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UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE:UNH) new CEO, Stephen Hemsley, is shaking up the senior management of the company, appointing Patrick Conway, newly named CEO of the managed care giant’s Optum unit, as the head of its health services division, Optum Health.
Citing a company memo, Bloomberg News reported that Conway, who previously served as the CEO of Optum’s pharmacy benefits unit, Optum Rx, before getting promoted to lead the broader Optum unit last month, will also add the title of Optum Health CEO.
According to the memo, Amar Desai, who has led Optum Health since 2023, will become the vice chairman of the division and president of Optum Integrated Care, and he will continue to work with Hemsley and Conway.
A UNH spokesperson said Conway’s experience in value-based care, which, unlike a fee-for-service model, links healthcare reimbursements to the quality of care delivered, has led to his new appointment.
“Leadership changes are consistent with the company’s longstanding, intentional approach to develop an executive team with a range of experiences across its diverse portfolio of businesses,” Reuters reported, quoting the spokesperson.
Conway’s appointment comes after Optum Health’s Q1 2025 revenue fell ~5% YoY to $25.3B, while overall revenue at Optum improved ~5% YoY to $63.9B.