DENVER, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Paladina Health, an innovative primary care approach to delivering quality care while reducing health care costs, announced today that Dr. Jennifer Bajaj, M.D., MPH, has joined the company as its chief medical officer (CMO). Dr. Bajaj brings over 15 years of progressive clinical management and physician leadership experience to Paladina Health.

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As CMO, Dr. Bajaj oversees the network of provider organizations and the regional medical directors, and shapes the overall medical and clinical direction of Paladina Health. She also will play an integral role within the executive leadership team and work in partnership with Paladina Health's clinical operations, field operations, population health management and business development teams.

"Our CMO is critical to the success of this physician-access model of primary care," said Josh Golomb, president of Paladina Health. "We are pleased to have Dr. Bajaj on the team bringing with her leadership, clinical and operational excellence, and - perhaps most importantly - a passion to innovate in primary care."

Prior to joining Paladina, Dr. Bajaj served as Kaiser Permanente of Colorado's director of Population Health and Complex Case Management, which included the oversight of disease management, care coordination, and hospital to home transitions. Over her more than 12 years at Kaiser, Dr. Bajaj served in several key medical leadership and clinical directorship positions by leading multi-specialty care teams across population health, informatics solutions, clinical performance excellence and care management practice areas.

"I am thrilled to join a thought leader dedicated to finding innovative ways to help reduce the cost and improve the quality of health care in our country," said Dr. Bajaj. "I completely support Paladina Health's commitment to integrated primary care and the belief that primary care physicians should be the quarterbacks of a comprehensive care team."

The CMO drives the vision behind Paladina Health's patient-first approach to primary care, including unhurried appointments, 24/7 physician access for urgent needs, referral management and care coordination, and no or low co-pays. Paladina Health partners with organizations nationwide when seeking to improve the health and well-being of the covered population and gain control over health care costs in the short and long term.

Paladina Health opened its first direct primary care clinic in February 2012 and now operates over 50 clinics in 15 states. Dr. Bajaj will provide clinical and strategic leadership to this large and growing group of primary care physicians as they strive to deliver disruptively better health outcomes and service at lower health care costs to employer clients across the country.

Dr. Bajaj completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Additionally, she earned an MPH at the University of California, Berkeley.

About Paladina Health
Paladina Health, a subsidiary of $12 billion health care services company DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., is a physician-access model of health care that improves patient care and satisfaction by providing convenient and unhurried patient-centered care and a broad scope of services. Employers who offer Paladina Health to their employees aim to provide the highest-quality benefits while keeping a long-range view of improving the health and wellness of their covered population. For more information, visit paladinahealth.com.

About DaVita HealthCare Partners
DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and HealthCare Partners. DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of Dec. 31, 2014, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,179 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 173,000 patients. The company also operated 91 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. HealthCare Partners manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Florida in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. As of Dec. 31, 2014, HealthCare Partners provided integrated care management for approximately 837,000 patients. For more information, please visit DaVitaHealthCarePartners.com.

Contact Information

Media:
Vince Hancock
vince.hancock@davita.com
(303) 876-6618

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SOURCE Paladina Health