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Horst Schulze and Herbert Fritch Join ChenMed Board of Directors

MIAMI – ChenMed, a leading provider of value-based care for seniors, announced today the addition of Horst Schulze and Herbert Fritch to its board of directors. Schulze and Fritch are pioneers in their industries and bring an unparalleled expertise to accelerate the success and impact ChenMed can have through its innovative primary care model.

Schulze, Founding President and Former COO of the Ritz-Carlton Group, currently serves as CEO of Capella Hotel Group. Fritch founded HealthSpring and helped the company grow into one of the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage plans before being acquired by Cigna. Schulze and Fritch join ChenMed during a time of rapid growth for the company. ChenMed currently operates in 10 U.S. markets and has grown more than 420 percent since 2013.

ChenMed, a fully-capitated Medicare Advantage provider, brings concierge-style medicine to low-to-moderate income seniors, most of whom are managing multiple chronic conditions. By providing its patients with more access to care, more convenience in accessing it, and more preventive services, ChenMed successfully delivers better care and better health outcomes, while bringing down costs. ChenMed’s high-touch, customer service approach to medicine has resulted in industry-leading patient satisfaction scores.

“Throughout my career, I’ve focused on providing exceptional customer service. Whether it’s guests visiting a hotel or patients visiting their doctor, the value of customer service transcends industries,” said Horst Schulze. “ChenMed has already proven the value of service in health care by outperforming industry benchmarks with the use of its VIP style patient care model. I look forward to helping ChenMed further its success by ensuring the structure and culture needed to relentlessly pursue truly exceptional service are in place.”

Schulze brings to the ChenMed board a deep knowledge of how businesses can successfully attract and retain customers through superior service. A co-founder of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Schulze developed the service standards that helped the company become world-renowned for its quality customer service. Currently the CEO of Capella Hotel Group, Schulze has been recognized as “corporate hotelier of the world” by HOTELS magazine.

Fritch, the founder of HealthSpring, comes to the ChenMed board with more than 40 years of experience in health care. A Medicare Advantage expert and innovator in physician performance management, Fritch founded HealthSpring in 2000 and, after being acquired by Cigna in 2011 for $3.8 billion, successfully navigated the company through integration and the formation of Cigna-HealthSpring in 2012.

“Medicare Advantage providers must always be on the lookout for new ways to meet the Triple Aim of improving patient experience, health, and cost,” said Herbert Fritch. “I’m excited to join ChenMed’s board. The company provides a model of value-based care exactly the way it should be – through a primary care provider led model that focuses on investing in patients up front in order to drive better results on all fronts.”

“The decision by Horst and Herb, each a luminary in their field, to join our board validates the promise of what our model is doing and the impact that very smart people believe it can have,” said ChenMed CEO, Dr. Christopher Chen. “I’m confident our new board members are going to bring us to the next level in positively changing American healthcare for those who need it the most.”

About ChenMed

For seniors most in need of care, high-quality health care is too often beyond reach. ChenMed was founded to bring concierge-style medicine – and better health outcomes – to the neediest populations. ChenMed serves seniors with low-to-moderate incomes, most managing multiple chronic conditions, 10 U.S. markets in six states through 42 senior medical centers.

ChenMed’s goal is to improve health outcomes and create value for patients, physicians, and the health care system. To do that, ChenMed relies on innovative technology and a talented and resourceful team of providers.

Founded by Dr. James Chen, a Taiwanese immigrant and cancer survivor, the company provides unrivaled care to seniors – particularly those enrolled in a broad range of Medicare Advantage plans in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Virginia.