CEO Atul Gawande Takes New Role At Haven Heathcare Joint Venture

Dr. Atul Gawande will resign as Haven’s CEO to serve as chairman of its board of directors, the Boston-based organization announced on Wednesday (May 13).

Founded by executives of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase two years ago, Haven’s mission was to create an independent healthcare company that would help fix the nation’s broken healthcare system.

The founders pledged to focus on how to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction by using data analysis and said they were committed to being a part of the solution.

Gawande, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital surgeon and author, was hired as CEO last summer.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to advance Haven’s mission in a new role as chairman,” he said in a statement. “This will elevate my focus from daily management to supporting Haven’s strategy, board, and leadership. It will also enable me to devote time to policy and activities addressing the immediate and long-term threats to health and health systems from COVID-19.”

At the time of his appointment, Gawande said Haven will be an advocate for the patient and an ally to clinicians, industry leaders, innovators, policymakers and others who improve patient care and lower costs. The organization promised to be “relentless” in creating solutions and work to change systems, technologies, contracts and policy that stands in the way of better healthcare.

Bloomberg News reported there’s little public evidence of the ambitious ideas the initial rollout seemed to promise.

The news service said Gawande’s move from the CEO role is the latest top management change at the startup. Former COO Jack Stoddard resigned in 2019 after less than a year in that role. Another executive hire was involved with litigation with UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s Optum unit.

A search for a new CEO is underway while Mitch Betses, chief operating officer, manages day to day operations.