The insurance company is embroiled in a legal battle with hospitals over its new plan that ranks facilities by tier.
NEWARK -- New Jersey's largest health insurer, which is embroiled in a public feud with several hospitals over a controversial new health plan, has announced several executive staffing changes.
The organizational and personnel changes at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's public, governmental and regulatory affairs operations also come as the company sued Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck and The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood over their advertising campaign. The hospitals Horizon sued are among several that had criticized the insurer's new tiered health plan for hospitals in New Jersey.
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is forming a network of 36 hospitals that will treat patients at a lower cost, according to company officials. (Photo courtesy of BCBSNJ) Bill Castner is now senior vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs. Appointed in November to head that new division, Castner oversees an operation that integrates government affairs, regulatory affairs and corporate communication under a single division, said Tom Vincz, a company spokesman.
Former state GOP Chairman Tom Wilson was named Horizon's director of public affairs. Prior to joining the insurance company, Wilson was partner with the Kaufman Zita Group.
On Friday, Castner announced other changes.
Dominick DiRocco, Christie's deputy chief of staff, left that post to join Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield as director of government affairs. DiRocco was also counsel to former U.S. Sen. Jeffrey Chiesa and served as assistant vice president of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
Horizon also announced the appointment of Ulises Diaz, as director of enterprise government affairs. Diaz, who reports directly to Castner, was vice president of government affairs for Verizon New Jersey and previously served as vice president of external affairs for United Water.
Under Diaz in the government affairs team is Michele Jaker, who is former chief of staff to state Sen. Joseph Vitale. She most recently worked as director of government relations for Amerigroup New Jersey and serves on the board of directors of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans.
Jaker and DiRocco join government affairs director John Rogers, former chief counsel to the Assembly Republican Office and former vice president of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
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Sarah Jones, former director of government affairs for Cablevision, joined Horizon as government affairs manager. She previously served as district director for U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr.
Scarlett Rajski, who previously served as project manager for the government affairs department of the law firm Gibbons P.C., becomes Horizon's government affairs specialist.
They join Tara Cadet, government affairs specialist and constituent services liaison.
Kevin McArdle, a former State House reporter with 101.5 radio, is now public affairs manager for Horizon.
MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.