Scotts Valley, Calif., Feb. 21, 2018 — Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance), an award winning, regional non-profit Medi-Cal managed health care plan serving Santa Cruz, Monterey and Merced counties, today announced that Alan McKay, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is retiring on Feb. 28, 2018, after 22 years of service. McKay’s vision to create a member-focused, quality-based health plan for local Medi-Cal recipients took shape over two decades as the Alliance evolved into one of the leading, most respected and innovative County Organized Health System (COHS) in California.

“Alan is a visionary. He transformed health care in our region and created a national model,” said Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, County of Santa Cruz and Alliance Board Chairperson. “His legacy is profound. He consistently focused on providing quality health care by creating an innovative, caring and effective organization of dedicated professionals.”

The Alliance was developed to improve access to health care for lower income residents who often lacked a primary care “medical home” and so relied on emergency rooms for basic services. Key achievements under McKay’s leadership include:

• Increased the number of primary care and specialty providers for Alliance members from less than 1,000 in 1996 to almost 8,000 today.
• Linked each health plan member to a primary care provider (PCP) to provide them with a “medical home”.
• Created the Care Based Incentive (CBI) program to reward PCP case management and best practices.
• Awarded 373 grants of over $62 million through the Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program to increase the availability of regional health care services.
• Currently piloting the Emergency Department (ED) Navigator Program designed to reduce repeat usage. The pilot is operating in four hospitals in the three counties.

“My greatest accomplishment of the health plan is serving our mission,” said McKay. “We have a wonderful mission that results in people healing, enjoying better health, and enabling their success in life. It’s been my honor and joy to work on behalf of our members.”

McKay received the “Community Impact Award” on November 8, 2017 at the Third Annual State of the Region conference from the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, a regional non-profit organization of public, private and civic entities focused to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.

Consistently recognized as one of the highest performing health plans in the state of California, the Alliance has received top-level ratings as measured by the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), which rigorously measures the delivery of preventative care to children, women, and individuals with chronic disease. Most recently, the Alliance received HEDIS 2016 Quality Award for Outstanding Performance (highest recognition). In addition, the Alliance has been recognized for achievements in customer service and workplace health, and for supporting United Way and Food Banks in its tri-county service area.

New CEO Takes the Alliance Reins

Following a nationwide recruitment, the Alliance Board of Commissioners selected Stephanie Sonnenshine, 42, to be the new CEO, effective Dec. 1, 2017. Sonnenshine has 13 years of experience at the Alliance, and served as the Chief Operating Officer for two and a half years prior to her promotion to CEO. McKay serves as Deputy CEO until his retirement.

“Speaking for the Board, we are thrilled to have Stephanie take the reins as CEO,” said Coonerty. “She embodies the qualities and talent required to continue to grow and evolve the Alliance as health care enters a new era. Stephanie’s strong values combined with years of experience at the Alliance equips her with an understanding of the details of public health care so that we can continue our mission to create innovative programs to improve the outcomes for our members.”

“I am honored to serve our members and our mission of accessible, quality health care guided by local innovation,” said Sonnenshine. “As a result of Alan’s leadership, the Alliance has delivered on that mission through strong partnerships, innovative programs and investments in our communities. I’m very excited about the opportunity to lead the next chapter for the Alliance, and I look forward to continuing the health plan’s historic success while also advancing our priorities of Access to Care, Member Wellness and Promotion of Value.”

About the Alliance

The Alliance was established in 1996, and serves 349,855 members in Santa Cruz, Monterey and Merced counties. Using the state’s County Organized Health System (COHS) model, the Alliance delivers innovative community-based health care services with the goal to improve medical outcomes and cost savings. It employs nearly 600 employees in the three counties and manages a budget of $1.1 billion. The Alliance prides itself on its close partnership with contracted providers to promote prevention, early detection and effective treatment, and overall to improve access to quality health care for its members. Since its inception, the Alliance’s preventative health care programs and cost-effective care have saved taxpayers more than $414 million as compared to the state’s Medi-Cal program. Alliance Fact Sheet available here.