Employer Direct Healthcare Welcomes Thomas D. Johnston as Its New CEO

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Jul 31, 2013) - Employer Direct Healthcare, a leader in value-based healthcare that helps large, self-insured employers improve the quality of their employees planned medical procedures while reducing costs, is pleased to announce that Thomas D. Johnston, J.D., has been appointed as its new CEO. Mr. Johnston has more than 26 years of healthcare management experience and a strong track record working with emerging companies.

"Employer Direct Healthcare is fortunate to have Thomas Johnston join the company at this exciting time in its development. His overall healthcare industry experience and background as a hospital and physician group leader, lawyer and management consultant, make him the ideal executive to help fuel the company's growth," said Philip Sanger, M.D., Employer Direct Healthcare Chief Medical Officer and General Partner with TEXO Ventures.

Prior to joining Employer Direct Healthcare, Mr. Johnston most recently served as Vice President at Paragon Health and as a Director at Navigant Consulting's Healthcare Division. During his tenure at Navigant, he developed and led multiple facets of new healthcare business partnerships, including areas such as overseeing strategies for new business development, managing physician real estate holdings and construction projects while having responsibilities for profit and loss in many healthcare joint ventures.

Previously, Mr. Johnston also gained experience serving as CEO of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeons, PA of Austin, Texas for over 14 years - this group eventually gained national prominence as a partner in the development of the "Heart Hospital of Austin." 

Mr. Johnston also served as Vice President of Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., where he managed the integration of several large specialty physician practices working in 10 medical clinics throughout the California desert region. He also served as President for both the Texas Medical Group Management Association and Surgical Leadership Alliance, and co-founded the Capital City Medical Group Administrators.

"I am very excited to lead the team at Employer Direct Healthcare," said Thomas Johnston. "This company has the opportunity to fundamentally change the way large, self-insured employers offer healthcare coverage to their employees. There is national focus on reducing healthcare costs while still improving the quality. Based on my experience in the industry, I know this can be done. This is the future of healthcare. Patients have a right to know about the quality and the costs of healthcare in a transparent way so they can make better choices for their care."

About Employer Direct Healthcare
Employer Direct Healthcare, a leader in value-based healthcare, transforms the way self-funded employer health plans purchase healthcare for their members, saving 30-50 percent on planned medical procedures with the potential to reduce total plan cost by 6-10 percent. The company also offers unique medical concierge service that assists covered members with selecting a provider, scheduling a procedure, transferring medical records, coordinating travel logistics and adhering to discharge protocols. For more information about Employer Direct Healthcare, please visit www.edhc.com or call (512)651-5551.