Meet Health New England’s executive leadership team who works hard to fulfill our mission of improving the health and lives of the people in our communities.

Richard Swift, President and CEO, Health New England

Richard Swift was appointed President and CEO of Health New England in October 2020. As President and CEO, Richard is responsible for the successful operation of Health New England and driving growth across the organization, financial and service excellence, and continued improvements in clinical quality with a focus on lowering the cost of care in western Massachusetts. He continues working to further Health New England’s mission of serving our members and improving the health and lives of the people in our communities.

He is an experienced Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer for provider-owned health plans and a senior health care executive with over 30 years of leadership with integrated delivery systems, health plans and provider groups throughout the country. Richard has served as the President of Medwise Partners, a health insurance consulting company he founded in 1996. In that capacity, he has served in numerous interim executive roles for regional health plans throughout the United States.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercer University and an MBA in Health Care Administration from the University of Miami (FL).

Lisa M. Cohen, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Lisa is responsible for leading Health New England’s financial strategy, accounting, actuarial, underwriting and financial reporting, ensuring our ability to provide cost-effective health care coverage while maintaining high-quality member care.

Lisa has more than 25 years of experience in strategic financial planning and analysis, accounting, and health care. Before joining Health New England in 2021, Lisa was Vice President of Financial Planning and Accounting Operations for Fallon Health. Prior to Fallon Health, she was Chief Financial Officer for Ascentria Care Alliance, and also served as Chief Financial Officer at The PACE Organization of Rhode Island.

Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth. She has been a member of the American Institute of CPAs for over 20 years, and maintains active certification as a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Global Management Accountant.

Casey Hossa, MBA, CHCIO, Vice President and Chief Information Officer

As Chief Information Officer, Casey is responsible for driving Health New England’s information technology and data to achieve the organization’s strategies and mission.

He has more than 20 years of experience in technology, innovation, and transformational leadership in several industries, including health care, travel, transportation, and consumer products. Prior to joining Health New England, Casey was the Chief Information Officer for Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, a Medicaid payor in North Carolina, overseeing the technology innovation and delivery for the organization. Before that, Casey served as SVP and Chief Information Officer for MultiCare Health System in Tacoma and Spokane, a Washington state hospital system. Earlier, he held the role of Divisional Vice President of Customer Service and Digital Products at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), a 5-state Blue Cross Healthcare plan.

Casey graduated from Northern Illinois University, in DeKalb, Ill., with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Management of Information Systems from DePaul University in Chicago, Ill.

Kate McIntosh, MD, MBA, FAAP, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

Dr. McIntosh is responsible for ensuring the quality and value of health care services for Health New England members, with a focus on clinical excellence, innovation, and technology to improve health outcomes. She is dedicated to furthering the integration of Health New England within the Baystate Health system and to expanding clinical collaboration with providers across Massachusetts.

With over 20 years of clinical experience, she is a dedicated pediatrician and an accomplished physician-executive with experience overseeing quality improvement, medical policy, utilization management, value-based models, information technology, and health reform initiatives.

Prior to joining Health New England in October 2021, Dr. McIntosh served as Senior Medical Director and Director of Quality and Utilization Management for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont. Previously, she was the Medical Director for the Vermont Health Information Exchange, and President and Managing Partner of Rainbow Pediatrics in Middlebury, Vermont, a Patient Centered Medical Home known for innovation in health care reform and population health initiatives.

Dr. McIntosh obtained her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Colorado, her Masters of Business Administration and Health Policy from Brandeis University, and her Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Michigan. Board Certified in Pediatrics, Dr. McIntosh is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Sarah Morgan, Esq., Vice President of Human Resources

As Vice President of Human Resources, Sarah leads and oversees Health New England’s human capital and organizational development operations ensuring business strategies, plans and initiatives are developed and implemented in compliance with governing regulations, internal policies and procedures. She is also responsible for identifying and implementing long-range strategic talent management goals, and is the Executive Sponsor of the Baystate Health Pride Business Resources Group (BRG).

Sarah joined Health New England in 2019 as Assistant General Counsel, and then became Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development in 2021. Prior to Health New England, She was a Litigation Associate at Bulkley Richardson in Springfield.

Sarah is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and earned her Juris Doctor degree from Western New England University School of Law. She is currently a Master’s degree candidate in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice Leadership at Tufts University. Sarah is member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts.

Susan O’Connor, Esq., Vice President and General Counsel

Sue’s responsibilities include leading all aspects of corporate and strategic legal initiatives, while overseeing both in-house and outside counsel. She also oversees Health New England's diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) activities.

Sue joined Health New England in 2008, and served in various roles including Assistant General Counsel and Director of Legal Services, and more recently as Director of Government Programs, where she was responsible for leading the growth of Health New England’s Medicare and Medicaid lines of business and overseeing operations related to government programs. Prior to joining Health New England, she was Director of Legal Affairs and Compliance for the Pioneer Health Group, and worked in private practice and with the City of Springfield Law Department. Prior to her career in law, Sue worked as a social worker for Families in Crisis, Inc., and the Connecticut Association for Human Services.

Sue received her Juris Doctor degree from Western New England University School of Law, earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Connecticut and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Clark University. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and the American Health Lawyers Association, and is a Board member of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans.

Shawn Thamert, Vice President of Sales and Chief Growth Officer

Shawn is responsible for the strategic direction, leadership and oversight for all Sales, Product Development and Marketing programs, including the Medicare line of business. He is also responsible for Health New England’s partnerships with brokers, employer groups and community non-profit organizations.

Shawn joined Health New England as interim Vice President, Sales and Marketing, in February 2023. Since then, he has focused on strategic membership growth across all lines of business.

Shawn has nearly 25 years of health care leadership experience. His previous roles included serving as the Vice President, Market Development, for Commonwealth Care Alliance, as well as senior sales positions with MultiPlan, Geisinger Health System, Jackson Health System, Humana, Highmark, and Coventry.

Shawn obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University. 

For more information about our organization and our parent company, view the Baystate Health Annual Report.