Allina Health President and CEO Penny Wheeler, M.D., Joins Cedar’s Board of Directors to Support Company’s Growth

NEW YORK, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Cedar, a patient payment and engagement platform, today announced that Penny Wheeler, M.D., Allina Health President and CEO, joined its Board of Directors. In this role, Wheeler will provide business oversight and counsel to Cedar’s senior management, helping to set operational goals and strategic direction. 

“We were looking for a board member who shares our vision and who has complementary experience, skills and approach to leadership,” said Cedar co-founder and CEO Florian Otto, M.D. “I personally will learn a lot from Dr. Wheeler. She brings a diverse perspective to our board.”

Allina Health is a $4.3 billion not-for-profit organization with more than 90 clinics, 12 hospitals and related healthcare services to provide care for more than one million people across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Wheeler joins Otto and Arel Lidow, Cedar’s co-founder and president, as well as two appointees from Cedar investors, Kareem Zaki, Partner at Thrive Capital, and Chris Bischoff, Senior Investment Director at Kinnevik.

“Engaging consumers in all aspects of their healthcare journey is important to supporting their overall well-being,” said Wheeler. Navigating the financial aspects of the healthcare system is a well-known pain point for consumers. Cedar’s platform is designed with a patient perspective in mind and is an exciting innovation that will improve how people interact with the health system. Tools that return the focus to care and not complex financial transactions are long overdue and I am excited to help Cedar reach more people as they continue to build momentum and grow.”

Wheeler’s appointment follows three recent client partnership announcements representing significant growth for Cedar since the beginning of 2020 with ChristianaCare, Florida Cancer Specialists and American Oncology Network.

About Dr. Wheeler

Prior to her appointment as CEO of Allina Health, Wheeler served as the chief clinical officer for nine years. A board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist, she served patients at Women’s Health Consultants in Minneapolis, was the president of Abbott Northwestern Hospital’s medical staff, chaired the Allina Health Quality Committee and served on the Allina Health Board of Directors.

Wheeler has served on several other corporate and community boards, including Health Catalyst, a healthcare analytics company that went public in 2019. An impactful leader, she is continuously included in Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.  

Wheeler has an undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate of medicine from the University of Minnesota Medical School.

About Cedar

Recently named second-most disruptive healthcare company of 2020, according to a KLAS survey of 300 healthcare executives, Cedar is a healthcare financial engagement platform for hospitals, health systems and medical groups that clarifies and simplifies the financial experience for patients, improving bill resolution and payment outcomes for providers. Using intuitive design and advanced data science, Cedar facilitates patient-centric financial engagement across the care journey. To learn more, visit www.cedar.com.

For more information, contact:

Bethany Hale
Head of Marketing, Cedar
C: 929.276.4389
E: bethany@cedar.com

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Penny Wheeler, M.D.

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SOURCE Cedar