CalPERS Names Terri Westbrook Assistant Executive Officer, Health Benefits.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California Public Employees' Retirement System today announced the appointment of Terri Westbrook of CalPERS as its Assistant Executive Officer for Health Benefits.

Westbrook will report to Deputy Executive Officer Jarvio A. Grevious, Benefits Administration, whom she replaced as Acting AEO, Health Benefits, when Grevious was promoted earlier this month.

"Terri has the respect of our Board, Executive Officers, Health staff, and constituents as an able administrator who knows the health care industry and the CalPERS Health Benefits Program inside and out," Grevious said. "She's smart and skillful. She works well with people and is an ideal person to help us deliver affordable, quality health care."

As CalPERS Health Benefits Administrator, Westbrook will oversee the purchasing of health care for 1.2 million public employees, retirees, and their families. She will advise the pension fund's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Administration on health matters and the implementation of the Strategic Plan. Westbrook also will oversee the Long-Term Care Program and CalPERS contracts with three health maintenance organizations (HMOs), two self-funded preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and three affiliated public safety association plans.

Westbrook joined CalPERS in December 2003 as Division Chief of the Office of Health Policy and Plan Administration. In that capacity, she aligned members' health coverage options with Board of Administration policies to promote disease management programs and to increase the efficiency of pharmacy spending; to hold hospitals more accountable for cost and quality; to develop alternative benefit designs; and to pursue more effective contracting models.

Before joining CalPERS, she directed 19 statewide employee benefit programs as Administrator of the Benefits Division for the State Department of Personnel Administration. She also has 17 years' benefits management experience with the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, for which she administered the CAHP Health Benefits Trust, a CalPERS-sponsored association plan.

CalPERS provides retirement and health benefits for 1.4 million public employees, retirees and their families, and has assets totaling more than $178 billion. For more information on CalPERS, please visit www.calpers.ca.gov.