Delaware First Health CEO named
Delaware First Health announced that Bill Wison has been appointed as Plan President and Chief Executive Officer.
Wilson brings over 25 years of healthcare and finance leadership experience and nearly 15 years as a managed care executive. Most recently, Wilson served as the Chief Financial Officer for Managed Health Services, Centene’s Indiana health plan.
Delaware First Health was recently selected by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA) to administer the state’s Medicaid Managed Care Programs, Diamond State Health Plan (DSHP) and Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP+). Delaware First Health’s statewide participation in DSHP and DSHP+ is expected to commence operations on Jan. 1, 2023.
TD Bank names credit card chief
TD Bank announced the appointment of Christopher Fred as Head of U.S. Credit Cards and Unsecured Lending. The business is based in Wilmington.
Fred will lead strategic direction of TD’s U.S. Bankcard, Retail Card Services and Card Partnerships business.
Fred joins TD after nearly a decade with Citi, where he managed the U.S. Proprietary Card portfolio, Cardmember benefits, rewards program and new product development. In his role at TD, Fred will drive strategy for the bank’s portfolio, which includes TD’s credit card suite, unsecured loan offerings and retailer partnerships. He will also oversee operations and infrastructure transformation work.
Fred’s career includes time at Goldman Sachs, where he led partnership initiatives and project management for the Apple Card, and 15 years at American Express in a variety of roles including product management, loyalty, and acquisition. He earned a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany with a major in Economics and a minor in Political Science. He is based in New York.
Versongen names chief technology officer
Versogen, a green energy startup, announces Balasubramanian “Balsu” Lakshmanan has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to guide its team of scientists, engineers, and inventors. Lakshmanan will lead the design and manufacturing of an I electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen. Versogen’s patented anion exchange membrane (AEM) is the secret sauce in their revolutionary technology that improves efficiency and reduces the cost of producing green, zero-emission hydrogen fuel, a release stated.
Prior work includes projects at Ohmium where he was responsible for the development of a large-scale 100 kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. Lakshmanan also worked at General Motors, leading the stack and system design for their Gen3 Fuel Cell System.
Lakshmanan is an inventor on more than 45 patents in the United States and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications. He earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of South Carolina and his bachelor’s in chemical and electrochemical engineering from the Central Electrochemical Research Institute in India.
Farquhar named health sciences dean at UD
William B. Farquhar, long-time faculty member in the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences (CHS), has been appointed the college’s next dean.
The College of Health Sciences hosts 13 undergraduate majors, 12 minors and 29 graduate programs.
Farquhar will be charged to strengthen the college’s impact as a hub of interdisciplinary translational research, interprofessional education and public engagement dedicated to advancing human health, a release stated.
Farquhar, who will begin his tenure as dean on Nov. 1, has been a member of the UD faculty since 2002. He currently serves as professor of kinesiology and applied physiology and as dean of research in the college.
Last year, Kathleen Matt, who has served as dean of the college since 2009, announced plans to retire.
Local Journalism Initiative announces board, president
The Local Journalism Initiative announced the appointment of the organization’s new leadership team and board members. Allison Taylor Levine, will serve as president of the organization, having founded and incubated LJI. Allison has spent the past 20 years in various communications and community leadership roles in Delaware.
The seven board members are:
- Chair: Amy Cherry, communications manager, University of Delaware
- Vice Chair: Schlonn Hawkins, CEO and publisher of Shelterforce
- Treasurer: Mark Baxter, Senior Program Director at Rodel
- Secretary: Matt Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer, Short Order Production House
- Jill DiPaolo, , Outreach Services Librarian, Sussex County Public Libraries
- Laurie Jacobs, Director of Public Relations, Delaware State Housing Authority
- Andre Smith, Digital Communications Manager, University of Delaware
In June of 2022, LJI released Delaware’s Local News & Information Ecosystem Assessment: Key Findings and Opportunities, a report on its comprehensive, community-centered research project that explores how Delawareans consume local news and information, analyzes gaps in coverage, and provides a set of recommendations for how the community can work together to improve access to high-quality, independent, local news and information for everyone.
LJI also is working to build a pipeline of historically underrepresented journalists through an internship program, established in partnership with the Delaware Community Foundation and the Maryland Delaware DC Press Association.
LJI also launched the Delaware Journalism Collaborative, a coalition of local news outlets that are pooling their resources to create coverage and lead conversations on important community challenges. Funded by the Solutions Journalism Network, this solutions-journalism collaborative is currently focused on the issue of polarization – what divides our communities and how we can work together more effectively.
Community Corrections warden announced
The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) announced that Kent County Community Corrections Deputy Warden Kent Raymond was promoted to Warden of Kent County Community Corrections (KCCC). KCCC operates the Community Corrections Treatment Center (CCTC), the statewide treatment facility for inmates sentenced to Level IV substance use Raymond has served his entire 31-year DOC career for Kent County Community Corrections He joined KCCC in 1991 as a Senior Correctional.
Physician joined Sussex Campus team
Lilia Villarin MD, has joined the Bayhealth Primary Care, Sussex Campus team. As an internal medicine physician, Villarin specializes in care for adults and preventing, diagnosing and treating the spectrum of illnesses that affect them. She offers primary care to ages 18 and older at the Bayhealth Primary Care, Sussex Campus practice in Milford and is welcoming new patients.
After earning her Doctor of Medicine degree from De La Salle Health Sciences Institute in the Philippines, Dr. Villarin went on to a post-graduate internship at Philippine General Hospital. She completed her internal medicine residency and served as chief resident at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore.
Endocrinologist joins Beebe medical staff
Beebe Healthcare announced the appointment of Ahmad Elayyan, M.D, to its medical staff. Elayyan is an endocrinologist who is board certified in both endocrinology and internal medicine. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases, adrenal and pituitary diabetes, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Elayyan earned his medical degree at the University of Jordan. He went on to complete an internship at the Ministry of Health Affiliated Hospitals, also in Amman, Jordan, followed by an internal medicine residency at the McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint, MI.. His post-graduate training concluded with an endocrinology fellowship at Southern Illinois University.
Prior to joining Beebe, Dr. Elayyan served as an endocrinologist at Tidal Health, Salisbury.
His spouse, Eman Mazloum, MD, is a family medicine physician who is also part of Beebe Medical Group.
