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LifeWise Names Life-Long Oregon Insurance Marketing Leader As CEO

Posted on: Wednesday, 19 July 2006, 18:00 CDT

Selecting a leader with more than 15 years of Oregon health insurance experience, LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon today announced Majd El-Azma as the company's new President and Chief Executive Officer.

With the appointment of El-Azma, LifeWise is building on its long-term reputation for excellent customer service and long-term marketplace dependability. During his successful tenure as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, El-Azma led LifeWise to record membership and revenue levels, while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Under his leadership, LifeWise redesigned and expanded its group and consumer plan offerings in response to market needs -- including the introduction of HSA-qualified medical plans and web-based consumer tools.

"The LifeWise team is committed to the twin goals of better health and more sustainable costs for the members and customers we serve," said El-Azma. "These are huge challenges for health care and no one entity can achieve them alone. With a foundation of a next-generation technology, a history of being first to market with benefit design innovations and our commitment to service, we believe we're well positioned to contribute to long-term solutions that build on our reputation for service and dependability."

El-Azma was instrumental in the company's recent transition to a new technology platform, allowing LifeWise to deliver expanded service and plan options to members and employers. The new LifeWise platform is based on its parent company's system that was launched in 2002 and supports more than 1.5 million members.

"With its track record of service and market innovation, LifeWise of Oregon plays a key role in our regional market strategy," said Heyward Donigan, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Executive for LifeWise's parent company and Washington affiliate. "Majd has broad and deep experience. He knows the Oregon marketplace and has a keen sense of meeting its challenges by listening to our customers and delivering what they need."

When he joined the LifeWise leadership team in July 2002, El-Azma brought an extensive background in health care and financial services, including product development, strategic planning and financial management. Prior to LifeWise, El-Azma was Senior Vice President, Partner Relations for MyHealthBank. Previously, he was a seven-year member of the executive management team for PacifiCare of Oregon. El-Azma's business background also includes commercial banking experience with First Interstate Bank.

"LifeWise is a leading PPO carrier and a steadying force in the Oregon market," says Rod Cruickshank, President, The Partners Group, LLC. "At a time when carriers should be practicing evidence-based pricing, LifeWise is a leader and adds balance to the market. They led the way in resurrecting a much needed PPO environment and continue to display that leadership today.

"The appointment of Majd El-Azma as President and CEO further demonstrates LifeWise's commitment to this market. I've worked with Majd in this industry for over fifteen years. His experience combined with an unmatched enthusiasm in this industry furthers LifeWise's capacity to meet head on the challenges we face in the delivery of health care."

LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon is a member of a family of companies with operations in Portland and Bend, Oregon; Mountlake Terrace and Spokane, Washington; Anchorage, Alaska; and Scottsdale, Arizona. LifeWise and its affiliates employ about 3,000 people and provide health-care coverage and related services to 1.5 million members.

Source: Business Wire

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