Groundbreakers: Organizational Changes at Carilion

Armida Klute will join Carilion Clinic as vice president for Strategic Payment Relationships.

In this role, Armida will provide innovative, creative and influential strategic leadership in the development of system payer contracting models/relationships and pricing strategies across all our markets and services. She will work closely with physicians, the senior leadership team and the accountable care team to implement our contracting and care management strategies. The Strategic Payment Relationships team also plays a role in directing our ongoing price-transparency work, with a focus on contracted payment rates from payers.

Armida has more than 17 years of progressive experience leading domestic and international care management, payment model and payor relationship strategies for both insurance carriers and health care providers.

Most recently, Armida served as executive director-VP of Managed Care and Financial Clearance at the University of Texas’s Dell Medical School. In this role, some of her responsibilities included leading the strategy related to alternative payment models critical to the medical school’s mission; leading clinical network and commercial ACO contracting strategies; leading a team of contracting managers; and leading the Decision Support team.

Her previous leadership roles include system director of commercial contracting management for CHRISTUS Health System; senior director of managed care/government programs; and director of managed care contracting for FirstCare Health Plans.

Armida and her husband Paul will be moving from Austin, TX. They are avid runners, outdoor enthusiasts, love animals and enjoy traveling and cooking. Armida and Paul are looking forward to relocating to the area, exploring our diverse areas and cultural opportunities and hiking the Blue Ridge Mountain trails. Armida said: “I feel blessed to be joining the Carilion Clinic and Roanoke communities. Carilion’s unwavering culture and commitment to the communities you serve is unmatched and made this the perfect fit for our family.”

Thank you to Donna Littlepage, senior vice president for Accountable Care Strategies, who volunteered to serve as interim leadership in this role over the past several months.

Armida’s first official day as part of the Carilion team will be Monday, Aug. 30. Please welcome her to the Carilion family!