Aspire Health Nonprofit names new CEO

MONTEREY >> Aspire Health, a nonprofit organization backed by Montage Health and Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, will soon have a new chief executive officer.

Tyler Munson, former president of Care N’Care Insurance Company in Fort Worth, Texas, will assume the position on Sept. 6. He is succeeding longtime CEO Laura Zehm, who led the development of Aspire and led the organization since its inception.

“There’s nothing but excitement on my end,” Munson said over the phone Thursday. “Coming onto such a tremendous team and (into a) community that really cares about connection (and) values each other. That’s been evident in every person that I’ve met across the organization and out in the community so far.”

Coming up through the finance side of health care, Munson has worked in the field for over a decade. Noting that he switched his focus to operations in 2014, Munson said that he “has really operated in the nexus between providers, systems and patients/members.” Within that space, Munson’s focus has centered on “looking for opportunities that drive values and better outcomes to really advance our health care ecosystem,” he said.

Munson has served in his most recent role as president of Care N’Care for the past year, though Munson said he has been “in and around” the organization since its inception in 2009. Care N’Care is a Texas-based, provider-owner Medicare Advantage plan with more than 13,000 members and over $150 million in annual revenue.

Explaining that like Aspire Health, Care N’Care has two systems that are the primary owners/sponsors of the plan, Munson said he has an understanding of how a community can rally around a health plan to deliver something that is localized.

“There is tremendous value in doing that,” he said, adding that his new leadership position with Aspire Health is “square in (his) background” and a natural fit for his career.

Speaking to Munson’s appointment, which was completed through a broad national search, Montage Health President/CEO Steven Packer said “Munson is a focused and dedicated leader with a proven track record of driving change and achieving results.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Tyler to the Aspire team,” he continued in a press release.

Munson earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, as well as his master’s in business administration, from Elon University in North Carolina.

Likewise lauding Munson’s breadth of experience, Pete Delgado, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System President/CEO, said in a press release that “Tyler brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the market that will only strengthen the value, products and services we provide our community. We’re excited to welcome him to the As

pire family.”

Aspire Health Plan, the Medicare Advantage arm of Aspire Health, offers Monterey County’s only individual Medicare Advantage health plans. An alternative to Original Medicare — a federal, fee-for-service health plan — Medicare Advantage is an option offered by private companies that contracts with Medicare, the county’s health insurance program for people 65 or older.

Including all four Monterey County hospitals, Aspire Health Plan offers three plans, all of which comprise Part D prescription drug coverage. The provider network also consists of more than 700 health care providers. Last year, the organization, which was launched in 2016, earned a four-star rating from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for its 2022 Medicare Advantage plan. Aspire Health Plan’s customer service team has also earned five stars for member satisfaction based on measures from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey.

Eager to help Aspire Health continue to grow, Munson said “I can tell there is a large runway of opportunity for this plan (to act) as a community vehicle and transform the health and wellbeing for the members it serves.”

“For me personally,” Munson went on, “this is an amazing opportunity to continue to grow and see a different community in action and leverage the years of experience that I’ve earned. … Seeing the type of community that the Monterey Peninsula and Monterey County has is just inspiring. I’m extremely humbled and honored to lead such a fantastic organization as Aspire Health.”