Stephen J. Farrell
Chief Executive Officer
United Healthcare of New England, Inc.
Stephen Farrell is the Chief Executive Officer of United Healthcare of New England, Inc. serving Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
In this time of spiraling health care costs, Mr. Farrell believes that improved quality of care will ultimately play a vital role in the reduction of these costs. When individuals receive the best care available at the appropriate time, hospital readmission rates and follow-up treatments are reduced.
Another key factor in cost control is the national movement toward consumerism, though New England has been slow to adopt this trend. Consumerism empowers and motivates the individual to get the best quality of care in the best setting, dramatically impacting the cost of care to all of us. Mr. Farrell is committed to the pursuit of high quality healthcare through improved communication and data sharing with members, customers and health care providers.
Mr. Farrell conducts business in an open-dialogue fashion, gathering information and input from all the participants in the health care system. He has been building bridges with employers, physicians, hospitals and community groups to partner with them on solutions to the challenges in the healthcare market.
He joined the UnitedHealthcare of New England in 2002 as Chief Operating Officer and was promoted in August 2003. As CEO, Mr. Farrell is responsible for more than 600,000 members and more than 40,000 physicians and providers.
A 16-year veteran of the health care industry, Mr. Farrell has a proven track record as a results-oriented leader, with tremendous strength in strategic and organizational planning.
Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Mr. Farrell was in charge of Aetna’s New England operations for four years. In that capacity, he was responsible for managing over 100 employees, 250,000 local health plan members and 350,000 national members.
He has become an active member of the community and sits on the boards of Grow Smart Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Quality Institute, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. His other involvement includes: Associated Industries of Massachusetts Task Force, New Employee Benefits Council, New England Human Resources Association, Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, and the Rhode Island Secretary of State Health Care Task Force.
Mr. Farrell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of New Rochelle. He lives in Stow, Massachusetts, with his wife and three children.
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