Dr. J.D. Hickey, chief operating officer of BlueCross BlueShield of TennesseeThe former head of Tennessee's TennCare program has been appointed chief operating officer of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, effective May 1.
Dr. J.D. Hickey, who previously served as senior vice president and CEO of BlueCross' TennCare program operated under the Volunteer State Health Plan, will succeed Bill Gracey who is set to become BlueCross' chief executive officer on Jan. 1.
"Over the past year J.D. has demonstrated a broad grasp of our organization and the market dynamics we're facing," Gracey said in a statement today. "He's not only a nationally respected leader and health care strategist, but he also consistently brings innovative ideas to the table."
Hickey joined BlueCross in March 2011 after serving as a principal with McKinsey & Co. in strategic health care consulting. Prior to that, he served on Gov. Phil Bredesen's cabinet as director of the TennCare Bureau. He has also held executive positions with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and Qualifacts Systems, Inc.
Hickey graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Colgate. He went on to earn medical and law degrees from Duke University.