.A. Care's Board of Governors. "L.A. Care has a real opportunity to lead the national conversation around preventative care and to advocate for an inclusive, efficient and community-centered approach to healthcare."

"Martha Santana-Chin entiende y comprende los desafíos de atención médica que enfrentan las familias trabajadoras de Los Ángeles y trabajará para garantizar que todos tengan acceso a una atención de calidad y asequible," dijo Fatima Vásquez, miembro del Consejo de Gobernadores de L.A. Care en representación de los consumidores. "L.A. Care tiene una verdadera oportunidad de liderar la conversación nacional sobre la atención preventiva y de abogar por un enfoque de atención médica inclusiva, eficiente y centrada en la comunidad."

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SOURCE L.A. Care Health Plan