Mary Lantin, who has served as a senior executive at Centene, Availity, and Optum Analytics, has been named president and CEO of Azara Healthcare, a provider of population health and value-based care solutions for safety net providers.

Burlington, Mass.-based Azara has grown from a startup to support more than 1,000 healthcare organizations nationwide, serving federally qualified health centers and other safety-net providers, community and critical access hospitals, and health plans with data-driven solutions

Lantin most recently served as senior vice president, operations strategy & partnerships at insurer Centene. Prior to that, she held senior leadership roles at Availity, Diameter Health, Optum Analytics, and Humedica. Jeff Brandes, Azara’s founder and longtime president & CEO, is assuming a role as executive advisor and member of the board of directors.


“Azara has always been built around mission, innovation and a deep commitment to the organizations and communities we serve,” said Brandes in a statement. “This is a planned transition initiated as part of our long-term leadership planning, and it reflects both the strength of the business and the opportunities ahead. While I am transitioning from day-to-day leadership, I will remain actively engaged with Azara, working closely with clients, supporting strategic initiatives and contributing as a member of the Board. Mary is a values-driven, strategic and client-centered leader, and I am excited to partner with her in this next chapter.”

In 2025 Azara merged with i2i Population Health. Global software investor Insight Partners led the merger and invested in the newly combined company. “Azara is exceptionally well-positioned for its next stage of growth,” said Krishnan Sastry, managing director at Insight Partners and member of Azara’s board of directors, in a statement. “Healthcare organizations increasingly need trusted partners that can connect data, improve performance and strengthen collaboration across providers and health plans. We believe Azara is uniquely positioned to meet that need, and Mary's leadership will help accelerate the company's ability to deliver value at scale.”



Azara also recently announced the acquisition of Advocatia, a digital-first public benefits enrollment platform. As Azara noted at the time, the move comes as community health centers, hospitals, and other safety net providers prepare for the impact of HR. 1. More than 7.6 million Americans are projected to lose Medicaid coverage by 2034, and 80-hour monthly work requirements take effect in January 2027. The National Association of Community Health Centers projects HR.1 will reduce community health revenue by $7 billion annually due to increased uncompensated care — a level of strain that could force 1,800 site closures and 34,000 job losses nationwide.


Azara's solutions, including the Azara DRVS platform, Azara Care Connect (ACC), and Azara Patient Outreach (APO), already help more than 1,000 safety net provider organizations identify and engage patients who are at risk of falling off the Medicaid rolls during re-enrollment periods.