Health Care Innovations Expert Joins Healthstat, Inc

Healthstat, Inc., one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing providers of employer-based on-site health clinics, has hired R. John Kaegi, one of the health care industry’s most experienced solutions innovation experts, to fill the newly appointed role of chief corporate strategist. In this capacity, Kaegi is responsible for identifying new avenues of opportunity for Healthstat and formulating the strategy for its effective pursuit.

Kaegi comes to Healthstat from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) where he served as chief strategy officer. His role included facilitation of the processes and meetings of the BCBSF corporate strategy committee, which was charged with the development of critical business strategies, and he was also deeply involved in shaping health care reform. Kaegi also provided corporate leadership over solutions innovation to identify new opportunities in the marketplace.

“I am delighted to have John’s leadership at Healthstat and know he will bring dynamic innovations to the table,” said Healthstat CEO Crockett Dale. “Health care has become such a critical issue for corporate America and the opportunities are vast for Healthstat to continue to provide solutions and relief to employers and employees. John will play a critical role in shaping the company’s future.”

Kaegi’s background includes four decades of marketing, communications and strategic planning experience. He joined BCBSF in 2002 as chief marketing executive and introduced a disciplined marketing process with customer/market intelligence as its base that included customer segmentation and targeting. He also organized marketing around customers through cross-functional market segment teams and expanded the company’s multi-cultural efforts.

Prior to joining BCBSF, Kaegi held leadership positions in marketing and strategic planning at Vytra Health Plans in New York, LaQuinta Inns in Texas, and Kindercare Learning Centers in Alabama. In 1994, he was named in Advertising Age magazine’s “Marketing 100,” recognizing his success in rebuilding the market value of LaQuinta Inns. Kaegi was also a member of the prestigious Harvard/Kennedy School Health Care Delivery Policy Program, a Harvard-based think tank that endeavored to reform health care delivery and financing.

Explaining his reason for joining Healthstat, Kaegi said, “My career experiences have afforded me an intimate knowledge of the ‘mega issues’ that surround the current state of health care in America, and I firmly believe that Healthstat’s employer-based, on-site health clinic program is a remarkable solution to improving healthcare quality and outcomes and reducing medical inflation. I intend to shape the Healthstat message so that more companies can realize that a solution exists for them and identify innovations that continuously improve upon the solution for each individual customer.”

Throughout his career, Kaegi has served on the board of directors and as an advisor to philanthropic organizations including the Long Island Museum of Science and Technology, Dowling College (N.Y.), Suffolk County Council on Fitness and Health, Texas CASA, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America and various Boy Scout troops. He also has been an advocate of the United Way and the YMCA. Most recently, Kaegi served on the board of directors for the North Florida Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Kaegi holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Oregon and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis.