Woburn, MA - On September 1, 2009, Dan Rome, MD joined Beacon Health Strategies as its chief medical officer. Dr. Rome brings more than 20 years of medical management experience with a depth of knowledge in the managed behavioral health care arena. As CMO, he will lead Beacon’s strategic development for clinical and quality programs and work closely with the medical leadership of the company’s clients. He will report to Beacon’s President and CEO, Timothy Murphy.

Most recently, Dr. Rome served as vice president for medical affairs at Tufts Health Plan (THP), a nationally recognized commercial health plan where he had previously been the medical director for mental health services. He played a leadership role in the founding and development of the mental health department, ultimately assuming management responsibility for all THP mental health, substance abuse and medical treatment programs. Prior to joining THP, Dr. Rome was a psychiatrist-in-charge at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and an attending psychiatrist at Deaconess Waltham Hospital in Waltham, MA, while also maintaining an outpatient, general psychiatry practice. Dr. Rome is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School.

“I’m very excited about the addition of Dan as our CMO. His depth and breadth of experience will clearly enhance Beacon operations, capabilities and clinical programming” said Beacon’s president, Timothy Murphy. “Our members and clients will undoubtedly benefit from Dan’s keen insights and expertise.”

Concurrent with Dr. Rome’s appointment, BJ Beck, MSN, MD, assumed the role of vice president for Beacon’s Medical Affairs Department. Dr. Beck has been integral to Beacon’s growth and success, serving in several, clinical advisory and leadership positions over the past 10 years. In her new role, Dr. Beck oversees Beacon’s associate medical directors and contracted physician advisors, to ensure that Beacon clinical programs effectively meet members’ health care needs. The Medical Affairs Department also assists in short- and long-range program planning and external relationships, and along with Beacon’s Clinical Department, provides professional leadership and direction to the utilization, cost, clinical, and quality management and improvement services. The Department collaborates closely with the provider relations, member services, benefits, claims and medical management departments of client health plans.

Founded in 1996, Beacon Health Strategies is a recognized leader in behavioral health care management services for Medicaid, Medicare and commercial populations. Beacon currently serves approximately two million members in Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington DC with new operations commencing in Florida in 2010. Accredited by both URAC and NCQA, Beacon’s success derives from its member-centric and locally administered managed care services, innovative individual health and population-based clinical programming and delivery of customized solutions meeting the unique needs of each client.