SCAN names Dr. Gabriel Waterman chief clinical officer

SCAN Health Plan has appointed Gabriel Waterman, M.D., as chief clinical officer to sharpen its clinical strategy and take a more direct role in member health outcomes. The move centers on better primary care access, stronger care coordination and more proactive support for high-risk older adults.

Why it matters: - SCAN Health Plan is shifting from a traditional payer role toward greater ownership of clinical outcomes for its Medicare Advantage members. - The appointment is aimed at improving access, coordination and proactive support for older adults with complex needs. - SCAN says the change is designed to improve quality, affordability and the member experience.

What happened: - SCAN Health Plan appointed Gabriel Waterman, M.D., as chief clinical officer. - The company announced the move on Sept. 25, 2026, in Long Beach, California. - Waterman will lead SCAN’s clinical strategy and oversee clinical efforts across the organization. - One of his first priorities is a new organization-wide effort to make sure every SCAN member has an upcoming primary care appointment.

The details: - Waterman will oversee SCAN’s clinical programs and bring together clinical expertise, analytics, technology and operations. - SCAN plans to use its clinical capabilities to help members access care, navigate the healthcare system and get proactive support when needed. - The role includes strengthening SCAN’s Clinical Center of Excellence, which identifies, designs, pilots, evaluates and scales clinical programs. - SCAN will deploy its own physicians, nurse practitioners and clinical pharmacists to support select high-risk members with complex needs. - Those clinical teams will work alongside existing providers rather than replace them. - Technology will support earlier identification of member needs, better care coordination and broader reach for clinical teams. - SCAN members over age 85 are now automatically connected to a member services representative instead of being routed through the automated phone system. - Waterman most recently served as SCAN’s vice president of primary care. - In that role, he helped shape SCAN’s national care delivery strategy and led SCAN Embrace, SCAN’s Institutional Special Needs Plan. - SCAN Embrace provides coordinated, home-based primary and palliative care for older adults who require an institutional level of care. - SCAN says SCAN Embrace is now the largest I-SNP in California and Arizona. - Waterman previously served as Los Angeles regional medical officer at CareMore Health. - He is a practicing primary care physician. - Waterman earned medical and business degrees from the University of Southern California and completed undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis. - SCAN Health Plan serves nearly 460,000 members across 33 counties in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico and Washington. - Across all of SCAN’s entities, the organization serves about half a million members and patients.

Between the lines: - The appointment signals a broader effort by SCAN to influence care delivery, not just process claims. - The focus on primary care, hospital transitions and high-risk members suggests SCAN wants to intervene earlier in the care journey. - The member-service routing change for adults over 85 shows SCAN is also using operational and technology changes to reduce friction. - SCAN’s clinical strategy appears tied to its larger growth plans, with the Clinical Center of Excellence increasingly shaping the organization’s direction.

What's next: - Waterman will lead the primary care access push and the broader expansion of SCAN’s clinical model. - SCAN will continue deploying clinical resources and technology to identify needs earlier and support members more directly. - The company is also highlighting career and job openings for more information on its hiring plans. - More information is available through SCAN careers and job openings and the organization’s company website.