news

NORTHWIND ADDS HEALTHCARE VETERAN JERRY FORD TO ADVISORY BOARD

INDIANAPOLIS, February 21, 2023 – Northwind has announced the addition of Jerry Ford to its strategic advisory board.

“Healthcare is at an inflection point,” said Phillip Berry, CEO. “Rising costs, barriers to access, struggles with quality, and a general sense of frustration, are driving self-funded employers to engage innovators like Northwind to help solve these problems.”

“Jerry’s extensive experience in leading one of the largest advanced primary care providers in the United States, his expertise in the challenges and opportunities facing our healthcare system, his heart for helping remove barriers to care, and his track record in scaling multiple high growth companies, are a perfect fit for our advisory board,” continued Berry. “I am delighted to have the chance to engage his heart and mind in our mission.”

Jerry Ford is currently a partner at Centerboard Advisors in Burlington, Vermont.  Jerry served as CEO of Marathon Health from February 2008 through February 2021.  Prior to joining Marathon Health, Ford was CEO and president of an Accel-KKR owned company, Systems & Software.  Ford also spent 15 years at IDX Systems Corporation where he served as vice president of operations responsible for more than 300 large and complex healthcare delivery system customers. 

“The Northwind core value of leaving it better than you found it is a value and a responsibility I believe we all have towards improving healthcare,” said Ford. “Having known Phil for a long time, I appreciate the focus he and all at Northwind place on ensuring this core value is lived in spirit and achieved in action.”

Northwind offers a national pharmacy services platform that brings the logistics of drug distribution and home delivery pharmacy together with analytics, pharmacy benefits, chronic disease programs, and software, to help self-funded employers create a Nexus of CareTM to influence healthcare costs and outcomes for their plan members.

Schedule a free claims analysis now.

Let’s Talk now

Podcast: Northwind’s Member Focused Approach

Phillip Berry | Sep 25th, 2024
Click here to listen to Katherine Lurke, PharmD and Steve Zetzl, PharmD discuss Northwind’s member focused approach to pharmacy benefit management. Unlike traditional PBM models like you are used to hearing about, Northwind’s PSA (Phamacy Administration Services) prioritizes continuous patient engagement. Steve and Katherine break down how their team works to ensure that once medications are in … more »

continue reading

We’re All in the Business of Healthcare

Phillip Berry | Aug 14th, 2024
Employers and unions have begun to realize that they are very much in the business of healthcare and that they are the “payer.” The move toward self-funding continues to build momentum as costs increase and employers discover that the healthcare universe revolves around a few massive payers. American healthcare has become a $4.5 trillion galaxy … more »

continue reading

The PBM Conflagration Marks the Beginning of Healthcare’s Center-of-Gravity Shift

Phillip Berry | Jul 31st, 2024
Waiting for my turn to present at recent health system executive conference, I noticed that presentations before mine spent a significant amount of time lamenting “payers” and “reimbursements.” Strategies and solutions to address these challenges centered on cutting costs, pooling resources to increase negotiating leverage, lobbying, and aligning with larger health systems to bolster positioning. … more »

continue reading