Expertise

Dr. Russo has practiced cardiac and heart transplant surgery for over 20 years, and more recently he has been a healthcare executive with expertise in data and analytics, health economics and reimbursement, health insurance, and population medicine. Currently, he is the Chief Medical Officer, Data & Analytics, EVERSANA™, and is on the advisory board of several health services organizations.

After leaving the Mayo Clinic, from 1988 to 2007 he held academic, clinical and administrative leadership positions as Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Heart Transplantation at several academic hospitals in the U.S., including Temple University, St. Christopher’s Hospital, Thomas Jefferson Medical College and the University of Missouri. Dr. Russo was also a fellow in heart transplantation and circulatory mechanical support at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.

From October 2007 to March 2016, he was Medical Director at Independence Blue Cross (IBC), Philadelphia, where he worked with the data analytic team to design predictive and prescriptive analytics that guided the appropriate utilization of remote monitoring, digital solutions and telemedicine for IBC members with advanced HF (among other innovations). From June 2016 to November 2017, he was Vice President of Health Services at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in Boston, responsible for managing utilization management, providers network, medical cost and medical policies, and advanced disease management programs (including practice integration of behavioral health with primary care) across four markets (Mass., Maine, N.H., and Conn.). In addition, during this time, Dr. Russo was Council Chair and Board member of the Massachusetts Health Care Quality Partners.

On November 11, 2017, he received the Health Hero Award in recognition of significant contributions to the health and welfare of the community. Dr. Russo’s teaching experience spans 27+ years. He held full-time academic positions in surgery and pediatrics at Temple Medical School, Thomas Jefferson Medical College, the Allegheny University (Penn.) and the University of Missouri. In addition, he taught a postgraduate MBA course on healthcare quality, Managing the Performance of Health Care Organizations, at the Wharton School of Business’s international program. From 2006 to 2016, he was Adjunct Professor of Biotechnology at Temple University, Philadelphia, where he provided mentorship to postgraduate students and had an advisory role to the Office of the President of the SHRO.

Recently, he was on the Harvard Medical School Faculty as Lecturer in Population Medicine and CMO at HVH (ML for healthcare), CMO at Behave Care (now Upward Health) and Springs Hills Population Health (N.J.).  Dr. Russo holds a Certificate in Health Care Innovation – Health and Health Care Administration Management from the University of Pennsylvania–Philadelphia and a Certificate in Digital Medicine (Node. Health).