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University of Maryland School of Nursing's Mech Elected Chair of CareFirst's Board of Directors
January 13, 2016
Chair ensures officers of CareFirst act in accordance of its mission.
Baltimore, Md. – Ann B. Mech, JD, RN, assistant professor and legal affairs coordinator, University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), has been appointed chair of the Maryland CareFirst Board of Directors. Mech, the only nurse on the Board, has been a member of the Board since September 2013.
CareFirst is a nonprofit health care company independently licensed by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The health care company offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia through its affiliates and subsidiaries.
The Board of Directors approves modifications to state benefit plans, provider networks, provider reimbursement levels, product underwriting guidelines, rating plans, marketing goals, and availability or affordability of health care in Maryland. As chair, Mech is tasked with presiding over Board meetings and overseeing the implementation of policies approved by the Board. Mech, who is also an ex-officio member of all the committees of the Board, will work closely with CareFirst’s chief executive officer and senior administrators.
“My background in nursing has taught me how important access to health care services is to overall health, and keeping health insurance affordable is an important goal for CareFirst,” Mech said. “My vision is to expand the participation of both patients and providers in the patient-centered medical home model of care in order to manage and coordinate high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective health care services for CareFirst subscribers.”
Mech is a long-time community volunteer having served on several local health-related boards, including Howard County's Board of Health and Howard County General Hospital’s Board of Trustees. In addition to the Maryland CareFirst Board of Directors, she is currently a member of the Vantage House Board of Trustees and the Nursing Advisory Board of Howard Community College.
“We are very proud of Ms. Mech for being elected chair of the Maryland CareFirst Board of Directors. She epitomizes the term ‘nurse leader,’ and CareFirst has served as a staunch supporter of nurses,” said UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN. “I am confident that under her leadership, CareFirst will continue to champion the critical role nurses play in the transformation of health care.”
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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools, and is ranked sixth nationally. Enrolling more than 1,700 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.