Telehealth Trailblazer Kristi Henderson Chair-Elect of the ATA
WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 17, 2021 — The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) today announced the election of Kristi Henderson, DNP, NP-C, FAAN, FAEN, as Chair-Elect. Henderson is the CEO of MedExpress and Senior Vice President of Telehealth and Innovation for OptumHealth, a UnitedHealth Group company, where she is leading a team that is building digital and virtual health solutions to improve quality outcomes and experiences for patients and providers. She has served on the ATA Board of Directors since December 2020.
“I am honored to serve as chair-elect alongside the distinguished Board representing the members of the ATA,” said Henderson. “Optum is at an unprecedented level of readiness to fully integrate digital health into the care delivery system. I look forward to embarking on this journey together as we advance into longitudinal, virtual-first care models with meaningful and effective engagement using digital health tools.”
Henderson will become Chair of the Board for a two-year term beginning in May 2022, succeeding Joe Kvedar, MD, Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, Senior Advisor, Virtual Care, Mass General Brigham, and Editor-in-Chief, npj Digital Medicine. Dr. Kvedar will become Immediate Past Chair.
“Kristi is a true change agent and a highly respected leader who has helped to shape the direction of our industry over her distinguished 25-year career. She brings important perspective and experience in sectors across healthcare, from academic and clinical settings to a disruptive online retail giant and innovative payer organization,” said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the ATA. “Over the next several years, as our industry modernizes healthcare delivery to include virtual and in-person care, we will have the benefit of Kristi’s vision, focus on patient-centered care, and her leadership as we continue to provide value to our members and to the entire industry.”
At Optum, Henderson is building an integrated health care system that uses digital health tools and virtual health to seamlessly support a patient’s whole health, increase access to high quality care, reduce costs and advance the practice of medicine. Previously, she led clinical operations for Amazon Care, a healthcare initiative for Amazon employees and their families. Before joining Amazon, Kristi designed and launched a national solutions center for patient access, virtual care, and care coordination for Ascension Health. She is an adjunct faculty member in Population Health at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas-Austin and at the University of Washington School of Nursing. Kristi received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she was recognized as the 2019 Distinguished Alumna from the School of Nursing. She maintains national certification as a family and acute care nurse practitioner.
Additional Board Appointments
Two other Board members have been elected to serve on the Executive Committee, beginning in 2022. Taylan “Ty” Bozkurt, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Operations, Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America, will become Secretary, and Joe DeVivo, President, Hospital and Health Systems at Teladoc Health, will become Treasurer.
“I would also like to extend our thanks to Beth Bierbower who, during her two-year term on the Board, brought the voice of the payer and employer to our work, was a tireless connector for the ATA and a trusted advisor on special projects. Likewise, great thanks to John Glaser, Immediate Past Chair, for his unwavering guidance and vision, navigating the ATA through a pivotal period in our history. John may be leaving the Board, but his impact will be felt for many years,” added Mond Johnson. “We are greatly indebted for their service to the ATA and to the industry as a whole.”
About the ATA
As the only organization completely focused on advancing telehealth, the American Telemedicine Association is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, affordable, and appropriate care when and where they need it, enabling the system to do more good for more people. The ATA represents a broad and inclusive member network of leading health care delivery systems, academic institutions, technology solution providers and payers, as well as partner organizations and alliances, working to advance industry adoption of telehealth, promote responsible policy, advocate for government and market normalization, and provide education and resources to help integrate virtual care into emerging value-based delivery models. @americantelemed #telehealthishealth #ATApolicy
