The Schenectady–based health insurer has named Christopher Del Vecchio to the role, per a June 12 news release. The announcement follows the resignation of current CEO Denise Gonick, which MVP announced June 6. 

Del Vecchio began working for MVP Health Care in 2014 as executive VP of strategy and innovation. In that role, he was responsible for guiding strategic planning as well as business and corporate development. 

In 2016, MVP promoted him to COO, where he “continued driving MVP’s strategic goals” while also focusing on identifying emerging trends and developing new initiatives for the company. Del Vecchio helped to secure MVP’s “strong” financial stability and performance, including expansions of MVP’s commercial and public-programs portfolio in New York and Vermont.

In June 2018, MVP promoted Del Vecchio to president and COO.

“It is an honor to be named the next CEO of MVP Health Care,” Del Vecchio said in the MVP release. “Over the past five years it’s been both professionally rewarding and inspiring to help set direction for a company with deep roots in the region and a great commitment to providing access to quality health care.”

“I’m confident that Chris is our best candidate to take the reins and lead MVP’s continuing efforts to make health insurance a more rewarding and personal experience for our members,” Alan Goldberg, chair of the MVP Health Care board of directors, said. “Chris has brought deep industry expertise and an exceptional track record of entrepreneurial leadership to MVP.”

About Gonick

Gonick began her tenure with MVP in 1995 as associate counsel and was eventually named VP of legal affairs and general counsel. She then served as executive VP and chief legal officer until she was appointed president of operations in 2012 and then president and CEO later that year. 

“It’s been an honor to work with MVP for 24 years and to lead the organization as CEO for the past seven. MVP is now in a position of great strength and I take pride in knowing that I have accomplished everything I set out to do during my tenure, most importantly building a strong, competitive market position for the company. Health care today exists in a rapidly changing environment and this is a good time to make a change in leadership to take MVP into the future,” Gonick said in the June 6 release.

The nonprofit MVP Health Care is a health insurer serving more than 700,000 members in New York and Vermont. The figure includes more than 150,000 individual and small-group members, according to a company spokesperson.

MVP Health Care operates a Syracuse office at 333 West Washington St., an Endwell office at 3660 George F Highway, and an office at 421 Broad St. in Utica, per its website.

Accomplishments

Gonick’s “signature accomplishments” as CEO include leading MVP through the “difficult political environment surrounding the adoption and subsequent scaling back” of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. She also led the effort to acquire Hudson Health Plan in 2013, MVP said. 

Under Gonick’s leadership, MVP’s expansion was recently noted as it is now ranked as the second largest company based in the Capital Region according to the Albany Business Review.

Gonick serves as co-chair of the Business Council of New York State and as chair of New York Health Plan Association. She will continue in those roles through the end of 2019. 

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com