Los Angeles — Population health leader Heluna Health has announced the appointment of Dr. Santosh Vetticaden to the position of Chair of the Board of Directors. Dr. Vetticaden, in his ninth year on the Heluna Health Board, served as vice chair from December 2022 until he was appointed interim chair on September 9, 2023, after Alex Baker stepped down as chair for personal reasons. Baker, who had led the Board of Directors with distinction since September 30, 2021, continues to serve as a director on the board.
Dr. Vetticaden is a physician-scientist and experienced leader in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and is co-founder and a board member of Visgenx, which is developing therapeutics to treat dry age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. With a focus on developing drugs to address unmet medical needs, he has previously served as the chief medical officer for multiple public companies, and served in senior positions at Scios, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, Aventis Pharmaceuticals (now Sanofi), and the Whitehall-Robins Healthcare division of American Home Products Corporation (now Pfizer). Dr. Vetticaden also volunteers as a physician and serves on the boards of other non-profit organizations promoting STEM education.
At its meeting on November 3, the Heluna Health Board of Directors also appointed Dr. Carladenise Edwards to the position of vice chair, having previously served as treasurer, with Robert R. Jenks returning to the position of treasurer. Nicole Macarchuk continues in her role as secretary.
“Our Board and staff offer our deepest thanks to Alex Baker for his leadership as chair, and we are grateful that he continues to serve Heluna Health as an active board member,” said Dr. Blayne Cutler, President and CEO of Heluna Health. “We greatly appreciate that Santosh was able to step in as interim chair and are thrilled to know that he will continue to guide Heluna Health as chair. This is an exciting time at Heluna Health, as we advance our work in population health through new programs and partnerships, and we look forward to working together to achieve healthy, strong communities for all.”
For in-depth bios and to learn more about Heluna Health’s Board of Directors, please visit https://www.helunahealth.org/community/#leadership.
