JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – René Lerer, M.D., has been appointed President of Florida Blue and the GuideWell group of companies which includes GuideWell Health, GuideWell Connect and Diversified Service Options, Inc. Lerer will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Patrick J. Geraghty as part of the newly created Office of the CEO.
Lerer, whose appointment is effective May 1, 2014, joins after serving as chairman and CEO of Magellan Health Services, a leading national health care management organization that specializes in behavioral health, radiology, specialty pharmaceuticals and Medicaid benefits administration. Earlier in his career he co-founded Internet HealthCare Group, a health care technology venture fund, and served as chief operating officer of Prudential Healthcare and as president of The Travelers Health Network.
“There are few people in the health solutions industry with René’s breadth and depth of experience, and with his more than three decades in the field, he will be invaluable in accelerating our innovative footprint in the marketplace,” said Geraghty. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with him in the Office of the CEO and I look forward to drawing on his sharp intellect and passion for improving health and healthcare.”
“It is a particularly exciting time to join an organization that is positioned so well to drive significant change in the marketplace,” said Lerer. “I am energized by the prospect of working closely with Pat to lead a health solutions company that boosts consumers’ access to services, bolsters affordability and ensures the delivery of quality care,” said Lerer.
Lerer, who resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., serves on the board of directors of Immune Pharmaceuticals and on the board of HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from Oberlin College and a doctor of medicine degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is board-certified in internal medicine.