SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California announced today the appointment of Marcus Thygeson, M.D. as vice president of medical services. Dr. Thygeson will be responsible for providing strategic leadership for the operational effectiveness and integration of the enterprise's clinical functions. These functions include: medical management; network quality, performance and relationships; and development of medical, payment, and pharmacy policies and guidelines. He will also serve as a medical leader and a representative of Blue Shield of California to the medical community, regulatory and accrediting agencies, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, among others.
"We are excited to have Dr. Thygeson on board. His combination of leadership and experience in health care is a tremendous asset to our team and members," said Dr. Meredith Mathews, senior vice president, chief medical officer.
Most recently, Dr. Thygeson was president of the Center for Healthcare Innovation for Allina Hospitals & Clinics in Minneapolis, where he focused on fostering innovation to achieve improved health, patient experience, affordability, and staff well-being. Prior to joining Allina, Dr. Thygeson served as the corporate medical director and vice president for consumer health solutions at HealthPartners where he was responsible for promoting health and wellness programs, shared decision making, and value-based benefit design. Earlier, he served as medical director for Definity Health, chief medical officer of Mywayhealth, and medical director of Alta Bates Medical Group. Dr. Thygeson also co-founded Mediphonics, a patented service for facilitating scheduled telephone appointments for physicians and patients.
Dr. Thygeson received his Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, from the University of California at Davis, and is a graduate of Harvard Medical School. He received his medical training at Virginia Mason Hospital, where he was Chief Medical Resident, and at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Thygeson is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan with 3.3 million members,4,800 employees, and one of the largest provider networks in California.Founded in 1939 and headquartered inSan Francisco, Blue Shield of California offers a wide range of commercial and government products throughout the state.The companyhas contributed more than $125 million over the past four years to the Blue Shield of California Foundation - which was named one of BusinessWeek's 20 most generous corporate foundations. Contact your local agent or broker for more information about Blue Shield products and services, or visit the Blue Shield website at www.blueshieldca.com.
Contact: Angenette Lau
Corporate Communications
(415) 229-5150
Angenette.lau@blueshieldca.com
SOURCE Blue Shield of California
