Battersby served as Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Amerigroup Washington, Anthem, and ended his tenure as President and CEO of their Medicaid Health Plan in 2019. While there, he successfully managed several procurement strategies for Medicaid in Washington. Before joining CHPW, Battersby most recently served as CFO for Firefly Health, a virtual advanced primary care services company.

Battersby received his CPA certification from the Washington Board of Accountancy. He received his MBA from the University of Denver, and his B.S. in Economics from the University of Wales, Cardiff.

Stuart Battersby, Chief Financial Officer

Stuart Battersby, a certified public accountant with more than 15 years of experience in health care, joined CHPW in April as its new Chief Financial Officer, overseeing all budgetary and fiscal responsibilities.

Battersby brings his proven financial and operational abilities and leadership developed in many health care settings, including physician groups, health care startups, and a national Medicaid health plan. He succeeds Stacy Kessel, who retired after almost 17 years with CHPW.

What led you to join CHPW?

I want to feel good about the work that I do. For a finance professional, working with public health programs provides me with the opportunity to use my background, training, and expertise to drive financial results, while directly benefiting those people in our community who need help the most. I’ve worked in Washington State programs for more than a decade and always admired the CHPW model that, unlike any of the other health insurers, emphasizes support for community-responsive providers in care of its members.

CHPW collaborates with the members it serves to identify their specific needs, remove barriers, and ensure affordable care. In your experience, what opportunity do you see for making health care more affordable?

I think the biggest opportunity is encouraging people to engage with their insurance and health care providers, to take action, and to seek preventive care before conditions become chronic or more severe. The health of our members is our top priority, and I believe we can keep it a top priority while also employing strategies that modernize how we work with the health care delivery system. Our work with our Community Health Centers and other providers, state agencies, and community partners to improve access to affordable, community-based health care is leading to healthier and happier lives for historically underserved populations.

CHPW is a not-for-profit health plan that is governed by its Community Health Centers. What does that mean to you in your role as Chief Financial Officer?

Unlike commercial health plans, we are not incentivized to generate earnings per share, but by doing what is in the best interest of our members. Our work is governed by our Board of Community Health Center leaders to support the CHCs in delivering whole-person care to all those who need services, regardless of income or coverage. Our profits are reinvested into the CHCs for better care for all they serve. Ultimately, we are stewards of public funds, and our goal is to partner with providers to manage care delivery responsibly while improving the health outcomes for those we serve.

Do you have any favorite pastimes that you feel have helped shape who you are today?

In recent years I have been shaped by my children’s experiences, especially by their interest in basketball. Basketball has provided me with a community in which I feel a sense of belonging. It reinforces that you get out what you put in, that hard work can beat talent, and that consistency and perseverance in the face of injustice can break down barriers and yield rewards.

Betsy Jones, Chief Strategy Officer

Betsy Jones joined CHPW in November 2024 as its new Chief Strategy Officer, but she is no stranger to the organization.

Jones previously worked for CHPW/CHNW over a decade ago, integrating behavioral and primary care services, and in strategic planning and performance improvement.

In her new role, Jones leads strategic growth initiatives, opportunities for innovation, and collaborations with local, state, and national partners to advance equitable whole-person health care for communities in Washington State. Those critical partners include Community Health Centers (CHCs) and other providers, state policymakers and regulators, county and local governments, advocacy organizations, and community-based organizations (CBOs).

You previously worked for CHPW/CHNW over a decade ago. What led you to come back to CHPW in this executive role?

In the time I was away from CHPW, I had the opportunity to deepen my relationships and skills in the public and private sectors, while continuing to focus on mission-aligned work. I continued to interact with people here at CHPW; we were often at the same tables! And I consistently heard from community partners and state agencies about the value of the work CHPW does. When the opportunity arose to come back to CHPW as Chief Strategy Officer, I was ready to apply my experience to the important work we do here.

How has CHPW changed since you were last here?

The orientation to our mission and the dedication to our CHC member centers and the people we serve remain the same. What has changed? Some faces, of course, and the way we have grown and matured as an organization to adapt to an ever-changing environment.

Why is it important for CHPW to collaborate with external partners──CHCs, CBOs, state policymakers, local government, etc.──in our daily work?

CHPW is of the community, for the community. Our mission and history distinguish us from other managed care organizations in Washington State. Our position as the only not-for-profit health plan in Washington to provide managed care to Apple Health (Medicaid) members comes with a lot of responsibility──to be responsive partners, working closely with our CHCs, community-based organizations, and state and local government partners to amplify our collective work serving Washingtonians.

How do you see your role and skillsets as a leader at CHPW?

Our work to improve health outcomes and whole-person care for communities across Washington can only be successful through trusted collaboration with our external partners and others who have a key role in the health and well-being of our communities. I hope to play a leading role in strengthening these collaborative relationships and cultivating innovative programs to meet the future of health care in partnership with these stakeholders.

I hope my experience, relationships, and perspective from decades of work across the health care continuum can promote strategic decision-making, and an environment to create the opportunities and the collaborative partnerships we need to continue our work today and tomorrow.

Before returning to CHPW, Jones served as the Managing Principal at Health Management Associates for their Seattle-based consultants where she was responsible for supporting clients on large-scale projects that required diverse stakeholder engagement and cross-sector collaboration. Prior to that, she served as the Health and Human Services Policy Advisor in the King County Executive's Office and for the county government. She also worked at Sea Mar Community Health Center in Washington and in other nonprofit organizations.

Jones holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Washington, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the American Graduate School of International Management.