by Matt Batcheldor
C.J. Stimson, MD, JD, assistant professor of Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the VUMC and Vanderbilt University Employee Health Plans. In this role, Stimson supports the Human Resources team under the leadership of Amy Schoeny, PhD, VUMC Chief Human Resources Officer.
As CMO of the health plans, Stimson is charged with bringing his creativity and experience designing transformative programs to achieve improved health outcomes and better patient experiences while controlling costs.
Stimson will review medical and pharmaceutical utilization to determine trends and identify any systemic issues to be addressed in future redesigns of the plans. In addition, he will advise on plan design and how it impacts clinical outcomes and patient behavior, review specific claims for possible benefit exceptions, and ensure clinical programs are meeting plan objectives.
“We look forward to Dr. Stimson’s clinical guidance and expertise as we continue to ensure the health plan best supports the needs of our employees and their families,” said Schoeny.
Stimson assumes this new responsibility following the retirement of Roland “Ron” Eavey, MD, who previously held the role.
VUMC is the second largest private employer in Tennessee. Its health plan has approximately 44,000 members and spends $230 million annually.
In addition to this new position, Stimson has served as senior vice president of Value Transformation in the VUMC Office of Population Health since January. Stimson also maintains his long-standing advisory role with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), where he has served three presidential administrations in support of the federal government’s transition from a volume- to value-based health care purchaser. He was the first surgeon at CMMI, providing clinical and regulatory expertise related to the development of alternative payment models, including VUMC’s groundbreaking MyHealth Bundles program.
In addition to his work with CMMI, Stimson has extensive health policy experience with the federal government, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Health Policy Legislative Fellow to Republican and Democratic members, as well as in the GOP Doctors Caucus.
Stimson received his medical and law degrees from Vanderbilt University and completed his residency in urologic surgery at VUMC. He completed a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in urologic oncology. He continues to care for patients at VUMC and the Nashville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, focusing on surgical treatment for kidney, bladder and prostate cancer.