Hospitals and health systems are navigating one of the most complex payer environments in recent years. Rising denial rates, evolving value-based payment models, regulatory shifts and persistent cost pressures are forcing providers to rethink how they approach payer partnerships, contracting strategies and reimbursement sustainability.
The executives featured on this list are helping lead that work. From negotiating high-stakes payer agreements and advancing value-based care to aligning contracting strategies with financial and operational goals, these leaders are shaping how health systems collaborate with payers while protecting patient access and organizational stability.
Following is a list of 20 payer executives to know in 2026.
Note: This list is not exhaustive and is not an endorsement of included leaders, organizations or healthcare providers. Leaders are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Kevin Barron. Vice President, Payer Relations, University Health (San Antonio): Mr. Barron leads enterprise payer strategy and managed care contracting for University Health, overseeing a multibillion-dollar portfolio spanning commercial plans, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage, ACA exchange and employer-based agreements. Promoted to vice president in August 2025, he directs payer negotiations, contract governance and performance optimization while integrating payer strategy with the system’s revenue cycle operations. Mr. Barron brings more than 30 years of experience in managed care contracting, reimbursement strategy and revenue cycle transformation for large academic and public health systems. University Health is a public health system serving South Texas and operates a major academic medical center in partnership with UT Health San Antonio.
Jeffrey Bross. Chief Managed Care Officer, Bon Secours Mercy Health (Cincinnati): Mr. Bross joined Bon Secours in July after spending seven years as the senior vice president of managed care for Hollywood, Fla.-based Memorial Healthcare System. At Bon Secours, he oversees managed care contracting across the system’s comprehensive portfolio of hospitals, ancillary providers and employed physicians. He sets the strategic direction of payer relationship and contractual partnerships. Bon Secours is the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the U.S. with 47 hospitals.
Rachelle Capps. Vice President of Managed Care Contracting at Sentara Healthcare (Hampton Roads, Va.): Ms. Capps leads managed care contracting strategy for Sentara Health, overseeing third-party payer negotiations and contracting across the system’s integrated network of hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, medical groups and more than 2,000 physicians. In her role, she directs financial analysis, contract performance monitoring and value-based contracting initiatives, while coordinating payer relations and operational issues tied to patient access, claims adjudication and care management. She has spent more than a decade at Sentara, previously serving as senior director and interim vice president of managed care contracting. Sentara Health operates 12 hospitals and more than 150 care sites across Virginia and North Carolina.
Harpreet Cheema. Senior Vice President of Payer Strategy and Analytics at CommonSpirit (Chicago): Mr. Cheema joined CommonSpirit in July 2024 and leads the health system’s payer strategy initiatives, strengthening key relationships and leveraging analytics for sustainable growth. His focus is on transparent payer-provider partnerships that ensure fair payment and advance the value-based agenda and reducing administrative waste. He previously served as vice president of payer strategy and product development at Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health. CommonSpirit operates 138 hospitals in 24 states.
Robert Coscione. Vice President of Managed Care at LifePoint Health (Brentwood, Tenn.): Mr. Coscione joined Lifepoint Health in January after serving as senior vice president of payer strategies at Brentwood, Tenn.-based Ardent Health since October 2021. At LifePoint Health, he is responsible for the organization’s overarching managed care care strategy and payer relationships. In the role, he is the primary architect building and shaping the system’s managed care partnerships. LifePoint Health operates 60 hospital campuses in 33 states. The system also operates more than 70 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals.
Konstantine Costalas. Executive Vice President of Network Strategy and Chief Managed Care Officer at Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.): Mr. Costalas leads network strategy and managed care operations for Northwell Health, overseeing payer contracting, strategic partnerships and network development across the system. He was promoted to executive vice president and chief managed care officer in September 2025 after serving more than eight years as senior vice president of managed care contracting. In his role, he focuses on strengthening payer-provider partnerships and advancing strategies that support Northwell’s growth and value-based care initiatives. Following its merger with Nuvance Health, Northwell Health now operates 28 hospitals and over 1,000 outpatient facilities. The expanded system serves New York and Connecticut, employing 22,000 nurses and 13,500 providers across this network.
Paul Davis. President of Contracting and Managed Care at Mercy (St. Louis): Mr. Davis joined Mercy in January from Humana, where he spent more than 15 years. He most recently served as Humana’s national vice president of network development and contracting since 2019. At Mercy, he leads the health system’s payer relations and contracting strategy across the multistate health system, focusing on improving expanding value-based care programs and ensuring agreements support the system’s growth and long-term development. Mercy is one of the 15 largest health systems in the U.S. with 55 acute care and specialty hospitals.
Helen Do. Vice President of Managed Care at MemorialCare (Fountain Valley, Calif.): Ms. Do joined MemorialCare in February 2024 and oversees financial and administrative aspects of managed care contracting and operations with commercial, Medicare and Medicaid managed care payers. She previously served as executive director of enterprise payer contracting and relations for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. MemorialCare operates four hospitals and two medical groups.
Krista Gerdon. Vice President of Population Health and Payer Strategy at Nicklaus Children’s Health System (Miami): Ms. Gerdon leads population health and payer strategy initiatives at Nicklaus Children’s Health System, overseeing value-based reimbursement strategy, Medicaid alignment and strategic payer partnerships. In her role, she supports the system’s transition from volume- to value-based care and works with government and commercial payers to strengthen contracting strategies and population health performance. She joined Nicklaus Children’s in 2019 as administrative director of managed care and payer strategy before being promoted to vice president in 2022. Ms. Gerdon previously served as administrative director of managed care at Memorial Healthcare System. Nicklaus Children’s Health System includes Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and a network of outpatient centers across South Florida.
