Founder & CEO, ITO Advisors; former President & CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Leadership Committee

In his role as president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and its parent company Stella, Dr. Craig E. Samitt is responsible for overseeing the strategy and operations of the state’s first and largest health plan.

Dr. Samitt came to Blue Cross in July 2018 from Anthem, Inc., where he served as executive vice president and president of their Diversified Business Group. He built partnerships within and outside of Anthem to provide new sources of growth for the enterprise and deepened Anthem’s relationships and impact across the healthcare ecosystem. Concurrently, he led and executed a nationwide clinical vision and strategy as Anthem’s chief clinical officer. Dr. Samitt’s numerous accomplishments at Anthem include advancing the company’s portfolio of provider partnerships and payment innovation models, leading quality improvements in patient outcomes and increasing the delivery of value-based care.

An internal medicine physician by training, Dr. Samitt has worked across multiple sectors within the health care industry. His career includes a number of senior executive positions, including partner and global provider practice leader at Oliver Wyman; president and CEO of HealthCare Partners, a subsidiary of DaVita HealthCare; and president and CEO of Dean Health System Inc., one of the largest integrated health systems in the Midwest.

Dr. Samitt is a nationally recognized expert and thought leader on health care delivery and policy. His record of collaborating across the health care system to deliver higher quality care at a lower cost led to him being named one of “50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders” by Modern Healthcare in 2018 and one of “100 Most Influential Health Care Leaders” by Minnesota Physician in 2020. Dr. Samitt also received the Alumni Achievement Award from the Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association in 2020 for his contributions to health care management. He currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Council at FierceHealthcare, offering feedback on publications and content and providing insights into emerging industry trends.

Dr. Samitt currently serves on multiple boards, including the National Committee for Quality Assurance; the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation; Minnesota Business Partnership; the Minnesota Council of Health Plans; Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity; Hennepin Healthcare Foundation; the GREATER MSP Partnership and board chair for Blaze Health, a joint venture with North Memorial Health. From 2012 to 2018, Dr. Samitt was a commissioner of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an independent agency that advises Congress on Medicare payment policy.

Dr. Samitt holds an undergraduate degree from Tufts University, a medical degree from Columbia University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. He completed a medical residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.