BALTIMORE, Md., June 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital health technology leader WellDoc® has expanded its leadership team with two new C-level executives and a key executive director. Healthcare finance veteran Jeff Lehrfeld has joined the company from Magellan Health as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and senior marketing executive Tara Charvat, MBA, is the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), joining from Valeritas. In addition, Christina Hedge is the new Executive Director, Market Access, reporting to Nick Harsh, Vice President, Market Access, who came to WellDoc this Spring.
These new team members complement the company’s existing leadership team whose backgrounds, steeped in healthcare, are designed to foster the success of WellDoc as a digital health company. WellDoc Chief Executive Officer Kevin McRaith has strong experience in biotech and pharmaceuticals garnered in senior leadership roles at Human Genome Sciences, Genentech and Abbott. Chief Strategy Officer Anand K. Iyer, PhD, MBA, is one of the most respected global digital health leaders, known for his insights and experience on technology, strategy, and regulatory policy. Caroline York, Vice President, Operations, has more than 25 years in healthcare with a diverse background in pharmacy benefit management and patient access support roles at CVS Caremark and AmerisourceBergen. And recent new hire Mr. Harsh, Vice President, Market Access, has 25-plus years of experience leading market access initiatives, most recently as part of the management team for the AstraZeneca organization, launching and supporting several AstraZeneca and MedImmune well-recognized brands, including Nexium® and Crestor®.
“The last few months have been game-changing at WellDoc and, thus, we’ve expanded our leadership ranks, particularly on the commercialization side, to support our advancing business objectives. Our new team members join us on the heels of completion of a $29.5 million Series B raise,” said Mr. McRaith.
“Jeff, Tara, and Christina bring an important combination of healthcare experience and specific skills in their respective fields to WellDoc at a pivotal moment in our corporate growth,” he added. “And their backgrounds complement the strong, healthcare-focused leadership team we already had in place. Each of them will contribute to WellDoc’s success as we broaden our markets for BlueStar® and seek to transform clinical care in the new value-based healthcare environment.”
New Hires
As CFO, Mr. Lehrfeld is responsible for the overall fiscal and financial management of the company. Prior to joining WellDoc, he served as CFO with NIA Magellan, a wholly owned subsidiary of Magellan Health. He was responsible for all aspects of financial reporting, performance, and contracting, and was deeply involved in the strategic positioning of products and financial solutions with clients and outside organizations. Previously, Mr. Lehrfeld advanced his career at Group Dental Service, first as Controller, and then as Vice President of Finance and Vice President of Operations. He received his BS in Business Administration and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of North Carolina.
“It’s an honor for me to join the leadership team of WellDoc – an exciting digital health company and the only one of its kind to have proven clinical outcomes,” said Mr. Lehrfeld. “WellDoc’s platform offers the potential to disrupt the way we manage chronic conditions, improve member engagement, and drive avoidable costs out of the healthcare system. I look forward to helping steer the company’s growth.”
Ms. Charvat has a demonstrated ability to implement and develop strategies in the commercializing and marketing of medical devices and pharmaceuticals with over 10 years of experience in the field of type 2 diabetes. At WellDoc, she is responsible for driving the implementation of commercial go-to-market strategies for BlueStar, the first FDA-cleared mobile prescription therapy for type 2 diabetes. Prior to joining WellDoc, she spent nearly a decade with Valeritas, an emerging medical device and technology company focused on improving the quality of life for patients with type 2 diabetes, as Vice President of Marketing & Commercial Operations. Previously, she held various advertising and medical education leadership roles within Publicis Healthcare Communications Group. Prior to that, Ms. Charvat worked for Abbott International in a variety of marketing, new product commercialization and medical communication roles. She earned a BA in International Relations from Quincy University and an MBA from Western International University in London, UK.
“Being at the forefront of the convergence between type 2 diabetes and technology has been a prominent focus of my career, so joining WellDoc is a terrific fit for me,” said Ms. Charvat. “The prospect of expanding the commercialization and reach of BlueStar is exciting, as we are making a difference for people living with type 2 diabetes.”
Ms. Hedge joined WellDoc in June 2016 as Executive Director, Market Access, responsible for obtaining market access for BlueStar with payers, particularly health plans, employers, accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes. She joins the company after holding client advisory services and national account director roles at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser Permanente, respectively.
About WellDoc®
WellDoc is a digital health technology company that develops mobile solutions to drive behavioral and clinical change in chronic disease. WellDoc’s goal is to improve patient self-management and help physicians overcome gaps in the delivery system to improve clinical outcomes and decrease cost. WellDoc has commercialized BlueStar®, a digital therapeutic, for adults with type 2 diabetes. This therapeutic is designed to fill the support gap between patients and providers during the 8700 hours that individuals live their lives outside the healthcare system each year. WellDoc has a proven track record of contributing published, peer-reviewed clinical evidence since 2008 and presented real-world patient engagement and clinical outcomes at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 76th Scientific Sessions. BlueStar® is recognized by the ADA on its website as the first and only in the new class of diabetes treatment known as Mobile Prescription Therapy. In a recently published Forbes blog, WellDoc was named among one of five healthcare tech companies to watch in 2016. For more information, visit www.WellDoc.com and www.BlueStarDiabetes.com.