New leadership in place at Summa Health and Aetna

Two new executive officers will be at the helm of major health care companies come January 1, 2015.

Thomas Malone, MD, will become chief executive officer at Summa Health, and Karen Rohan will become president of Aetna, Inc.

Malone, who is currently chief operating officer at Summa, replaces Tom Strauss, who is retiring after 15 years.

“Dr. Malone is the right choice at the right time to lead the organization,” said Strauss, who has led Summa for the past 15 years. “From the moment Tom arrived here last year, he embraced challenges head-on and quickly showed the organization what a great leader he is.”

“I am honored to have been selected to lead such an incredible organization,” said Malone. “Healthcare is evolving so rapidly, and all of us at Summa are up to the challenges. I look forward to continuing our successes.”

Malone joined Summa in the fall of 2013 from Michigan’s Harper University and Hutzel Women’s Hospital, where he was CEO of the 560-bed academic medical center affiliated with Wayne State University, according to a Summa press release.

Malone received his undergraduate degree from John Carroll University and his medical degree from The Ohio State University. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Columbus Children’s Hospital and his perinatal-neonatal fellowship at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.
 

Malone is a diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, the National Board of Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. In addition, he is the recipient of the distinguished teacher award from Methodist Hospital of Indiana.5

Rohan currently leads local and regional businesses. In her expanded role, she will also oversee the national, government and specialty businesses, reporting directly to Aetna’s chairman, Mark T. Bertolini.

“I am pleased that Karen will take this enhanced role in helping direct our operations as we continue to grow and meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Bertolini. “Karen is a proven leader and has been instrumental in implementing our business strategy. I look forward to working with her over time as we strive to build a healthier world.”

Prior to joining Aetna in 2012, Rohan held several executive leadership positions with Cigna and Magellan Health Services, according to an Aetna press release.

Senior Executive Vice President Joseph M. Zubretsky will now focus solely on leading the Healthagen organization. “Healthagen is a critical component of Aetna’s strategy as we work to transform the network model,” said Bertolini. “Joe’s demonstrated leadership in this rapidly evolving marketplace will be an important element of our enduring success.”