Blue Cross of Idaho’s incoming CEO, Paul Zurlo, aims to make the organization a sought-after employer while prioritizing core competencies and innovation. He emphasizes the importance of excelling at basic operations while staying at the forefront of healthcare innovation through technology and data analytics. Zurlo also intends to expand value-based care arrangements and invest in strategic provider partnerships. His goals include improving community health, simplifying the healthcare journey, leading the market, ensuring affordability, and fostering a motivated workforce.
Blue Cross of Idaho’s future CEO aims to transform the company into a highly desirable employer while prioritizing core competencies. Paul Zurlo, set to assume leadership in January, emphasizes the enhancement of health outcomes and investment in the workforce. The board of directors appointed Mr. Zurlo as the next President and CEO on May 12, with the current CEO, Charlene Maher, transitioning to an advisory role until 2024.
Mr. Zurlo, presently serving as President of health markets at Blue Cross of Idaho, sat down with Becker to discuss his vision for the organization based in Meridian, Idaho. The following interview highlights key excerpts from their conversation.
Question: As someone who previously led sales, marketing, and communications, how does that background influence your approach as CEO?
Paul Zurlo: … we aim to maintain agility and adaptability as an organization. Operating as a prominent player in Idaho, we take pride in being the leader in market share, a result of decisions centered around our members. Our success allows us to drive growth, reinvest in the business, and prioritize our members’ needs. Upholding our mission as the foundation of all our actions is what truly motivates us.
To achieve this, we must excel at the fundamental aspects of our business, such as claims, enrollment, billing, and customer services. Simultaneously, we are fully committed to remaining at the forefront of innovation in the healthcare industry. Our focus on technology and data analytics allows us to leverage the immense potential of healthcare data. We heavily invest in using data for the benefit of our members.
Q: Given your experience with value-based care, is that a direction you intend to expand upon as CEO?
Paul Zurlo: Absolutely. We have made significant progress in implementing value-based care arrangements, building strong partnerships with our provider community for the benefit of our members and other stakeholders. We excel in Idaho and within the Blue Cross of Idaho. Our success in driving value-based care models has been substantial, with approximately 70 percent of our claims once going through such arrangements.
Interestingly, as pioneers in value-based care, we have started to manage its expansion more selectively. While it may appear contradictory to our growth plans, we identify the right partners committed to assuming risk or driving value-based results. We possess the ability to analyze and share data with the provider community, ensuring strategic investments. Therefore, while we regulate our expansion to maintain quality, value-based care will continue to be a significant aspect of our operations.
Q: Many payers are venturing into the provider space. Will Blue Cross of Idaho follow this path, and is it the industry’s future direction?
Paul Zurlo: …We strongly believe in excelling at what we do and becoming a leader in what a health plan should represent. However, we have experienced considerable success by investing in provider partners crucial to upholding the integrity of the healthcare system. Our focus lies in supporting primary care practices and entities at the forefront of delivering care to our members. These entities serve as the initial gateway to the healthcare experience. Additionally, we invest in alternative settings for surgeries and procedures, providing options beyond larger hospitals.
We maintain excellent partnerships with Idaho’s hospital communities. Our approach revolves around forming appropriate partnerships and supporting critical providers and stakeholders through investments. We recognize that we do not possess superior capabilities in managing and operating provider entities compared to the providers themselves, as they excel in their respective roles.
Q: What are your goals for your first year as CEO of Blue Cross of Idaho?
Paul Zurlo: Our primary goals include simplifying the healthcare journey, leading the market, and ensuring continued affordability of healthcare. Furthermore, we have added two goals that hold immense importance to us as an organization. Firstly, we are determined to actively contribute to improving our communities health. As stakeholders, we believe in taking direct action to enhance screenings, tests, preventive care, and overall access to care for our members. We strive to improve these areas continuously.
Lastly, we aim to become a destination employer. This means investing in the growth and development of a workforce that is motivated by and aligned with our mission. We want employees to speak positively about their experience working at Blue Cross of Idaho, fostering an environment that accelerates our achievements. We create an environment that propels us toward our goals by cultivating a core group of passionate employees in physical and virtual settings.