(NewMediaWire) - August 25, 2022 - Seattle, Wash. - Regence BlueShield has selected Dr. Nicole Saint Clair as its new executive medical director. Based in Seattle, Dr. Saint Clair will lead the health plan’s clinical programs to make health care affordable, accessible and effective for Regence members.

Dr. Saint Clair is a Seattle native whose family has lived in the city for three generations. Her grandfather, Sam Smith, was the first African American elected to the Seattle City Council, serving for 24 years. Dr. Saint Clair received her medical degree from the University of Washington and served in several leadership positions, including in operations and women’s health, at Seattle’s Group Health, which was later acquired by Kaiser Permanente.   

In her most recent role, Dr. Saint Clair was a medical director at Cigna, based in Seattle, managing population health and working with employers and providers to ensure quality health outcomes and affordability. 

“Dr. Saint Clair brings more than two decades of experience as a medical director, administrator, surgeon, and obstetrician-gynecologist, and a deep commitment and insight into the health needs of Washingtonians,” said Claire Verity, president of Regence BlueShield. “She understands how to make health care easier and better for Washington residents, and we are thrilled for her to work with Regence members and employers, as well as our provider partners.”  

“Serving our members means being responsive to their needs, which can vary depending on what part of Washington they live in, their income and other social determinants of health,” Dr. Saint Clair said. “I’m excited to join Regence and bring innovative, compassionate care to members and employers in a state I love.”

Besides her medical degree from the University of Washington, Dr. Saint Clair received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University and completed a fellowship in pelvic surgery at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.

About Regence BlueShield
Regence BlueShield has been providing health care solutions to Washingtonians in select counties for more than a century. As a taxpaying nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceblueshieldwa or twitter.com/regencewa.