Meet The Team
Daniel C. Lyons
Daniel C. Lyons, MD, MPH, is President and CEO of Veridign Health Solutions, with responsibility for Veridign's strategic direction and overall success in the market.
Dr. Lyons also oversees government and social mission programs provided by Veridign's parent company, Independence Blue Cross—including Medicare, CHIP, AdultBasic programs, and the operation of its Caring Foundation. These programs provide comprehensive medical benefits for over 450,000 members through a variety of health plan options, and provide scholarships for graduate nurse education and grants to area non-profit medical clinics. Dr. Lyons has a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Medical College of Wisconsin, a medical degree from Temple University, and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. During his clinical career, he was a board-certified family practitioner and geriatrician. Dr. Lyons holds a current federal appointment to the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education. He is a frequently requested speaker at national Medicare symposia, and was the invited industry speaker at the 2005 annual CMS senior staff conference.
Kevin Barth
Kevin Barth is the Vice President of Operations for Veridign Health Solutions. Kevin is responsible for the oversight of all operational areas, including member and provider services, account implementation, claims payment, and systems development and production. Prior to joining Veridign Health Solutions, Kevin worked for CIGNA Corporation in a variety of executive positions, most recently as the Vice President of Customer Service. In this capacity, he was responsible for a wide range of operational activities, such as account implementation and management, call center operations, claims processing, premium accounting, site consolidation, and information systems. Over the course of his career, Kevin has led a number of strategic reengineering initiatives in both operations and sales that have produced significant improvements in customer satisfaction and productivity. He also served with distinction in the United States Marine Corps.
Mike Rae
Mike Rae is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Veridign Health Solutions. Mike has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, 12 years as the Medicare sales and marketing leader for Independence Blue Cross. He has an extensive background in individual and group marketing, Medicare Advantage product development and product management, and telemarketing. Mike was also at the center of a recent expansion of a major Medicare product portfolio, bringing several special needs plans, a seven state regional PPO, and a 14-state stand-alone prescription drug plan to market in recent years. Mike holds a B.A. degree in economics from Duke University.
Michael Suckle
Michael Suckle is the Vice President of Finance for Veridign Health Solutions. He has responsibility for financial management, pricing, and budgeting. Michael has worked in the health insurance industry for over 25 years. Prior to joining Veridign Health Solutions, he held various finance leadership positions with Independence Blue Cross and CIGNA Corporation. Michael received his M.B.A from Temple University, and his bachelor's degree from Penn State. He is also a certified management accountant.
Celeste Panaro
Celeste Panaro is the Director of Operations and Compliance for Veridign Health Solutions. In this capacity, Celeste is responsible for the oversight of operational business areas and their compliance with Medicare regulatory requirements; federal and state regulations; and the contractual agreements set with each ASO client. In addition to Compliance, Celeste oversees Veridign Account Management, the team responsible for supporting Veridign clients from implementation through their daily operational experience. Before joining Veridign, Celeste worked as an independent consultant with over 20 years experience managing projects nationwide in the healthcare, insurance, technology, and business sectors and with an emphasis on compliance.
Joseph Mattera
Joseph Mattera is the Director of Finance for Veridign Health Solutions. Joe is responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, pricing and administrative controls. Prior to joining Veridign Health Solutions, Joe held various financial positions with Independence Blue Cross. Joe received his bachelor's degree from Drexel University and has over 13 years of experience in finance.
Will Potts
Will Potts is the Director of Systems and Client Implementation for Veridign Health Solutions. Will is responsible for the successful implementation of new accounts and support of existing accounts. He managed the systems development within Veridign Health Solutions of expansion related to the Medicare Modernization Act. Will has 20 years of systems development experience, including 11 years in the Medicare area of Government Programs at Independence Blue Cross. He has a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in Computer Science from Drexel University.