(Newark – December 6, 2016) -- Mary Ann Christopher has been appointed to the newly created positon of Vice President, Clinical Operations and Transformation for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) the company announced today. Ms. Christopher, who joined the Horizon BCBSNJ team in January of 2016, has more than three decades of health care experience. She will report directly to Allen Karp, Senior Vice President, Healthcare Management.

“Horizon continues to evolve in the rapidly transforming and extremely competitive health care marketplace and Ms. Christopher has proven to be an invaluable leader in this evolution,” said Karp. “With an impressive background in care coordination, value-based programs and partnership strategies, her new position will help her play an even bigger role in delivering on Horizon’s commitment to improve the way health care is delivered in New Jersey.”

In her new role, Ms. Christopher will lead Horizon BCBSNJ’s clinical operations and transformation and behavioral health in support of the company’s Alliance collaborations and other value-based programs.

Before joining Horizon BCBSNJ, Ms. Christopher was President and CEO of Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Prior to that, she held the position of President and CEO of Visiting Nurse Association Health Group of New Jersey.

About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more than 3.8 million members.

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