Habitat Health announces founding leadership team and more than $50 million in capital investments

Management team brings diverse leadership from Oak Street Health, Landmark Health, Evernorth (The Cigna Group), and Interwell Health.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat Health, an integrated health care payer and provider empowering older adults to remain independent in their homes and communities, today announced the appointments of:

• Matthew Bennett as co-founder and chief executive officer. He was previously senior vice president of care delivery at Evernorth (The Cigna Group).
• Carmen A. Peralta, MD, MAS as chief medical officer. She was previously chief clinical officer at Interwell Health and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
• Geoff Price as executive chairman of the board. Previously, he was co-founder and chief operating officer at Oak Street Health.

The company also welcomed these members of the senior leadership team:

• Vinay Mascarenhas, acting chief operating officer and senior partner. He was previously co-founder and chief strategy officer at Landmark Health.
• Robert Fuentes, co-founder and chief strategy officer. He is on secondment from Town Hall Ventures, where he is a vice president.
• Mandira Singh, acting chief platform officer and senior partner. She was previously chief operating officer at Collective Medical.

Kaiser Permanente and Town Hall Ventures launched Habitat Health to empower older adults to maintain independence and well-being through the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a community-based medical and social care model. Habitat Health has now successfully completed raising more than $50 million in capital from leading healthcare investors, including Town Hall Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, and Kaiser Permanente. The funds raised will be invested in bringing new access points for high-quality care to communities that have been historically underserved and under-supported.

The company is planning to open its first PACE center with Kaiser Permanente in California in 2025, while preparing for expansion with Kaiser Permanente across California, and nationally alongside other likeminded groups. "This founding leadership team sets up Habitat Health for delivering high quality care to Kaiser Permanente members and other eligible patients throughout California and the rest of the country for many years to come," said Bechara Choucair, MD, executive vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente and a member of Habitat Health's Board of Directors.

Matthew Bennett joins Habitat Health from The Cigna Group, where he held leadership roles across the payer and provider continuum during his 15-year tenure. Most recently, Matthew served as senior vice president of Cigna Evernorth's national portfolio of care delivery businesses, which deliver primary, specialty, behavioral, and post-acute care services to more than 26 million patients within clinics, at the home, and virtually. Prior to that, he served as president of Evernorth Care Group, a leading value-based primary and specialty care provider in Arizona.

"Matthew brings a deep passion for improving the health and well-being of individuals with more complex needs, along with many years of experience leading teams spanning care delivery and government insurance operations," said Dr. Choucair. "We're honored to have a talented and empathetic leader like Matthew on board to bring the vision of Habitat Health to life for our communities within California and beyond."

"Habitat Health has a special opportunity to offer better alternatives for aging Americans who wish to maintain independence in their homes and communities," said Bennett. "I'm thrilled to lead the company as we build a talented team, operations, and culture to deliver on this vision."

Habitat Health's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Carmen A. Peralta, brings a depth of experience in clinical care, academia and technology-enabled healthcare services in value-based care settings. Dr. Peralta joins Habitat Health from Interwell Health, a leader in value-based kidney care management, where she served as chief clinical officer. Prior to that, Dr. Peralta was the founding chief medical officer at Cricket Health. She is also a volunteer faculty member and former professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

"Dr. Peralta's experience developing and deploying multidisciplinary models of care for individuals with complex needs, and her unwavering focus on health equity, will be instrumental as we bring innovative PACE solutions to diverse communities across the country," said Bennett.

Geoff Price, Habitat Health's executive chairman of the board, is the co-founder and former chief operating officer of Oak Street Health, a leading provider of value-based care for adults on Medicare. "Geoff's experience in value-based primary care and his proven track record of scaling innovative and effective care delivery solutions provides our team with exceptional strategic guidance as we continue to build and scale our national platform," said Bennett.

All appointments are effective immediately.

About Habitat Health

Habitat Health empowers older adults to manage their health and maintain their independence in their homes and communities. We provide health insurance coverage as well as medical and social care in our centers and in participants' homes. Through partnerships with health leaders like Kaiser Permanente, we deliver scalable, affordable solutions to meet the care needs of aging populations. Habitat Health redefines aging in place to bring more good days and a sense of belonging to participants and their caregivers. To learn more, visit https://www.habitathealth.com.

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SOURCE Habitat Health