Health Service or Cost Containment?

Mark Hebert is reporting that Steve Beshear is trying to negotiate a deal for a new Secretary for Health and Family Services.


Governor-elect Steve Beshear wants the head of the Passport Health Plan to be his Health Services Cabinet Secretary. But so far, negotiations with Joyce Hagen haven't resulted in any agreement.

Here is Ms. Hagen’s biography from The Passport Health web site.

Joyce Hagen has served as President of Passport Health Plan since 1998, a 140,626 member health maintenance organization in Louisville and the surrounding 15 counties. With more than 20 years in the health care industry, Ms. Hagen brings a wealth of experience as a nurse, a multi-specialty clinic manager, an insurance director, a consultant, a wellness company President, and as President of Blue Cross of Kentucky's state-wide PPO company with over 300,000 members. In addition to her Passport title, she serves as AmeriHealth Mercy's Kentucky President and C.E.O., and Corporate Senior Vice-President. Under her leadership, Passport Health Plan has established itself as a uniquely successful Medicaid managed care plan, saving tax dollars for the state while measurably improving quality and member satisfaction.

She received a Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree from Valparaiso University and a Masters of Business Administration at Dominican University. She is also a 1999 graduate of the Leadership Louisville program.

Joyce is very active in the community and lends corporate and personal support for local charitable activities such as "All I Want for Christmas", children's fitness, and numerous fundraising events such as Boy Scouts, United Way, and CASA. She has worked to enhance medical benefits and information for terminally ill patients as part of a Robert Wood Foundation grant on end-of-life care.

Ms. Hagen serves on the University of Louisville Board of Trustees, and has held positions on its Executive committee as well as chairing the Finance Committee. In addition, she serves on the National Kidney Foundation Board, the Louisville Youth Training Center Board, and Journey's End, a coalition of end-of life care.

In 2001, she was the recipient of the prestigious River City Business and Professional Woman of Achievement Award.


Why do I not have the warm and fuzzies about a President of a managed care plan with a six figure income and no real government experience running Health and Family Services?

Looks like her focus, both personally and professionally, is on bucks and not service. This doesn’t look like the best hire but maybe there is more here than meets the eye, I hope so. We don’t need another Mark Birdwhistell.