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DANVILLE -- Geisinger has tapped Chris Beck, an experienced government affairs leader at the state, federal and health system level, to serve as the organization's vice president of government relations.
"Chris brings a deep understanding of how things work in the halls of government, but equally as important, he has an extensive background with health systems in Pennsylvania," said Amy Brayford, Geisinger's executive vice president and chief of staff. "Chris is an excellent choice to be our eyes and ears in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., working to advocate on behalf of Geisinger and our patients for the unique challenges Geisinger faces as a healthcare leader serving rural and urban communities throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania."
Beck joins Geisinger from DeBrunner & Associates, a Harrisburg firm where he spent the last 5 years as director of state government relations. There, he served as liaison with the Pennsylvania General Assembly and key administration officials for numerous healthcare clients, including hospitals and health systems. He also led legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts for the Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP) while at DeBrunner, including for Medicaid reimbursement, preserving the hospital Quality Care Assessment and improving the regulatory climate for hospitals.
After starting his career as an aide to U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, Beck moved into government affairs roles with The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Penn Medicine and Vertex Pharmaceuticals before returning to Penn Medicine in 2017 to serve as its director of public affairs for more than 3 years.
"Working at health systems allowed me to see firsthand what exceptional healthcare can mean for people's lives," said Beck. "But it also opened my eyes to the legislative hurdles that impact how effectively and efficiently health systems can provide that care. It's my mission to do everything I can, to lean into relationships I've spent years developing and cultivating, to ensure the state and federal governments are strong allies for Geisinger as we bring great care to the communities we serve."
In his new role, based in Harrisburg, Beck will collaborate with Geisinger's leadership and cross-functional teams to ensure legislative and regulatory priorities and community benefit activities are aligned with the organization's strategic vision and goals. That will include analyzing legislative and regulatory proposals, and developing new policy frameworks for emerging issues.
Beck has a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Drexel University.