Molina Healthcare Names James W. Howatt, M.D. Chief Medical Officer
Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: MOH) today announced that, effective May 29, 2007, Dr. James W. Howatt has been appointed as its new Chief Medical Officer. In his capacity as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Howatt will be responsible for oversight of the medical management functions of all of the Company’s health plan subsidiaries, including utilization management, quality improvement, credentialing, pharmacy, and risk management activities. He will report to J. Mario Molina, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Molina Healthcare, Inc. Dr. Michael Siegel, who had served as interim CMO since February 2007, will now focus exclusively on his role as the Company’s Vice President of Utilization Management and Quality Assurance.
Since February 2006, Dr. Howatt, has served as the CMO of the Company’s health plan subsidiary, Molina Healthcare of Washington. Prior to joining Molina Healthcare, Dr. Howatt was Western Regional Medical Director for Humana, where he was responsible for the coordination and oversight of quality, utilization management, credentialing, and accreditation for Humana’s activities west of Kansas City. Previously, he was Vice President and CMO of Humana Arizona, where he was responsible for leading a variety of medical management functions and worked closely with the Company’s sales division to develop customer-focused benefit structures. Dr. Howatt also served as CMO for Humana TRICARE, where he oversaw a $2.5 billion health care operation that served three million beneficiaries and comprised a professional network of 40,000 providers, 800 institutions, and 13 medical directors.
“Dr. Howatt shares Molina Healthcare’s philosophy of placing the physician in a pivotal role in providing high quality care to members. Because he has been with our Washington health plan, Dr. Howatt is very familiar with our organization, shares our commitment to the Medicaid program, and understands the importance of being a dedicated service partner to the people and governments of the communities we serve,” said Dr. Molina. “In addition to his background as a family practice physician, Dr. Howatt brings more than a decade of senior-level managed care experience to his new role at Molina Healthcare. We are delighted to have Dr. Howatt as part of our corporate leadership team.”
Dr. Howatt received B.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of California, San Francisco, and also holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Health Management from the University of Phoenix. He interned and completed his residency program in family practice at Ventura County Hospital in Ventura, California. Dr. Howatt is a board-certified family physician and a member of the American College of Managed Care Medicine.
About Molina Healthcare, Inc.
Molina Healthcare, Inc. is a multi-state managed care organization that arranges for the delivery of healthcare services to persons eligible for Medicaid and other government sponsored programs for low-income families and individuals. Molina Healthcare, Inc. currently serves members in California, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, Texas, and Washington. More information about Molina Healthcare, Inc. can be obtained at www.molinahealthcare.com.