David Klein and Dr. Tejal Gandhi bring extensive health care experience to their new roles
BOSTON, MA – June 1, 2023 – Commonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA), a mission-driven healthcare services organization that offers high-quality health plans and care delivery programs designed for individuals with significant needs, has announced the election of healthcare and industry leaders David Klein and Tejal Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS, to leadership roles on the CCA Board of Directors. Klein, who joined the board in 2017, was appointed Board Chair. Gandhi, a board member since 2018, was appointed Vice Chair.
“David and Tejal bring an incredible level of experience and healthcare knowledge to their board leadership roles. Their respective skillsets have already shown them to be integral and invaluable members of our board, and they have been champions of CCA’s strategic vision to transform complex care nationwide,” said CCA President and CEO Chris Palmieri.
Klein succeeds Robert (Bob) Gittens, whose service as chair started in 2020. Gittens will continue to serve on the board. Gandhi succeeds Carol Raphael, who held the vice chair role starting in 2018.
“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Bob and Carol for their service as board leaders. They led our board as CCA played an extraordinary role in Massachusetts’ statewide efforts to vaccinate homebound individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we continue to partner with the Commonwealth and the City of Boston to support the Shattuck Cottages, a first-of-its-kind temporary housing community for chronically homeless individuals,” said Palmieri. “While CCA led the way to expand access to care during the pandemic, we also launched a bold strategy to grow our offerings in Massachusetts and expand nationally. I am grateful for the contributions Bob and Carol made to our vision and I am thrilled that they will continue to lend their expertise as board members.”
With deep experience in healthcare delivery and payment, Klein is an advisor to several industry-leading healthcare investment organizations, such as Health Catalyst Capital Management, Cressey & Company, Cogito, Opyn Market, and Honest Medical Group. He also serves as a director of Lee Health, is a special advisor to the CEO of the University of Rochester (UR) Medical Center and serves as professor of public health sciences in the UR School of Medicine and Dentistry. He previously was the CEO of The Lifetime Healthcare Companies, a family of companies that includes Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, and was a senior executive with The Lifetime Healthcare Companies, among many other healthcare leadership roles.
“During my tenure on the CCA board, I’ve been proud to see this organization grow and expand its mission of helping individuals with significant needs both within Massachusetts and across the country,” said Klein. “CCA’s work is incredibly important. Each and every individual on the CCA team is contributing to our vision of transforming the nation’s healthcare. I am proud to serve as the new Board Chair and I look forward to seeing this vision realized.”
Gandhi, an internist and a leader in patient safety, serves as the Chief Safety and Transformation Officer at Press Ganey, the renowned leader in transforming human experience (HX) across patient, member, employee and consumer journeys in healthcare. In this role, she is focused on improving patient and workforce safety, and developing innovative transformation strategies that advance the experience of healthcare. She also leads the Press Ganey Equity Partnership, a collaborative initiative dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities and the impact of racial inequities on patients and caregivers. Prior to Press Ganey, Gandhi also served as chief clinical and safety officer at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), where she led IHI patient and workforce safety programs. Gandhi was also president and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF). She has served as president of the Lucian Leape Institute, a think tank founded by NPSF that now operates within the IHI Safety portfolio, and was a board member of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety, which administers the Certified Professional in Patient Safety credential. She is currently a senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School. She is an appointed member of the National Academy of Medicine, considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine recognizing individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
“Helping to break down barriers for individuals with complex needs is at the heart of everything that we do at CCA and the impact on the lives of the individuals CCA serves is invaluable,” said Gandhi. “I am honored to serve as Vice Chair for this innovative, mission-centered organization. I look forward to partnering closely with the CCA Board and leadership team to help develop even more innovative healthcare solutions for the communities we serve.”
For more information about the CCA board, visit www.commonwealthcarealliance.org/leadership/.