10 Things You Didn’t Know about Envision Healthcare CEO Christopher Holden
Christopher Holden is both the CEO and the President of Envision Healthcare Corporation. However, it should be mentioned that Envision has been bought out by the investment firm called Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, which is perhaps unsurprising considering its struggles in recent times. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Christopher Holden:
1. Christopher Means Christbearer
Christopher comes from a Greek name cobbled together using elements that mean “Christ” and “bearer.” As a result, it should come as no surprise to learn that there was a St. Christopher who was said to have carried a child over a river without knowing that the child was Christ. Due to this, he became known as Christopher, though his initial name was Reprobus.
2. Holden Comes from a Place Name
Holden is a surname that comes from a place name meaning either “deep valley” or “hollow valley.” With that said, the name sees a fair amount of use as a personal name as well, not least because of Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye.
3. Has a Bachelor of Science Degree
Education-wise, Holden has a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina. For it, he studied the subject of Health Policy and Administration, which is an excellent fit for the course that his career has taken.
4. Has Both a Juris Doctorate and a Masters Degree
Besides his Bachelor of Science, Holden has a couple of postgraduate degrees from Washington University in St. Louis as well. One is a Juris Doctorate, which is a law degree; while the other is a Masters degree, which was given out for Healthcare Administration.
5. Has Previous Healthcare Experience
Envision Healthcare Corporation is far from being the first time that Holden has held an important position in the healthcare sector. For example, he held a number of officer positions at the Hospital Corporation of America. Likewise, he was as a senior vice president at Triad Hospitals, which was a hospital operator based in Plano, TX.
6. Came to Envision Healthcare Corporation Via AMSURG
In December of 2016, Envision and AMSURG performed a merger because it seemed as though the two sides’ respective strengths would enable them to complement one another. Holden came to the resulting corporation from AMSURG.
7. The Integration Was Botched
Unfortunately, the integration of Envision and AMSURG was botched, which was reflected in the resulting corporation’s less than impressive numbers in recent times. However, that wasn’t the sole factor responsible for those numbers, seeing as how it was impacted by both natural disasters and jitters over the uncertain fate of the Affordable Care Act under the Trump administration.
8. Got Bought Out by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts
As a result, the Envision Healthcare Corporation was bought out by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. This started with the sale of an ambulance unit in early 2018, which was followed up by the rest in June of 2018. With that said, Holden remains the one in charge of the corporation, which is now a subsidiary of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
9. Has Accused Healthcare Insurance Companies of Tactics that Fuel Conflict
Holden has been known to take a pretty hostile stance towards healthcare insurance companies. In fact, he has been known to outright accuse them of using tactics that fuel conflict while also voicing his opinion that the relevant parties should be collaborating with one another to create something that works for everyone. This was on top of a much more public as well as a much more specific feud with UnitedHealthcare, which actually saw it suing the corporation.
10. Has Launched a Patients First Initiative
Speaking of which, Holden has overseen the launch of a Patients First initiative, which was meant to address some of his and his corporation’s concerns. Part of the initiative is focused on making billing as well as payment matters more transparent, which should theoretically provide healthcare consumers with a better idea of what they can expect to pay. Something that can get very complicated, which is particularly frustrating because of the inherent importance of healthcare. However, it should be mentioned that the initiative is also interested in addressing other healthcare issues as well.
