Spokane, Wash., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of the company’s strong commitment to Eastern Washington, Premera Blue Cross today announced the hiring of the former Mayor of Spokane David Condon as its Vice President of Eastern Washington.
Condon will serve as the leader of Premera’s Spokane campus, while driving strategy and representing the company across Eastern Washington. Based in Spokane, this position will report to Bill Akers, who leads Premera’s Washington market group business. Condon’s first day with Premera will be February 10.
“Adding David to our team reflects Premera’s role as Washington’s health plan,” said Jeff Roe, Premera President and CEO. “As mayor, David led Spokane through a period of tremendous growth and change, displaying leadership with vision and collaboration. With that experience and his deep roots in Eastern Washington, David deepens our connection to the community and will help lead our efforts to make healthcare work better for our customers in Eastern Washington and across the state.”
Born and raised in Spokane, Condon served as mayor of Spokane for two terms. Prior to his political career, Condon served for eight years as a medical service officer in the United States Army.
“The more I learned about Premera, the more Premera became an obvious choice for me, given the company’s long-term commitment to Spokane and Eastern Washington,” Condon said. “I have been especially impressed with Premera’s recent investments in the community and the company’s work to bring more doctors to the region. I look forward to joining Jeff Roe and the Spokane team to continue this great work.”
The addition of this new role to Premera’s leadership team is a testament to the growing importance of Spokane and Eastern Washington to the company’s business. Premera traces its roots to 1933 in Spokane, when the nonprofit Spokane Medical Service Bureau and the Medical Service Corporation were founded, enabling people to afford quality healthcare. Today, Premera employs almost 700 people in the Spokane area.
A major company focus is improving access to pimray care in Eastern Washington. In January, Premera opened the Vivacity Care Center at 9001 N. Country Homes Blvd. in Spokane, with plans to open a second Spokane location later this year to help address the acute shortage of primary care doctors in Eastern Washington.
Additionally, Premera has invested $10.5 million in grants to Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and Empire Health Foundation to support programs improving access to care in rural communities in Eastern Washington.
About Premera
Premera Blue Cross, a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association based in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., is a leading health plan in the Pacific Northwest, providing comprehensive health benefits and tailored services to approximately 2 million people, from individuals to Fortune 100 companies.