Dr. Atul Gawande is stepping down as CEO of Haven Healthcare, a joint venture between Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway. Gawande will be chairman of Haven’s board. Haven COO Mitch Betses will manage day-to-day operations amid the search for a replacement.
“This will elevate my focus from daily management to supporting Haven’s strategy, board, and leadership,” Gawande said in a statement. “It will also enable me to devote time to policy and activities addressing the immediate and long-term threats to health and health systems from COVID-19. As I reflected on how I could best contribute, this is an ideal role.”
Haven has vowed to focus on access to primary care, simpler insurance benefits, and lowering prescription drug prices. The joint venture doesn’t seek a profit. This past October it created its first offering in the form of health insurance plans for tens of thousands of their employees.
