Humana will establish a center for digital health and analytics in Boston, the Louisville-based health insurer announced last week.
The center, which will be called Humana Studio H, and which will be located in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood, will focus on pioneering new products and services that will then be developed for use across the organization, according to officials. The Boston location affords access to the area’s wealth of talent in digital technology, analytics and experience design, in one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods, officials said, noting that the project will be complete next summer.
The company expects to employ as many as 250 individuals at this Boston location within the next five years. To help lead this effort, the company has named Heather Cox to the newly created position of chief digital health and analytics officer, reporting directly to Humana President and CEO Bruce Broussard.
In her new role, Cox will be responsible for building Humana’s digital care delivery operations and leading enterprise analytics. Cox brings 25 years of experience to the role, most recently serving as chief technology and digital officer at USAA, where she led the teams responsible for designing and building personalized and digitally-enabled end-to-end experiences for USAA members. Cox will be based in Boston and oversee much of the work coming out of Studio H.
In addition to the digital health and analytics group, a team of individuals focused on creating a new health experience for seniors will also reside in Studio H under the direction of Beth Bierbower, who has been with the company in a number of senior-level leadership positions.
“What we’re developing in Boston is a critical capability that can help Humana leap forward and overcome friction points to create a simplified, connected and personalized health care experience for our members and the physicians and others who provide their care,” Broussard said in a statement. “We understand that where lifestyle and health care intersect, there is an opportunity to influence health and well-being in a holistic way—especially for seniors. Digital technology and analytics are building blocks for devising products, tools and services that deliver on the promise of whole-person health care…”
