Varon Cantrell, MD Named HealthNet’s Chief Medical Officer
4/28/2023
After a national search, HealthNet has named Varon Cantrell, MD, FAAP, FACP, CPE, as the organization’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective June 5, 2023.
He succeeds Rick Reifenberg, MD, who will transition back to providing patient care after 5 years as CMO of one of the state’s largest federally qualified health centers. HealthNet provides care annually to more than 60,000 uninsured and underinsured patients in Marion and Monroe counties and beyond through its growing network of nine primary care health centers and several outreach programs. Continuing his 23 years of service with HealthNet in various roles, Dr. Reifenberg will begin providing primary care services at HealthNet’s Speedway Health & Dental Center this summer, where he will also serve as the Physician Co-leader.
In his new role as CMO, Dr. Cantrell will provide clinical leadership for more than 150 physicians, advanced practice nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, dentists and other providers at HealthNet.
“We were fortunate to have such a strong internal candidate with exceptional clinical and leadership skills and a passion for providing great care for the patients we serve,” said Rick Diaz, President/CEO. “I am confident that Dr. Cantrell will be a great fit for HealthNet as CMO.”
As an internal medicine/pediatrics physician, Dr. Cantrell joined HealthNet in 2010 as a primary care physician at HealthNet Southwest Health & Dental Center. He provided physician leadership for the opening of HealthNet West Health Center in 2012 and oversaw its dramatic growth, adding services and providers and became the Provider Co-Leader there. In addition to seeing patients at West and mentoring internal medicine-pediatric residents, he stepped into the role of Primary Care Service Line Physician Leader for five years, leading numerous initiatives focused on improving patient access. He then served as Associate Medical Director for two years and most recently as Chief Medical Information Officer for the past two years.
Dr. Cantrell earned his bachelor’s degree biology and chemistry from Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, IN and his medical degree is from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, IN. He completed an Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency at the University of Cincinnati Department of Internal Medicine Veterans Affairs Hospital, serving as Chief Medical Resident. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. He has served as a Preceptor for Indiana University School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency Program since 2011.
Dr. Cantrell is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Association for Physicians in Leadership and is very active in the Indianapolis community. He has been married for 21 years and has five children.
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Since 1968, HealthNet (www.indyhealthnet.org) has been a mainstay in the Indianapolis community. Through its network of nine community-based health centers, 11 school-based clinics, six dental centers, and numerous outreach programs, HealthNet annually serves over 60,000 individuals – many of whom are uninsured or underinsured and live below the federal poverty level. HealthNet’s comprehensive primary care services include pediatrics, OB/GYN, adult medicine, behavioral health, dental care, lab, chiropractic care, optometry, health education, nutrition counseling, social work services, access to discounted prescriptions as well as the Homeless Initiative Program, Healthy Families and other outreach programs. HealthNet's health centers include Barrington Health & Dental Center, Martindale-Brightwood Health Center, Northeast Health Center, People's Health & Dental Center, Southeast Health & Dental Center, Southwest Health & Dental Center, Speedway Health & Dental Center, Bloomington Health Center and Downtown Health Center, as well as the HealthNet Mobile Health Center.