Calling it a time when the need for quality health care has never been greater — and it has never been more challenging to find — Jeff Alter took over as CEO of Summit Health on Monday.
Alter succeeds Dr. Jeffrey LeBenger, the founder of the company. LeBenger will now serve as executive chairman to the management company’s board.
Alter said the challenges — and the potential — are great.
“At a time of fragmented care, heightened health awareness and higher patient expectations of health care and management, I see Summit Health becoming the model for the way health care should be delivered, and proving that through the highest patient satisfaction and health outcomes in our industry,” he said.
“We will achieve that by treating every patient with empathy and compassion, and consistently bringing our best to them.”
Alter joins Summit Health from Anthem, where he was executive vice president of Anthem Health Solutions and President of IngenioRx, Anthem’s pharmacy business. Alter has served on the board of CityMD since 2017, and is a current board member for Summit Health, Anomaly, St. John’s University, Progenity and the Long Island Association.
“I’m honored and excited to deepen my connection to Summit Health and further the work we’ve done to become an organization known for high quality, value-based health care — centered on the patient,” he said.
“That’s one of the things that brought Summit Medical Group and CityMD together, and it’s a guiding light for our future. I look forward to working with the exceptional team as we continue to provide the best possible care no matter how our patients come into our network — by walking into one of our urgent care centers or by seeing one of our many specialists.”
Summit Health is a physician-led, patient-centric network committed to simplifying the complexities of health care and bringing a more connected kind of care. Formed by the 2019 merger between Summit Medical Group, one of the nation’s premier independent, physician-governed multispecialty medical groups, and CityMD, the leading urgent care provider in the New York metro area, Summit Health delivers a more intuitive, comprehensive and responsive care experience for every stage of life and health condition through high-quality primary, specialty and urgent care.
Since the merger that created Summit Health two years ago, the company has grown its integrated care model in the New York and New Jersey market while seeing record volumes at CityMD and introducing Summit Health practices in Manhattan and Long Island. By providing deep clinical integration, growth in locations and providers, and an enhanced digital experience to patients, Summit Health will provide greater access to quality, integrated health care in the New York metropolitan area.
Summit Health has more than 2,000 providers, 9,000 employees and over 200 locations in New Jersey, New York and Central Oregon.
