Health System, BCBSM name Udow director for joint venture

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The board of directors of the joint venture between the U-M Health System (UMHS) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) has named Marianne Udow as the organization's first director.

(Photo courtesy UMHS Public Relations)

Called the Center for Healthcare Quality & Transformation, the joint venture is dedicated to improving the quality of Michigan's health care, and transforming the way patient care is delivered in the state and beyond. Udow will begin in September.

Udow will be an employee of UMHS, which provides staffing for the center. BCBSM has allocated up to $10 million in seed funding.Udow currently works as director of the Michigan Department of Human Services, a post Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed her to in January 2004. From 1992 to 2004, she served in several executive positions at BCBSM, including senior vice president of health care products and provider services. She was senior vice president of plans and operations at Mercy Alternative and Care Choices from 1986 to 1988. She holds a master's degree from the School of Public Health.

"Marianne's deep expertise in health care management and quality improvement combined with her statewide work on critical human service issues will bring stellar leadership to our joint venture," says Kevin Seitz, board chairman of the center and an executive vice president at BCBSM.

"We're very fortunate to have Marianne joining our team because she truly understands what it will take to make health care better in Michigan and across the country, and she has the leadership skills to take this new joint venture forward at full speed," says Dr. Robert Kelch, executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of UMHS.

The center was created as part of the University's sale of its M-CARE health plan to BCBSM and its HMO subsidiary, Blue Care Network, which was finalized on Dec. 31. The sale terms included the creation of a separate joint venture aimed at improving the quality, safety, efficiency and appropriateness of health care in Michigan. UMHS and BCBSM are equal partners in the venture.