The American Telemedicine Association appointed Ann Mond Johnson its CEO, effective March 5.
As CEO of the ATA, Ms. Johnson will lead the society's efforts to improve patient awareness and accessibility to telehealth services nationwide.
"Consumers are increasingly savvy about using technology in their everyday lives and have come to expect it, even in healthcare," Ms. Johnson said. "Joining ATA made perfect sense, because we put consumers at the core of everything we do, and that's something I've been passionate about my entire career."
The ATA launched its search for a CEO after Jon Linkous abruptly announced his intention to step down as CEO — a role he had held for 24 years — in August. The ATA said at the time it would immediately begin a search to fill the CEO position. ATA COO Sabrina Smith, DHA, served as interim CEO.
"Following a rigorous search process during which ATA's board met with a number of very strong candidates, Ann quickly rose to the top of our list," said Peter Yellowlees, MD, board president of ATA. "With Ann's invaluable experience working across the healthcare spectrum with providers, payers and innovative technology firms, we have the powerhouse leadership to achieve our objectives, seize new opportunities and take telehealth to the next level."
Ms. Johnson previously served as CEO of Zest Health, a Chicago-based mHealth company focused on helping consumers navigate healthcare benefits. She has also served as board chair and advisor to ConnectedHealth, a Chicago-based startup that's now part of Connecture. A 20-year veteran of the health technology space, Ms. Johnson sold her first startup, Subimo, to WebMD in 2006.