Patrick Conway, MD, CEO of Optum Rx, has been named CEO of Optum, the healthcare services arm of UnitedHealth Group and parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, effective May 6.
Here are five things to know:
1. Dr. Conway has held multiple leadership roles at UnitedHealth Group since 2020. Most recently, he has served as CEO of Optum Rx, the company’s pharmacy benefit management arm, since 2023.
2. Before leading Optum Rx, Dr. Conway was president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina from 2017 to 2019. He also held leadership roles at Optum Health, the healthcare delivery division of Optum.
3. Dr. Conway served in several senior positions at CMS during the Obama administration, including chief medical officer, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and acting CMS administrator.
4. Heather Cianfrocco, who has served as CEO of Optum for just over a year, will transition into a new position as UnitedHealth Group’s executive vice president of governance, compliance and information security.
5. Ms. Cianfrocco has been with UnitedHealth Group since 2008, starting as vice president of network operations in Pittsburgh. She held several senior leadership roles before being appointed CEO of Optum in early 2024.
