Patient Access Network Foundation announces Daniel J. Klein to become new President & CEO
Washington DC — The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation announced today that Daniel J. Klein, a highly experienced executive in the health care and information technology arenas, will become the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer effective November 17, succeeding Patrick McKercher.
Klein joins PAN from his previous position as Senior Vice President for Patient Access Programs at the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation, for which he was also Senior Vice President of the CF Services pharmacy from 2005 to 2012. His work in organizing and implementing the CF Patient Assistance Foundation to help patients gain affordable access to specialized treatments and medications made Mr. Klein a strong choice to lead the PAN Foundation, which operates nearly 60 disease-specific assistance programs, providing a safety net for tens of thousands of underinsured patients.
“We are extraordinarily pleased to have a leader with Mr. Klein’s expertise and background guiding the PAN Foundation into the future,” said the Foundation’s board chair Kim Schwartz. “He is someone who has worked with and understands the unique challenges faced by underinsured individuals and families, confronted with life-threatening and life-altering illnesses and unable to afford therapies that provide hope and help. We are confident that, with Mr. Klein at the helm, the PAN Foundation will continue to grow and strengthen its ability to improve people’s lives and futures by providing affordable access to a wide-range of therapies that significantly impact the health and quality of life.”
In addition to his work at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Mr. Klein has had other leadership roles including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Panurgy Corporation, a leading mid-market information technology services company, and Senior Vice President of Green Spring Health Services, a premier behavioral health managed-care company. He has also served as a consultant on health planning and health promotion to the World Health Organization and to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Mr. Klein said, “I’m grateful to the PAN Foundation Board of Directors for this unique opportunity to help people with life-threatening, chronic and rare diseases gain affordable access to the drugs and therapies they critically need. The harsh reality for many people today is that modern medicine is making historic advances in disease treatments and cures at a time when too many individuals can’t afford such therapies. In addition to being a leading patient assistance organization, the PAN Foundation is well positioned to provide data and expertise on the impact of out-of-pocket costs on access to care for people with complex and expensive medical conditions. In joining the PAN Foundation, I look forward to bringing us closer to the day when a medical breakthrough is good news to every single person who can benefit from it.”
Dr. McKercher will continue to serve as president emeritus of the PAN Foundation through the end of the year.
About the PAN Foundation
Patient Access Network Foundation is dedicated to nationally providing help and hope to patients who would otherwise be unable to afford medications due to out-of-pocket costs. PAN provides assistance through nearly 60 disease-specific programs designed to help patients being treated for certain cancers, chronic illnesses, and rare diseases. Through our streamlined application process and state of the art online tools, we are able to ensure that eligible patients are put on the fast track to therapy.