Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> May 1, 2000
JOHN A. O'ROURKE was named Chairman, President and CEO of RightCHOICE
Managed Care, Inc., and President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield
of Missouri in the first quarter of 1997. He came to Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Missouri and RightCHOICE from his position as President and
CEO of HealthLink, Inc., a subsidiary of RightCHOICE. Mr. O'Rourke took
the leadership of HealthLink in 1985 when it was a start-up company
established by a consortium of St. Louis hospitals. Under his
leadership, it became the largest preferred provider organization in
Missouri. HealthLink offers a full complement of managed care products
including PPO, HMO and Workers' Compensation. The company has a provider
network that spans five states and covers a membership of more than one
million. HealthLink was acquired by RightCHOICE in 1995. Before joining
HealthLink, Mr. O'Rourke served as Deputy Director of the Office of
Health Maintenance Organizations, the US Department of Health and Human
Services. His responsibilities included the licensing and regulation of
HMOs, final approval of grant applications, media communication, and the
coordination of Congressional relations. He managed five divisions with
a combined annual budget of $60 million. Prior to his government
service, Mr. O'Rourke was Director of the Department of Economic
Research for the American Medical Association. He is President of St.
Louis Managed Care Group and Past President of the Missouri Managed Care
Association. Mr. O'Rourke has an MA from the City University of New York
and a BA from Saint Francis College. Profile
Care, Incorporated the company's history, services, activities and
customers?
Mr. O'Rourke: RightCHOICE is a managed care
