Bringing employers and health systems together

Steven Nelson leads the Contigo Health team as President and was one of the leaders who initiated the strategy behind Contigo Health within Premier, Inc. Before joining Premier, Nelson was a leader at Anthem Inc. where he served as Vice President of Strategy and Planning and COO of Anthem’s diversified business group. Prior to joining Anthem, Nelson led strategy, product and marketing at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and helped to build Allegheny Health Network, a provider entity consisting of seven hospitals, 2,000 doctors and various other facilities. Nelson has a deep and personal commitment to giving back to his local community as well as the global community, including leading charity work in Haiti. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree from Ohio University. He and his family reside outside of Pittsburgh, in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania.

Jonathan Slotkin leads the clinical aspects of Contigo Health including: strategy, innovation and operations. He works to support the development of novel products and implementation approaches that always aim for clinical excellence, patient satisfaction and value. Slotkin is a neurosurgeon and scientist who has led prominent care delivery reengineering and digital transformation initiatives centered around patients. He has partnered with some of the nation’s largest employers to help them reimagine the healthcare benefits for their associates. Slotkin believes higher quality care will always be the most cost-effective care in the end and that innovative employers and providers working together is the most powerful force we have to fix the U.S. healthcare system. He maintains a clinical practice caring for patients directly at Geisinger.

Tom Heatherington is passionate about driving meaningful change in the health industry through business transformation, a passion that he brings to the Contigo Health team as the Chief Network & Strategy Officer. He has more than 20 years of success as a consultant at Accenture and ADVI introducing business transformation, innovative solutions and capabilities to the health industry, including payers, providers, government health entities and life science organizations. Heatherington has a B.S. in business administration from Robert Morris University and an MBA in capital markets and a master’s in health administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, avid fly fisher and acro yoga practitioner. Heatherington and his family live outside of Pittsburgh, PA.

John Strickland serves Contigo Health in an executive leadership capacity as Chief Operating Officer & Chief Technology Officer. Previously, President of Health Design Plus, Strickland has overseen a period of unprecedented organizational growth across all lines of business. Strickland’s insightfulness and innovative nature drove the many advancements instrumental in establishing Health Design Plus as a leading innovator of health and benefits management solutions. Strickland has over 30 years of experience in health benefits management. Prior to Health Design Plus, Strickland was an executive with a leading benefits management software development company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and is a member of multiple charitable organizations.

As Chief Commercial Officer, Britt Hayes leads Contigo Health’s sales, business development and client services areas. Previously with Health Design Plus (HDP), Hayes contributed to HDP’s significant expansion of its client and member portfolio across all product lines while maintaining phenomenal client retention results. Prior to Health Design Plus, Hayes held various senior roles with national payers and consulting firms. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Charleston in West Virginia. He has been active in several charities, and has served on the National Alumni Board of Directors for the University of Charleston.

Tony Ryzinski has a passion for developing healthcare brands and marketing strategies that fuse business and customer objectives, motivate action and generate revenue. He’s been a part of several successful research-driven business transformations in the hospital system, health plan and healthcare IT verticals, including the development of an integrated delivery and financial system, Highmark Health. He’s led the creation of digitally-enabled sales and marketing solutions (including multi-channel campaigns, customer loyalty and field marketing programs), as well as transparency tools. Tony serves as a volunteer marketing consultant to area nonprofits. He lives just outside of Pittsburgh with his wife, Donna, and spirited dog, Rocco.

Marisa Boevers leads strategy, design and innovation for Contigo Health’s product portfolio. Trained as a designer, she focuses on using visual thinking and design frameworks to create products that solve users’ most pressing problems. With experience in bringing new businesses, products and services to market in healthcare and other industries – including construction, hospitality and manufacturing – she strives to bring order and thoughtfulness to chaos. Her goal for Contigo Health is to turn the distress that all stakeholders in the health ecosystem feel into delight. Boevers holds a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts and lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two children.

Emily Welch is the Senior Manager of Business Operations for Contigo Health, overseeing daily operations to plan and direct administrative, financial, and operational activities for the President. She helps ensure goals are achieved, customers are happy, and the organization has what it needs to be successful. She has been part of the Premier family for more than eight years, helping to drive strategic program efforts to improve healthcare. Welch has a M.A. in business and industrial/organizational psychology and human resource management and a background in program management and IT implementations. She and her husband live in Charlotte, NC.