Sir Andrew Witty is back at the helm of Optum, which includes Surgical Care Affiliates, after spending seven months working on the World Health Organization's COVID-19 vaccine initiative.
David Wichmann, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, Optum's parent company, announced Mr. Witty's return during a Dec. 1 investor conference.
"It's a particularly dramatic moment in history in terms of all of these countries facing very similar challenges because of the pandemic," he said. "No country's healthcare system has ultimately been sufficiently robust to be able to withstand and react."
Here are four other updates from Optum and Surgical Care Affiliates in the past 60 days:
1. Optum saw a 21 percent jump in year-over-year revenue in its third quarter, and the company announced SCA added more than 1,000 new surgeons in 2020 through the end of the quarter. The investor conference also gave an overview of Optum's outcomes in healthcare delivery and pharmacy services.
2. Newsweek recognized 60 SCA facilities on its Best Ambulatory Surgical Centers in 2021 list.
3. WestHealth Surgery Center in Plymouth, Minn., an SCA-partner surgery center, acquired Stryker's Mako robot, making it the only one in the Twin Cities area.
4. Riverside Surgical Center of Rutherford (N.J.), an SCA surgery center, launched a total joint program in October.