Centene Corp. names new chief medical officer

St. Louis-based Centene Corp. on Monday announced the appointment of Ken Yamaguchi as executive vice president and chief medical officer.

With over 25 years of experience in medical leadership, Yamaguchi founded the Shoulder and Elbow Service at Washington University in St. Louis in 1995 and has most recently worked as treasurer of the board of directors for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Ken Yamaguchi to our executive management team," Centene CEO and President Michael Neidorff said. "His depth of experience in medicine and medical research will be an incredible asset to our company."

Yamaguchi completed his residency at George Washington University and fellowship training in shoulder surgery at Columbian Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. He received an MBA from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, and will continue in his current role as a part-time professor of orthopedic surgery at Washington University.

Centene believes that quality health care is best delivered locally. Working with 4.2 million members across 22 states, its approach enables it to provide accessible, high quality and culturally sensitive health care services to members.

Centene’s new corporate headquarters are housed in a multi-tenanted building built to Leed Gold certification standards. Centene Plaza was constructed on a previously developed site in an urban setting to allow the project to take advantage of existing infrastructure.