Catholic Benefits Association appoints first-ever CEO

Oklahoma City, Okla., Feb 12, 2015 / 22:07 pm

When hospitals are struggling financially, they bring in Douglas G. Wilson, Jr. to turn around their fortunes.

Wilson, who previously served as CEO of five distressed hospitals throughout the US and successfully turned them into growing enterprises, was recently named the first Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Benefits Association and Catholic Insurance Company.

"The Board is tremendously enthusiastic about Doug becoming out first CEO. His deep experience and success uniquely positions him to lead the CBA and CIC to achieve its mission of making quality, competitive, morally-compliant healthcare coverage available to our members," Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, president of the Catholic Benefits Association, stated Feb. 11.

The Catholic Benefits Association is composed of Catholic employers, both nonprofit and for-profit, committed to providing life-affirming health coverage consistent with Church teaching.
It is led by bishops, and consists of Catholic dioceses, ministries, colleges, religious orders, and businesses who want to provide healthcare and benefits consistent with Church teaching. There are 691 Catholic employers and 3,428 parishes within the CBA, covering more than 68,000 people.
 
In order to supply this comprehensive coverage, the CBA has formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, the Catholic Insurance Company, which provides networks and administration to their members, so as to honor the dignity of the human person through healthcare.

The CBA also advocates for the religious liberty of Catholic employers to manage their health care plans according to their religious beliefs.

"Given the growth of the CBA and the CIC over our first year, the Board is focused on communications with current and prospective members and on making the CIC program as competitive and accessible as possible," stated Carolyn Woo, a CBA board member and president of Catholic Relief Services.

"Doug Wilson is the perfect person to achieve these goals," she continued.

Wilson's healthcare career began in 1979 after he graduated from Georgia State University with a master's in Healthcare Administration, where he specialized in the rehabilitation of distressed hospitals in Atlanta.

After successfully generating increased profits and revenues for struggling healthcare facilities, he focused his attention on growing three start-up healthcare enterprises and managed 29 ambulatory surgery centers while developing various physician partnerships. He also directed the expansion of a startup hospital management company, where he integrated rural hospitals, growing it from zero to 14 hospitals over a four year period.

After his extensive work with struggling and startup hospitals, Wilson focused his efforts on finding quality healthcare for his employees that was compatible with the teachings of the Church.

"I myself have experienced the challenges of providing quality healthcare benefits to my employees at prices we could afford without making benefits inaccessible to them and their families," Wilson stated.

"New regulations imposing mandates contrary to Catholic values have made it nearly impossible for Catholic employers to manage their ministries and businesses consistent with our beliefs," he continued, saying he felt privileged to have the new position at CBA, a place that defends the coexistence of faith and business.

"I feel privileged to work with CBA members in defending our right to do business according to our faith," Wilson stated, saying that their work with the Catholic Insurance Company will enable them to reach their goals of quality, cost effectiveness, accessibility, and moral integrity.