Jeff Knight
President & CEO , The Health Plan
BRITTANY MCCLUNG
Jeff Knight has spent more than 20 years in the health care industry , striving to change health care in West Virginia for the better . Today , he serves as president and CEO of The Health Plan , a West Virginia-based , not-forprofit community health organization that began in 1979 .
A Mountain State native , Knight attended the school of business and economics at West Virginia University , ( WVU ) where he received his bachelor ’ s degree in business administration , majoring in accounting , in 1995 . He went on to pass his certified public accountant ( CPA ) exam in 1997 . After spending three years in public accounting , Knight felt that he would be better suited for a career that had a more direct impact on people ’ s lives . This led him to apply for a position in the finance department at The Health Plan . Despite Knight ’ s plan to switch career paths , he says working with a smaller firm gave him more exposure in all areas of public accounting , which helped prepare him for his career . Knight has been employed by The Health Plan since 1998 and has held several positions within the organization .
Passing the CPA exam was an important component to Knight ’ s career and one of his most cherished accomplishments . However , Knight says the real
accolades come from daily interactions with the staff at The Health Plan because he knows that is where he is helping to make a true difference in the lives of the members .
In his current role as president and CEO , Knight works closely with the board of directors that provides oversight and goals for the company . He is constantly looking for opportunities to reduce the cost of care for their members . Knight has also worked with The Health Plan ’ s scholarship program since its inception in 2009 . He says what he enjoys most about his role is solving problems .
“ I embrace the challenge of being a
Photo by The Health Plan .
problem solver rather than being frustrated or overreacting when a difficult situation is presented to me ,” Knight says .
The Health Plan faced a multitude of obstacles as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . Two challenges the organization faced were having to move 600 employees to a remote environment , if necessary , and managing the financial impact the pandemic would have on the business . The team at The Health Plan was able to work together to find solutions and now faces the challenge of finding additional staff as it continues to grow .
Before becoming president and CEO in October 2020 , Knight spent more
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