Gayla Harvey. Vice President of Payer Strategy at WakeMed Health & Hospitals (Raleigh, N.C.): Ms. Harvey is a senior finance leader with deep experience in payer strategy, managed care contracting, financial planning/business development and revenue cycle management. She has served as WakeMed’s vice president of payer strategy since January 2021. She previously served as senior vice president of payer strategy and revenue cycle for Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She also previously served as senior vice president and chief revenue cycle officer at Arlington-based Texas Health Resources.
Tricia Hasselman. Senior Vice President of Managed Care Contracting and Payer Relations at Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare: Ms. Hasselman leads managed care contracting and payer relations strategy for Hartford HealthCare, overseeing contracting across the system’s hospitals, behavioral health facilities, ASCs, post-acute services and pharmacy operations. She also supports payer and physician relationships tied to value-based programs and alternative payment models through the system’s clinically integrated network, Integrated Care Partners. Before joining Hartford HealthCare in 2014, she served as staff vice president for the Medicaid business unit at Anthem and spent nearly 24 years at Aetna in a range of leadership roles focused on network development and medical economics. Hartford HealthCare operates 9 acute-care hospitals and numerous outpatient locations across Connecticut.
Danise Jerome. Vice President of Managed Care at Banner Health (Phoenix): Mr. Jerome joined Banner in September after spending more than 11 years at San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare, most recently serving as director of contracts. As Banner’s vice president of managed care, she is responsible for the growth development and optimization of the system’s managed care contracting strategy across the organizations, including joint ventures and partners, encompassing comprehensive payment models from traditional fee-for-service to advanced value-based arrangements. Banner operates 33 acute care hospitals in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.
Adriane Mahnken. Vice President of Managed Care Contracting and Payer Relations at Ascension (St. Louis): Ms. Mahnken leads managed care contracting and payer relations strategy at Ascension, overseeing partnerships with health plans and advancing the system’s contracting initiatives across its national network. She was promoted to vice president in March 2025 after serving as assistant vice president of managed care contracting and payer relations. Prior to joining Ascension, she spent more than 15 years at Baylor Scott & White Health, where she served as system director of managed care. Ascension is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S., operating 119 hospitals across 19 states.
J.C. McWilliams. Senior Vice President and Chief Managed Care Officer at BJC Health (St. Louis): Mr. McWilliams has spent more than eight years at BJC and leads managed care strategy and operations for the health system. He is responsible for the development of key payer partnerships with health plans and self-funded employers, value-based care and payment strategy, product innovation and business development. Prior to joining BJC, he served as executive vice president of payer strategy and innovation for ATI Physical Therapy, the largest PT provider in the U.S. BJC operates 24 hospitals in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.
Kathy Najarian. Vice President of Payer Contracting and Strategy at UChicago Medicine: Ms. Najarian joined UChicago Medicine in July 2020 as interim vice president of managed care and has served in her current role since April 2021. As a member of UChicago Medicine’s senior leadership team, she leads the overall negotiation, strategy and management of payer contracts and relationship management for the health system. She previously served as vice president of payer contracting and provider services at Chicago-based Rush Health.
Bradley Olson. Vice President of Managed Care at Mercyhealth (Rockford, Ill.): Mr. Olson serves as Mercyhealth’s vice president of managed care with experience on both the provider and payer side. He has been in his current role since September 2023. He joined Mercyhealth from Kettering (Ohio) Health, where he had served as vice president of managed care since June 2018. Prior to that, he was a director of contracting for Humana. Mercyhealth operates five hospitals in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. BJC operates 24 hospitals in Missouri, southern Illinois and eastern Kansas.
Jeffrey Price. Senior Vice President and Chief Managed Care and Payer Relations Officer at Jefferson Health (Philadelphia): Mr. Price joined Jefferson Health in January 2025 and leads the system’s managed care strategy, payer relations and value-based contracting initiatives. He brings more than 30 years of experience in payer contracting, population health and payment innovation, with a focus on advancing clinically integrated networks and accountable care organizations. Before joining Jefferson Health, he served as vice president of value-based programs and payment innovation at Ascension, where he led national initiatives to strengthen value-based partnerships and align payer agreements with Medicare and Medicare Advantage performance goals. Jefferson Health is a multistate health system that operates 33 hospitals and numerous outpatient locations across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Mike Stubee. Vice President of Payer Strategy at Orlando (Fla.) Health: Mr. Stubee joined Orlando Health in 2016 as assistant vice president of managed care. In his current role, he develops strategic plans for health plans, employers and networks and serves as the strategist for all contract negotiations. He has more than 30 years of healthcare business experience. Orlando Health operates 25 hospitals in Florida, Alabama and Puerto Rico.
Miles Ueoka. Vice President of Payer Strategy and Managed Care Contracting at Oregon Health & Science University (Portland): Mr. Ueoka leads payer strategy and managed care contracting for OHSU, where he oversees partnerships with health plans, employers and brokers to expand value-based care initiatives. In his role, he directs the system’s managed care contracting and value-based performance teams, developing strategies and agreements that support both fee-for-service and value-based payment models aligned with OHSU’s strategic and financial goals. He joined OHSU in 2019 and previously served as director of value-based performance, where he helped advance data-driven contracting strategies and strengthen relationships with payer partners. OHSU is Oregon’s only public academic medical center and includes OHSU Hospital and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland.
Evan Zaslow. Chief Managed Care Officer at City of Hope (Duarte, Calif.): Mr. Zaslow joined City of Hope in December after serving as Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center since March 2022. In his role as chief managed care officer, he is responsible for leading City of Hope’s national managed care program, including contracting strategy, payer negotiations, network development and payer partnerships. City of Hope includes a campus in Durate, a network of clinical care locations across southern California, a cancer center in Irvine, Calif., and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix.
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