Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota President and CEO Announces Retirement

Company strongly positioned to continue vision to disrupt and reinvent health care

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Mar 31, 2021, 12:30 ET

EAGAN, Minn., March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) President and CEO Dr. Craig Samitt has informed the company's Board of Trustees of his plans to retire May 3, 2021. Dr. Samitt's retirement comes as Blue Cross continues to fully execute the company's mission to inspire change, transform care, and improve health for the people Blue Cross serves.

Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz, who has served on the Blue Cross Board of Trustees for more than a decade, will serve as interim CEO effective April 1, while the board conducts a search for Dr. Samitt's replacement. Dr. Samitt will closely collaborate with Blatz over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth transition.

"The Board of Trustees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is grateful for Dr. Craig Samitt's leadership during the past three years, and we wish him well in his retirement," said Michael Robinson, chairman of the Blue Cross Board of Trustees. "Dr. Samitt's vision to reinvent health care is the blueprint for the future of Blue Cross in Minnesota, and we believe it can serve as a national model for health and wellness."

Dr. Samitt was one of the first health care executives to declare racism as a public health crisis, and he made racial and health equity the cornerstone of Blue Cross' initiative to make health care more equitable. Robinson said Samitt's retirement will not slow Blue Cross' many commitments to advancing racial and health equity; partnering with providers to make health care more affordable and sustainable; and ensuring members and communities have the access and support needed to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic.

"Our talented executive leadership team at Blue Cross will stay true to our nonprofit mission and will remain focused on the important work of accelerating the change that will make health care more accessible, more affordable, and more effective for everyone," said Robinson.

Blatz served as interim President and CEO for Blue Cross in early 2018, prior to Samitt's appointment. Blatz served as Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1998 to 2006. She joined the Blue Cross Board of Trustees in 2009. In 2017, Blatz spent five months as interim chair of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Authority, which oversees the operations of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

For nearly 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. We are on a mission to inspire change, transform care and improve health for the people and communities we serve by reinventing both ourselves and the broader system. Our 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. As a proud nonprofit organization, we believe working to advance wellness for all Minnesotans is the greatest investment we can make. Our goal is nothing less than for everyone to be able to achieve their full health potential, regardless of race or other socially defined circumstances. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which serves more than 107 million members across the U.S.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota