Integrated Healthcare Association Names CIGNA, Merck Members

Market Wire, 20050229

The Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA), a statewide leadership group active in health care policy and managed care issues, announces the appointment of two new members to its board of directors: Timothy C. Duffey, executive director of managed care for Merck & Co., Inc.; and Peter B. Welch, president and market leader of CIGNA Healthcare of California.

Tim Duffey directs the activities of 12 account executives servicing the contractual needs of managed care organizations responsible for the health care of more than 23 million patients nationwide. He joined Merck & Co. in 1985 as a professional representative in Northern California. Following a series of sales management positions with increasing responsibility, he was promoted to National Account Executive for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. His success with Kaiser provided a strong foundation for promotion in 1994 to Senior and ultimately Executive Director responsible for negotiation and servicing of all HMO/PBM accounts in the Western United States. Duffey earned his undergraduate degree in Education at San Diego State University and his MBA from California State University in Hayward.

Peter B. Welch was named president and market leader of CIGNA Healthcare of California in February 2003. Prior to his appointment, he was vice president of sales, responsible for managing new and existing business and increasing new business revenue production in 2002 by more than 40 percent. Prior to joining CIGNA HealthCare, Welch served as regional sales director for United HealthCare and Uniprise. During his five-year tenure with that company, he held numerous sales and sales management positions, including the responsibility to successfully integrate the middle market sales and client management teams for MetraHealth prior to its acquisition by United HealthCare. In addition, Peter spent nearly 11 years with The Travelers Insurance Company. An active member of the community, Peter is on the Board of Directors for Buckelew, a community-based non-profit organization that provides low-income housing for those suffering from mental illness. He is a graduate of the University of California, Riverside.

IHA (www.iha.org) is a California leadership group of health plans, physician groups, and health care systems, plus academic, purchaser, consumer, and pharmaceutical industry representatives, committed to policy development, public dialogue, and special projects associated with the continuing evolution of managed health care. IHA's most recent undertaking is a collaborative Pay for Performance initiative involving six major California HMOs and their medical groups.