Health New England Appoints New Chief Medical Officer

SPRINGFIELD — Health New England announced the recent appointment of Dr. Ira Klein to the role of vice president and chief medical officer. In this position, he is responsible for ensuring the quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services for Health New England members, and will focus on clinical excellence, innovation, and technology to improve health outcomes.

Klein joins Health New England’s executive leadership team and reports directly to Richard Swift, president and CEO.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Ira Klein as our new chief medical officer. With decades of experience in the healthcare industry, he is uniquely qualified to serve our members and strengthen our mission to improve the health and lives of the people in our communities,” Swift said. “He is joining Health New England at a very important time and will be a tremendous asset to our organization and our community.”

Before joining Health New England, Klein served as senior director and lead, Healthcare Quality Strategy at Janssen for Johnson and Johnson Inc. in New Brunswick, N.J. Previously, he held various positions at Aetna Inc. in Hartford, Conn., including medical director, Patient Management, Northeast Region; senior medical director and analyst, National Accounts; and chief of staff and national medical director, Clinical Thought Leadership.

Klein has published articles in several medical and insurance-industry journals. In addition, he is active on various industry committees, including National Academy of Medicine, Pharmacy Quality Alliance, National Quality Forum, Network for Excellence in Healthcare Innovation, Foundation for eHealth Initiative, National Pharmaceutical Council, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturing Assoc., and Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative.

He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a member of the American College of Physicians, as well as a certified health-insurance executive with the Assoc. of Health Insurance Plans, Executive Leadership Program.

Klein holds an MBA degree from Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Management, a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University’s College of Pharmacy.