The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, a Boston-based organization providing grants to healthcare providers across Central Massachusetts and the state, has named its new incoming CEO.
Kaitlyn Kenney Walsh will assume her leading roles as president and CEO of the BCBSMA Foundation come Jan. 1, according to a Tuesday press release from the organization.
Kenney Walsh will succeed President and CEO Audrey Shelto, who will retire from her roles after a nearly 13-year tenure.
“It has been a privilege to lead an organization whose purpose is so deeply based in fairness, access, and compassion,” Shelto said in the release.
Throughout her career with BCBSMA Foundation, Shelto has led the growth of the organization, created new grantmaking initiatives, and refined its directives to enhance coverage and care, advance racial justice and equity in health, and increase access to behavioral health services, according to the release.
“Our work has always been about ensuring that everyone in Massachusetts – especially those who face systemic barriers – can get the care they need to live healthy lives. Kaitlyn has been a driving force behind much of our work, and she brings an important mix of policy expertise, strategic vision, and caring that will ensure that the Foundation plays a pivotal role in preserving access to health care at a very challenging time,” Shelto said in the release.
Having joined the foundation in 2013, Kenney Walsh most recently served as its vice president of policy and research after working as senior director for policy and research for nearly 10 years, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“The board is thrilled to welcome Kaitlyn as our next president and CEO,” Board Chair Dr. Thomas Lee said in the release. “Her expertise, intellect, and steady focus on improving equitable access to health care makes her the ideal person to lead us into the future. Audrey’s leadership has left an indelible mark on the foundation and her ability to build consensus on complex issues has had a lasting influence on the health policy landscape.”
Kenney Walsh graduated from Providence College in Rhode Island with her bachelor’s degree in health policy and management and earned her master’s degree in political science and Ph.D. in public and international affairs at Northeastern University in Boston.
“The foundation’s mission has never been more important,” Kenney Walsh said in the release. “I am honored to build on Audrey’s legacy and advance the Foundation’s work alongside our talented staff, dedicated board, and many partners who share our commitment to strengthening health coverage.”
In January 2021, six Worcester institutions split more than $3 million in funding from the foundation, including $200,000 to UMass Memorial Health’s Community Healthlink and $45,000 to both the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and Family Health Center of Worcester.
Family Health Center of Worcester received an additional $30,000 grant in July 2024 through the foundation’s Perinatal Health Initiative to support FHCW’s OB Advocate program.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
