Curana Health® is thrilled to announce two outstanding additions to our executive leadership team: Derek Chao, MD (President and Chief Medical Officer) and Valentina Gissin (Chief People Officer).
Their hiring demonstrates a continued commitment by Curana Health to improve the health, happiness, and dignity of seniors across the country.
“At the core of the Curana Health mission is the belief that exceptional care starts with empowering our providers and associates both professionally and personally,” said Mark Price, Chief Executive Officer for Curana Health. “By bringing these executives on board, we are reinforcing our commitment to clinical excellence and continuing to build an environment where everyone feels supported and inspired to thrive.”
Introducing Derek Chao, MD: a Leader in Value-Based Care
Dr. Chao brings more than two decades of experience in managed care, clinical leadership, and healthcare transformation to Curana Health.
Starting his medical career as a hospitalist and nephrologist in Southern California, Dr. Chao has held various leadership positions (including medical director and chief medical officer) within numerous healthcare organizations (including HealthCare Partners). Before coming to Curana, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Optum Health’s western region, where he oversaw operations and care delivery across nine states.
Dr. Chao’s expertise spans a range of healthcare models, from fee-for-service to value-based care across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial plans.
His broad experience has honed his ability to lead both clinical and operational teams through the complexities of healthcare delivery models, and his professional insights are shaped not only by his clinical expertise, but also by personal experience (having witnessed firsthand the challenges his elderly parents faced in navigating the American healthcare system).
At Curana Health, Dr. Chao will lead efforts to empower the organization’s healthcare providers, optimize care delivery, and ensure clinicians have the tools and support needed to achieve exceptional outcomes for patients and operator partners alike.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Curana Health on the forefront of the value-based care revolution,” Dr. Chao said. “I look forward to aligning my lifelong passion for expanding access to high-quality healthcare with the Curana Health mission—one that genuinely prioritizes dignity and quality of life for seniors across the nation.”
Meet Valentina Gissin: an Innovative People Leader
Previously serving as Chief People Officer for Garner Health, Gissin brings a richly diverse background to her new role as Chief People Officer at Curana Health.
Her tenure has spanned various industries and functions, including time spent as a lawyer, cybersecurity leader, general manager, screenwriter, and, ultimately, a passionate advocate for cultures and teams that deliver results.
Gissin’s leadership philosophy is rooted in the understanding that exceptional talent, intentionally cultivated within a high-performance culture, is the ultimate driver of organizational success.
Her professional journey, from shaping critical talent programs for investment leaders at Bridgewater Associates to scaling people functions at high-growth companies like Chewy and Garner Health, demonstrates a track record of building systems that attract and unlock top talent.
“My primary focus is architecting environments where employees can do the best work of their lives,” Gissin said. “This involves understanding an organization’s unique business strategies and building people systems that directly enable those strategies. It’s about providing clarity on expectations, fostering high accountability paired with deep care, empowering people with autonomy, and then relentlessly removing roadblocks so they can achieve their goals.”
Gissin thrives on creating high-output, psychologically safe cultures and designing compelling employee value propositions that drive both individual fulfillment and tangible business results. She is thrilled to bring this expertise to Curana Health to support current talent and future hires.
Interested in learning more about Curana Health’s leadership team? Visit our “About Us” page.