President & CEO, The Health Plan
Photo by The Health Plan.
By Brittany McClung
Jeff Knight has spent more than 20 years in the health care industry, striving to change health care in West Virginia for the better. Today, he serves as president and CEO of The Health Plan, a West Virginia-based, not-for-profit community health organization that began in 1979.
A Mountain State native, Knight attended the school of business and economics at West Virginia University, (WVU) where he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in accounting, in 1995. He went on to pass his certified public accountant (CPA) exam in 1997. After spending three years in public accounting, Knight felt that he would be better suited for a career that had a more direct impact on people’s lives. This led him to apply for a position in the finance department at The Health Plan. Despite Knight’s plan to switch career paths, he says working with a smaller firm gave him more exposure in all areas of public accounting, which helped prepare him for his career. Knight has been employed by The Health Plan since 1998 and has held several positions within the organization.
Passing the CPA exam was an important component to Knight’s career and one of his most cherished accomplishments. However, Knight says the real accolades come from daily interactions with the staff at The Health Plan because he knows that is where he is helping to make a true difference in the lives of the members.
In his current role as president and CEO, Knight works closely with the board of directors that provides oversight and goals for the company. He is constantly looking for opportunities to reduce the cost of care for their members. Knight has also worked with The Health Plan’s scholarship program since its inception in 2009. He says what he enjoys most about his role is solving problems.
“I embrace the challenge of being a problem solver rather than being frustrated or overreacting when a difficult situation is presented to me,” Knight says.
The Health Plan faced a multitude of obstacles as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two challenges the organization faced were having to move 600 employees to a remote environment, if necessary, and managing the financial impact the pandemic would have on the business. The team at The Health Plan was able to work together to find solutions and now faces the challenge of finding additional staff as it continues to grow.
Before becoming president and CEO in October 2020, Knight spent more than 10 years as the organization’s chief financial officer (CFO). Knight says his experience as CFO allowed him to become comfortable with spreadsheets and analyzing reports, which has helped prepare him for many of the new challenges he faces.
Aside from his work as a health care professional, Knight is a proud father of two girls and considers that to be his greatest accomplishment.
“Just like so many other families in West Virginia, my wife and I strive to instill strong values and morals into our children,” he says.
Knight says spending quality time with his family is important and is something he has been able to do through coaching his daughters’ recreational sports teams and high school softball team. Aside from the memories he has made with his daughters, another benefit was getting to be a coach and mentor for other kids, while watching them develop athletically, intellectually and emotionally.
Knight is also a proud alumnus of Leadership West Virginia’s (LWV) Class of 2018. LWV focuses on critical issues in West Virginia and opportunities for future growth.
“Being a part of this program helped energize me to become a better leader while creating growth in West Virginia,” he says.
Knight was born and raised in West Virginia and made the decision to live and work in the Mountain State to be close to his family.
“In addition, West Virginia is a beautiful place to live with an affordable cost of living,” he says.
Knight is appreciative of the great education he received at WVU and the opportunity it gave him to find employment in the state. In turn, he plans to continue the growth of The Health Plan.
“I am hopeful that the jobs we create in West Virginia will give someone else a similar opportunity,” he says.
The Health Plan Scholarship
The Health Plan scholarship provides need-based funds to students pursuing a medical degree or nursing degree at West Virginia University or a medical degree at Marshall University who also intend to practice in the state of West Virginia after graduation. It is also available to Bachelor of Science in Nursing students.
The scholarship pays tuition and fees at the West Virginia in-state rate, as well as the school’s required laptop and support fee. For up to four years, the scholarship can be renewed as long as the student maintains satisfactory academic progress.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with The Health Plan’s scholarship program since its inception in 2009. Students pursuing a medical degree at West Virginia University or Marshall University, as well as those pursuing a nursing degree at West Virginia University, are eligible to apply for the scholarship. To date, The Health Plan has granted over $3 million in scholarships to 59 medical and nursing students who intend to stay and practice in West Virginia. I am proud to work for a company that recognizes the need to keep good physicians and nurses here in our state,” says The Health Plan President and CEO Jeff Knight.
Students applying for the scholarship must submit an application, resume or curriculum vitae and have a letter of interest explaining why they have chosen a career in health care and why they are committed to practicing in the state of West Virginia.
