AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sana, the leading provider of health benefits to small businesses at affordable prices, today announced that Dr. Jay Parkinson has joined the company as Chief Medical Officer of Sana Primary Care.
Parkinson is a healthcare entrepreneur and physician who has co-founded multiple healthcare startups, including Sherpaa, a pioneer of the virtual primary care model. A 2013 New York Times profile called Parkinson “perhaps the most prominent of the city’s 2.0 doctors, who are rethinking the health care model along 21st-century lines.”
“Adding Jay to the Sana Primary Care team is a critical step in evolving Sana’s care delivery strategy and bending the cost curve for our clients,” said Sana co-founder and CEO Will Young. “A select amount of people in the world can rival his experience in this field, and we’re ecstatic to have him leading our virtual practice.”
Parkinson’s expertise in building innovative care models will enable Sana to offer members the most convenient full-scope primary care while also bending the cost curve. Sana Primary Care is the simplest way for members to get diagnosed and treated. If necessary, care navigators can also arrange care with local providers. Healthcare cost containment depends on changing care delivery, starting with primary care. Sana’s integration of a health plan and in-house care delivery model will enable the company to scale cost-effective, exceptional care across its operations.
“Joining the team at Sana Primary Care is an exciting next phase for me in the healthcare industry,” Parkinson said. “Rising healthcare costs are a pressing issue for individuals, employers and the entire nation. I am looking forward to helping Sana tackle this challenge by building a delivery care model that meets patients where they are.”
Parkinson received his MD from Penn State College of Medicine and completed his Pediatrics Residency at St. Vincent Hospital in New York City. He also completed a Preventive Medicine Residency and received a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins.
Along with Sherpaa, Parkinson co-founded Hello Health and design and consultancy firm The Future Well, and served as the chief designer at Crossover Health.
The appointment of Dr. Parkinson echos Sana’s momentum following the company’s $60 million Series B funding round last June. Sana also achieved 200% year-over-year customer growth in 2022.
About Sana
Sana provides small businesses with dependable health plans at prices they can afford. Through value-based care, the Sana Care ecosystem of world-class providers, direct primary care, and more, Sana is reducing the cost of high-quality care. Sana makes it easy for employers to administer benefits and offers members simplified health plans and top-notch customer service. For more information, visit www.sanabenefits.com.
