Dr. Howard Epstein Joins Blue Cross as Medical Director for Commercial Operations and Clini...( EAGAN Minn. July 1 /- Howard Epst...),Health

EAGAN, Minn., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Howard Epstein, M.D. has joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota as medical director for commercial operations and clinical design. In his new role, Dr. Epstein will be responsible for supporting case review and clinician consultation for integrated health management. He will also provide consultation for the Clinical Design area, serve as a liaison to Blue Cross accounts, and provide leadership to advance Blue Cross' Whole Person Health Support strategy.

Dr. Epstein comes to Blue Cross from HealthPartners, where he served as the medical director of care management and palliative care at Regions Hospital. At Regions he provided administrative and medical leadership for the case management, social work, utilization review, complaint documentation, palliative care, complementary therapy and chaplaincy departments.

Dr. Epstein received his bachelor of arts and doctor of medicine degrees from Washington University in Saint Louis, Mo. Dr. Epstein is board certified in both internal medicine and hospice and palliative medicine.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. http://www.bluecrossmn.com