PROVIDENCE – Virgin Pulse announced that Jacqueline Kosecoff and Dr. Gary Smithson have joined the Virgin Pulse science advisory board.
Kosecoff holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California Los Angeles, a Master of Science in applied mathematics from Brown University, and a doctorate from UCLA. She was a senior executive at UnitedHealth Group–PacifiCare, where she was responsible for its specialty businesses, including its pharmacy benefit manager, the Medicare Part D Drug Program, PacifiCare Behavioral Health, PacifiCare Dental & Vision, and Women’s Health Solutions.
In 2007, Kosecoff was appointed CEO of Prescription Solutions, now known as OptumRx, where she was responsible for United’s pharmacy benefit manager, and specialty pharmacy and consumer health products, providing services to more than 13 million members, with annual revenue of $18.5 billion.
Kosecoff will collaborate with Dr. Rajiv Kumar, chief medical officer and president of the Virgin Pulse Institute, and other senior Virgin Pulse leaders on prioritizing the board of directors’ strategic initiatives.
Smithson, who holds a doctor of medicine and an MBA, is a board-certified pediatrician and accomplished health care executive with more than 30 years of business and clinical experience, according to an announcement from Virgin Pulse.
With extensive experience in health care management for businesses, Kumar is knowledgeable in the areas of well-being and disease-management programs, on-site and near-site health services, high-performance provider networks, cost and quality transparency, telehealth, consumer health care navigation, employer-sponsored health benefits and health plan clinical operations.
The board, a group of scientists, clinicians and industry leaders, serves an advisory function, ensuring that Virgin Pulse’s strategies, platform and product offerings are rooted in the most current, relevant scientific evidence and clinical best practices, according to Virgin Pulse.
“We are thrilled to welcome … Kosecoff and Smithson to our science advisory board,” Kumar said in a statement. “Their extensive industry expertise and impressive leadership credentials make them valuable additions to our team – and to our clients. Their deep health care innovation experience underscores our unique commitment to providing the best, most-engaging and effective evidence-based solutions – both digital and live – to help our clients and members succeed.”
Kumar continued, “Kosecoff and Smithson bring many years of experience aligning the vision, products, services, systems and people needed to transform the delivery and impact of health care, and their collaboration empowers Virgin Pulse to stay ahead of the curve. We couldn’t be more excited to add these accomplished individuals to our team.”
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.
