50 Most Influential Clinical Executives - 2024

After a six-month stint as president of healthcare delivery at CVS Health, Desai last year returned to Optum Health, UnitedHealth Group’s healthcare services unit. Before joining CVS, he had led Optum's Pacific West region, which includes California, Oregon and Washington. Desai is tasked with accelerating the value-based care model at Optum, which includes about 90,000 physicians at more than 2,000 care sites in 25 states. In January, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty said the company plans to increase the number of consumers served under full-risk value-based arrangements by at least 750,000 this year.