As appeared in Winter 2020 InBusiness Magazine
By Graziella DiNuzzo
Brian Lobley was born and raised in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia and he loved it.
“Jumping on my bike and riding through the neighborhood and playing basketball at the
Lower Mayfair playground are some of my best memories.”
“My first job was at Chickie’s and Pete’s, I worked there before working at the CVS on
the Boulevard. I attended St. Tim’s elementary school and some of my family members still
live in Fox Chase and Pine Valley.” Northeast Philly is where he called home.
“We have some of the best Philly food.” As executive vice president of Health Markets
at Independence Health Group, the parent of Independence Blue Cross, Lobley manages
commercial and consumer business, including senior markets and the pharmacy business.
He also provides oversight for the company’s operations and two of its subsidiaries,
AmeriHealth New Jersey and AmeriHealth Administrators.
“One of my most important roles is overseeing the sales and marketing team who work with
companies in the areas we serve to provide affordable access to innovative healthcare
solutions.”
In September 2018, Lobley attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Olney, Philadelphia, for
the opening of the first of four unique senior health centers in Philadelphia supported by
Independence Blue Cross, called Dedicated Senior Medical Center. The other Philadelphia
Dedicated centers are in Mayfair, West Philadelphia and North Philadelphia.
“We wanted to give seniors a different and better experience with health services.”
Dedicated Senior Centers’ specialized model coordinates all the health services a senior
patient may need which include: Primary Care, Onsite Diagnostic Testing, Medications,
Door-to-Door Transportation, LifeCard and Acupuncture. Owned by the wholly-owned
subsidiary, ChenMed, Dedicated patients benefit from an average of 189 minutes of
face-to-face time with their primary care physician annually, nine times higher than the
national average.
Lobley is most proud of a joint venture he helped launch in April 2018, between Independence Health Group and Comcast, called Quil, where he now serves as the Board
Chair.
Quil is a digital health company serving individuals, healthcare providers, employers,
and payors nationally. By combining precision data with state-of-the-art technology and
security, Quil is able to engage patients and caregivers throughout their health journeys.
Quil recently hired Carina Edwards as CEO. “With Comcast being our biggest customer
and their very progressive approach to providing top quality benefits to their
employees, we thought, what if we put our resources together?”
“The name Quil came from both the word tranquil, which is what we want a patient to feel when they are navigating their healthcare and the word quil, as in the ink feather pen
and when doctors write prescriptions,” Lobley explains.
When asked what he loves most about his job, Lobley answers, “our people, our mission and
our commitment to innovation.”
People:
“I have been working with Independence Health Group for over 18 years and it’s a
familial culture. I am so inspired when I go to our employee recognition luncheons and
listen to people who have worked with us for 25 to 30 years telling great stories.”
Mission:
“Independence gives back to the community through our partnerships with non-profits, and
especially through our “Blue Crew Volunteers” who lend a helping hand all across the region.”
Innovation:
“Dan Hilferty (Chief Executive Officer, Independence Health Group) is our champion
for innovation. He empowers us to do our best work and find better solutions. We call it Dan’s magic – he is a true leader.”
When asked about what challenges he has faced, Lobley explains, “Nine years ago when
the Affordable Care Act was enacted, we had to learn how to navigate providing our full
suite of products to individuals. We looked to folks outside healthcare in the financial
services and credit card industries for different ways to engage consumers and ultimately we
have been successful.”
“We are proud to offer healthcare to everyone from individuals to small groups and large,
national companies like Comcast.” Lobley volunteers his time and energy to several
causes. He is one of the founding members of the G. Fred DiBona, Jr. Memorial Foundation,
also known as Fred’s Footsteps, which provides financial support to families caring for critically or chronically ill children. He is also a board member of the Greater Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) and the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA — serving on the Executive Committees of both. He also serves on the board of AIM Academy.
On November 5, 2019, Lobley was awarded the 2019 Philadelphia Community Hero Award
at the seventh annual Heroes Among Us gala, which pays tribute to the men and women of
the Philadelphia Police Department. Lobley, whose father served as a mounted police
officer for the Philadelphia Police for over 25 years, was recognized for his strong support of
the Philadelphia Police Department.
“I love Philadelphia,” Lobley repeats. When the Eagles went to the Super Bowl, Lobley brought his eight-year-old son to Minneapolis to get the full experience. “We are die hard Philly sports fans.”
It’s in their blood.