Paula Shepherd has been appointed senior vice president and chief operating officer of Banner Plans and Networks, effective March 16, according to a March 20 announcement. Shepherd brings more than 25 years of experience in health care coverage leadership to the role, overseeing operations for an organization that serves 1.2 million people across six states.
The appointment comes as Banner Plans and Networks continues its efforts to align insurance with coordinated care, aiming to transform health care delivery. The organization is part of Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States, which operates facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming according to the official website.
Shepherd previously served as executive vice president of health plan operations and technology for a Louisiana-based insurer covering 1.9 million people. Her earlier roles included senior vice president of benefit operations and vice president of claims operations at Blue Cross in Louisiana. She also held positions as senior counsel and corporate remediation officer after starting her career there as an operations manager in 2000.
Chuck Lehn, president of Banner Plans and Networks, said: “Paula gained great insight into member experience, plan operations and provider services during her tenure in Louisiana. We are very excited that she is bringing that experience in a critical time of expansion in our organization. We’re building a sustainable model to make world-class care more affordable and accessible to all patients.”
Shepherd holds degrees from Southern University in Baton Rouge (bachelor’s degree), University of Phoenix (MBA), and Southern University Law Center (juris doctorate). She also has a diversity and inclusion certificate from Cornell University and is certified as a health insurance executive through America’s Health Insurance Plans.
Banner Health provides substantial community benefits through its nonprofit activities according to the official website. The system aims to simplify health care to improve quality of life for its members as stated on the official website. In addition to hospitals, Banner Health offers outpatient surgery centers, urgent care locations, home care services, retail pharmacies, imaging centers, physical therapy clinics, behavioral health services, research divisions, nursing registries, academic medicine partnerships with the University of Arizona educating over 1,300 physicians annually—and treats more than 103,000 cancer patients each year through its partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center.
As Banner Health continues expanding its reach across multiple states while maintaining its nonprofit mission according to the official website observers will be watching how Shepherd’s leadership shapes future growth.
