HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aetna (NYSE: ΑET) announced today that Susan M. Kosman, RN, BSN, MS, has been named to the new position of chief nursing officer. In this role, Kosman will provide support to the more than 3,000 nurses who help Aetna members understand their clinical condition, access appropriate care and best use the benefits available to them to manage their overall health.
In this unique new position, Kosman will also focus on enhancing development programs and advancement opportunities for nurses at Aetna. In addition, she will foster collaboration between Aetna's nurses and the many different business areas throughout the company, which will help Aetna's customers make better use of the care management services that are available to their employees.
"The nurses at Aetna do a tremendous job of working with health care professionals to facilitate our members' access to the care and resources they need," said Aetna President Mark T. Bertolini. "As somebody whose mother is a nurse, I understand the essential, and often times overlooked value that nurses bring to the health care system. Their contributions here at Aetna are crucial to our success, and I think it is appropriate that our nurses will now have a strong voice to represent them both inside and outside the company."
"Our nurses are the ones who most frequently work with our members in need of health care services, and they often serve as coaches and counselors with these members," Kosman said. "I look forward to building on the outstanding work already taking place within Aetna's nursing community and continuing to help our plan sponsor customers, health care providers, and members work together -- as simply as possible -- to be most effective in helping members reach their best health."
During her 14 years with Aetna, Kosman has held a number of leadership roles in areas related to Aetna's clinical capabilities, including overseeing dedicated patient management units and leading national medical management operations.
Before joining Aetna, Kosman spent 10 years in the home health industry in various roles. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from SUNY Downstate and completed her Master of Science degree in organizational leadership from Quinnipiac University in January 2009.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.1 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.