J. Michael Degnan


Michael Degnan has extensive senior management experience in the private and public sectors, specializing in the management of joint venture healthcare organizations.

In 1983 Michael co-founded and currently serves as President of Helms & Company, Inc., a healthcare management and consulting company, where he has primary responsibility for financial and operational management of the firm. Within Helms & Company, Michael serves as Executive Director of the New Hampshire Health Plan (NHHP), New Hampshire Imaging Services, Inc. (NHIS) and New Hampshire Lithotripter Center, Inc. (NHLC).

• NHHP is the state high-risk pool, established to provide health insurance coverage to NH residents who have been declined coverage by the private market; have a pre-qualifying condition or are otherwise ineligible for health insurance. NHHP revenue in 2012 was $57 million. NHHP was created to be the insurance of last resort for NH residents. Michael assumed the Executive Director role for NHHP in July 2007.

• NHIS provides the latest mobile imaging technology to 15 institutions in New Hampshire and Vermont. Michael has been Executive Director of NHIS since its inception in 1987. In 2012, NHIS performed over 25,000 MRI scans and over 2,500 PET scans. NHIS is the largest consortium of its kind in the United States. NHIS revenue in 2012 was $11 million.

• NHLC provides mobile Lithotripsy services to 22 institutions in New Hampshire and Maine. Michael has been Executive Director of NHIS since its inception in 1986. In 2012, NHLC performed over 1,200 Lithotripsy procedures and had revenue of $1.4 million.

From 1990, until its acquisition by Wellpoint in October 2006, Michael was Chief Executive Officer of the Behavioral Health Network, Inc. (BHN), a for profit, provider-owned corporation, providing managed behavioral health and substance abuse services throughout northern New England. Stockholders included four acute care community hospitals and nine Community Mental Health Centers. As CEO of the Behavioral Health Network, Inc., Michael had primary responsibility for day-to-day operations including Board Governance, Contract Management, Customer Service, Network Management, Claims Management, Utilization Management, Case Management, and Quality Management. In 2005, BHN served over 580,000 lives in full risk, ASO and EAP contracts, earning revenue of over $23.5M.

Michael’s other accomplishments in the healthcare field include an 18 month term as interim CEO for a small rural hospital; implementation of inpatient psychiatric units at two New Hampshire hospitals and one Vermont hospital; transition of New Hampshire Psychiatric Hospital into a new facility, and development of numerous Certificates of Need in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. From 1979 through 1983, Michael served as Director of Management Information Systems and Assistant to the Commissioner of the NH Department of Health and Human Services.

Michael has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration.