Governor Gregoire Announces Appointments to the Health Insurance Partnership Board

For Immediate Release: August 16, 2007

Citizens appointed from Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Bellingham, Spokane, Woodinville and Yakima

OLYMPIA - Governor Chris Gregoire today announced appointments to the newly formed Health Insurance Partnership Board.

The Board will work with the Washington Health Care Authority to implement the state's new Health Insurance Partnership, which will work to increase access to affordable health insurance. The board of directors will develop and approve policies to enroll subscribers, design health plans in the pool and set premium and contribution levels.

Health Insurance Partnership Board
Theodore Blotsky of Spokane has been appointed to a term effective July 16, 2007, ending July 15, 2009. Blotsky is the senior vice president of employee benefit services at Associated Industries. He serves on the board of Cancer Patient Care and the Northwest Association of Administrators.

Donald Brennan of Bellevue has been appointed to a term effective July 16, 2007, ending July 15, 2010. Brennan is the retired chief executive officer of Group Health Cooperative and was the CEO of Sisters of Providence Health System. He served on the Washington Health Services Commission and is on the board of Swedish Health Services.

Jeffrey Gingold of Bainbridge Island has been appointed to a term effective July 16, 2007, ending July 15, 2010. Gingold is an attorney at the law firm of Lane Powell and has served as counsel to insurance carriers and associations. He served on former Governor Lowry�s healthcare stakeholders� advisory committee and on the Washington Health Services Commission. Gingold is on the board of the Foundation for Health Care Quality, the Washington State Bar Association health care committee and is a volunteer with Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations.

Norman Inaba of Yakima has been appointed to a term effective August 1, 2007, ending July 15, 2011. Inaba is the owner of Inaba Produce Farms. He was a member of the Yakima Valley Community College Agricultural Advisory Committee and the PDA Council Farm Committee. Inaba is on the board of the Mount Adams Health Foundation.

Susan Sharpe of Bellingham has been appointed to a term effective July 16, 2007, ending July 15, 2011. Sharpe is a non-profit and community development consultant. She was the assistant hospital administrator for St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham and the clinical and community health planner for Mt. Vernon Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. Sharpe is the chair of the Whatcom Community Foundation board and the vice president of the Campaign for Arts.

Carolyn Watts of Woodinville has been appointed to a term effective July 16, 2007, ending July 15, 2009. Watts is a professor of health policy at the department of health services at the University Of Washington. She was a member of the certificate of need task force and the Department of Health tertiary services advisory group.

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