Aetna Appoints New CEOs for Missouri and Pennsylvania Medicaid Plans
Aetna, a CVS Health Company, has announced the appointments of Lisa Baird as CEO of Aetna Better Health of Missouri and Corey Pleasants as CEO of Aetna Better Health of Pennsylvania, according to LinkedIn posts from April 2, 2026 [1].
Lisa Baird: Leading Aetna Better Health of Missouri
Lisa Baird returns to Aetna Better Health of Missouri after previous roles in Kansas and Kentucky [1]. She has nearly 20 years of experience leading Aetna Medicaid plans, most recently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Kansas plan [1], [2]. In her new role, Baird will oversee strategy and operations for Aetna Better Health of Missouri [1].
Prior to her role in Kansas, Baird served as COO for Missouri and Kentucky [2]. She has a Master of Health Administration and a Bachelor of Science in health services administration from the University of Phoenix [2].
Lorry Bottrill, in a LinkedIn post, highlighted Baird’s experience developing programs to improve health outcomes and her commitment to community impact [4].
Corey Pleasants: Leading Aetna Better Health of Pennsylvania
Corey Pleasants, the newly appointed CEO of Aetna Better Health of Pennsylvania, brings more than 15 years of experience working with Medicaid populations [1]. He previously served as COO at Aetna Better Health of Virginia [1]. Pleasants will focus on clinical outcomes and provider collaboration in his new role [1].
Pleasants succeeds Paula Starnes, who served as the Pennsylvania CEO until October [1].
About Aetna Better Health
Aetna Better Health is a part of CVS Health, a leading health care company [1].
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