American Specialty Health Chairman and CEO George DeVries Named "CEO of the Year" by San Diego Business Journal
SAN DIEGO, CA (September 1, 2022) - In a ceremony celebrating innovative and successful business leaders in San Diego, the San Diego Business Journal presented George DeVries, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) with a “CEO of the Year” Award. DeVries was one of 20 CEOs honored during a ceremony held at the Burnham Center for Community Advancement. More than 200 CEOs were nominated for the award.
“This award is quite an honor,” said DeVries. “It recognizes more than three decades of hard work by our team. We’re extremely proud of our continuous growth and product expansion as well as the strong culture and teamwork we have built within our organization. We have experienced significant growth over the last three decades due to our relentless commitment to our mission, innovative leadership, and focus on technology development.”
DeVries added, “I’m particularly thankful for our incredibly talented team. I’m grateful for their spirit of innovation that keeps our company thriving despite industry and competitive challenges, in addition to their ability to pivot during unexpected situations, such as those we’ve faced with COVID-19 and its variants these past few years.”
DeVries co-founded American Specialty Health 35 years ago in the second bedroom of a townhome in Southern California with $5,000 in seed money. Overcoming financial, regulatory, and industry hurdles, he and his team pioneered innovative specialty health networks for chiropractic and acupuncture care in California, then expanded nationally, diversifying the company’s lines of business to include physical and occupational therapy, massage therapy, and other musculoskeletal health services. DeVries later launched fitness and well-being solutions for health plans, employers, and associations.
Today, ASH is one of the nation’s fastest-growing privately held benefits management companies, with more than 1,500 employees serving more than 57 million Americans.
“As I reflect on our 35 years, I am deeply thankful to our clients who put their trust in our vision during those early years,” DeVries said. “Many of them are still clients who continue to collaborate with us on new programs in addition to maintaining their legacy programs with us.”
DeVries has been recognized a number of times for his innovation and leadership throughout the years. His other awards include:
• Lifetime Achievement Award in Wellness, San Diego Business Journal, 2013
• 50 Distinguished Alumni Award, University of California, San Diego, 2011
• Most Influential in Specialty Health Award, National Association of Specialty Health Organizations (NASHO), 2010
• Innovators Award, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), 2004
• Outstanding Alumni Award, University of California, San Diego, 2001
• National Entrepreneur of the Year for Health Sciences, Ernst & Young, 2000
• Appointment to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, 2000
• San Diego Entrepreneur of the Year for Health Sciences, Ernst & Young, 1997
Through the leadership of DeVries and key executives, ASH has also been recognized with the following awards:
• 2022 Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness, National Association for Business Resources (NABR)
• 2022 San Diego Best and Brightest in Wellness, (six consecutive wellness wins), NABR
• Inc. 5000 list of the Nation’s Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies, Inc. Magazine (10-times ranking, 2009-2019)
• One of San Diego's Best Places to Work, San Diego Union Tribune (2020, 2013) & San Diego Business Journal (2009, 2006)
• One of the 100 "Best Places to Work in Healthcare," Modern Healthcare magazine (2008)
• One of America's 15 Fittest Companies, Men's Fitness magazine (2008)
• A Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Gold award, National Business Group on Health (2008 - 2011)
About American Specialty Health
American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) is one of the nation’s premier independent and privately-owned specialty health organizations offering technology-enabled benefits management services, including musculoskeletal health provider networks and programs, fitness center networks and exercise programs, and well-being solutions for health plans, insurance carriers, employers, and others. With offices in Carmel (Indianapolis), IN, San Diego, CA, and Fort Worth, TX. ASH has more than 1,500 employees. For more information about ASH, visit www.ashcompanies.com or call 800-848-3555. Follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter at @ASHCompanies.