Humana has hired Heather Cox for the newly created position of chief digital health and analytics officer, reporting directly to Humana president and CEO Bruce Broussard.

Another digital healthcare think tank and development center is opening in Boston.

Already Boston is home to a slew of digital healthcare centers such as Partners HealthCare Connected Health, a Boston health system founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Health Technology Exploration Center, run by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to research, evaluate and launch new initiatives for digital and mobile health that include the Internet of Things, telemedicine, machine learning and other emerging technology.

Now healthcare insurer Humana Inc. is launching its digital healthcare and analytics research center in Boston. Slated to open next summer, Humana Studio H, in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood will eventually employ as many as 250 workers over the next five years. “Humana’s interest in Boston stems from the deep local talent pool and potential for strategic partnerships in the area,” says a Humana spokesman says.

Humana is vague about the specific digital health and analytics initiatives, deals and partnerships is its Humana Studio H will take on. “It’s too early to speculate on exactly what projects might emerge,” the spokesman says.

Humana is sure about who will head up the new center. Humana has hired Heather Cox for the newly created position of chief digital health and analytics officer, reporting directly to Humana president and CEO Bruce Broussard. Most recently Cox served as chief technology and digital officer at insurer USAA, where she was responsible for designing and building personalized and digitally-enabled end-to-end experiences for USAA members. Prior to USAA, Cox was the CEO of Citi FinTech at Citigroup, Inc., helping the company use mobile technology. At one point Cox also headed card operations for Capital One.

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Cox will be based in Boston and oversee much of the work coming out of Studio H. In her new role, Cox will be accountable for building Humana’s digital care delivery operations and leading enterprise analytics, the insurer says.

“What we’re developing in Boston is a critical capability that can help Humana leap forward and overcome friction points to create a simplified, connected and personalized healthcare experience for our members and the physicians and others who provide their care,” said Broussard. “We understand that where lifestyle and health care intersect, there is an opportunity to influence health and well-being in a holistic way, especially for seniors,” Broussard says. “Digital technology and analytics are building blocks for devising products, tools and services that deliver on the promise of whole-person healthcare.

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