Amazon-Berkshire-JPM venture recruits health insurance executive

Dana Gelb Safran, a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts executive who works on analytics and improving outcomes, will serve as the initiative's "head of measurement," according to CNBC.

The Amazon-Berkshire Hathaway-J.P. Morgan healthcare initiative has hired a new employee: Dana Gelb Safran, who will serve as “head of measurement,” according to CNBC. She’ll step into the new role early next year.

Safran serves as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ chief performance measurement and improvement officer and senior vice president of enterprise analytics. In other words, she works on leveraging data and analytics to measure and improve patient outcomes.

According to her bio on the BCBS speakers bureau site, she is also a faculty member in the department of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Safran earned her master and doctor of science degrees in health policy from the Harvard School of Public Health.

As CNBC notes, this hire implies that Amazon, Berkshire and JPM are interested in leveraging data-driven tactics.

Their Boston-based venture has yet to be named but will focus on technology solutions that help the three organizations’ U.S. employees and their families with healthcare.

Safran will be in good company in her new position. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and author who has been outspoken about topics like wasteful healthcare spending and unnecessary care amping up costs, serves as CEO. The venture also tapped Jack Stoddard, who spent three years with UnitedHealth Group, as COO. More recently, Stoddard was Comcast’s general manager of digital health.

Photo: sorbetto, Getty Images