Operators who’ve been in your shoes.
Our leadership team brings decades of experience from every corner of healthcare — running plans, managing claims, treating patients, and building the kind of company we wish existed when we were on your side of the table.
Trusted advisors. Experienced operators.
Every member of our leadership team has spent years inside the healthcare system — and every one of them is here because they believe it can be better.
Larry Hightower
Co-Founder & CEO
With 40+ years spanning healthcare operations, insurance, and business growth, Larry has built and scaled companies across the industry. He’s sold businesses at 22x and 15x earnings, grown a urology practice from 30 to 100 physicians, and spent decades watching the system fail the people it was supposed to protect. Vxtra Health is his answer — a company built by operators, for employers and communities.
Sandra Mitchell
VP, Operations
Sandra brings 30+ years of health plan processing and operations experience to Vxtra Health. She’s managed claims adjudication, provider networks, and member services for plans of every size. She knows exactly where the current system breaks down — and more importantly, how to build one that actually works for employers and their employees.
Andrew Chen
VP, Claims & Contracts
Andrew has spent his career on the inside of health plan contracting, claims processing, and provider negotiations. With deep expertise in stop-loss, reinsurance, and TPA operations, he understands every lever that drives cost in a self-funded plan. At Vxtra, he ensures every contract is structured to benefit the employer — not the insurance company.
Dr. Maria Santos
Chief Medical Officer
A practicing physician and healthcare policy advisor with over 20 years of clinical and administrative experience, Dr. Santos leads Vxtra’s clinical strategy. She’s been on every side of the table — treating patients, negotiating with payers, and advising hospital systems. Her mission is to make sure physician-led care isn’t just a talking point, but the foundation of every Vxtra plan.
James Thornton
VP, Employer Solutions
James has spent 25 years helping mid-market employers navigate the complexity of self-funded health plans. He’s worked as a broker, a benefits consultant, and an in-house benefits director — so he understands the pain from every angle. At Vxtra, he leads the team that helps employers transition to a model that actually saves money and improves outcomes.
Rachel Owens
VP, Community Partnerships
Rachel has dedicated her career to building healthcare access in secondary and rural markets across the Southeast and Midwest. With 15+ years in community health initiatives and provider network development, she ensures Vxtra’s Our Town methodology isn’t just a framework — it’s a living partnership with the physicians and communities that make it work.
We actually care about outcomes.
That’s not a tagline — it’s the reason every person on this page left comfortable careers to build something that puts employers and communities first.