About Us

Nivano Physicians takes pride in delivering hands-on, personal service. We are focused on meeting the demands and needs of our clients with the flexibility and versatility required in today's ever-changing health care environment.


Our staff is highly experienced in HMO administration, benefit plan design and implementation, reinsurance and Medicare guidelines. These professionals bring a wealth of benefit knowledge, patient care and physician relationship expertise to Nivano Physicians, along with a dedication to delivering quality customer care.


Nivano Physicians was created to bridge the communications gap between patients and providers that arose as a result of changing health care insurance and services models—a gap impacting the delivery of effective care. Nivano Physicians empowers patients and providers with the knowledge, tools and support they need to enable the right care, delivered at the right time, at a price that is fair to all parties.


Building Quality into the Healthcare Experience


To counteract managed care’s inherent competing interests, Nivano Physicians was founded on the premise that excellence in medical service could only be achieved with a streamlined system of communication among all concerned parties. “In medicine, quality is as much about making the patient’s treatment a humane process conducted with civility and dignity as it is about the medical outcome.” We believe that this standard should apply throughout the process—to insurers and health service providers, as well as the patients the system is designed to serve.


Nivano Physicians was incorporated in May of 1998 as a third party administrator dedicated to high standards of service maintained by quality communication among all concerned parties. Today, Nivano Physicians is an Independent Practice Association with contracted relationships that represent hundreds of providers serving thousands of patients in California. We maintain contractual agreements with major health insurers and continue to ensure that our doctors and other service providers are fairly reimbursed—eliminating the need to fight for what is due to them.

Meet The Team

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

  • Chief Administrative Officer - Ben Phillips


PROVIDER SERVICES

CLINICAL SERVICES

  • Senior Director of Claims - Dena Taylor

    Mrs. Dena Taylor serves as the Director of Claims and comes to Nivano with over 30 years of healthcare experience in both Commercial and Government sponsored health care programs. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information and Communication Studies from Chico State University. Dena is passionate about building relationships with both the provider and member communities and ensuring accurate and timely claim processing. 

  • Director of Quality and Risk Management - Jose Carbajal

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  • Director Provider Relations - Veronica Van Orman

    Mrs. Veronica Van Orman is responsible for growing the provider network and managing our partnered brokers and agents to help grow Nivano’s Medicare plans. She was the former Vice President of California Pharmacists Association with over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry. She fully understands the broker and agent side of the business. She is loyal to Nivano Physicians and honored to work with an organization that focuses and excels in quality customer service.

  • Manager of Quality - Katie Lazarus

    Mrs. Katie Lazarus joined Nivano with over ten years of healthcare experience. Before Nivano she was a part of our insurance partner Anthem Blue Cross. She received her degree in Public Health from California State University Frenso. As the Quality Manager, she is responsible for the quality scores for all of the contracted lines of business including HEDIS and Star Ratings. Katie is dedicated to helping Nivano reach its full potential when it comes to quality scores. 

  • Director of Customer Service - Kimberly Bolton

    As the Customer Service Manager, Ms. Bolton is responsible for providing customer support for providers, members and the other members on her team. She brings experience from other medical groups to Nivano Physicians and is a certified Medical Assistant. Kimberly strives to guide Nivano’s clinics to use our technology to improve communication and the member experience. She is proud and honored to be working with an IPA who cares for their members like they are family. 

  • Chief Medical Director - Thiru Rajagopal MD, FACS

    Thiru Rajagopal MD, FACS is a general surgeon who has been serving diverse group of patient populations for the past 30 years in the Sacramento community hospitals. He is the founder and CEO of Sierra Health Alerts, a company dedicated to promoting preventive care and population health. Dr. Rajagopal has had the opportunity to work with Dignity Health Care System at different levels. He has served as the Chief of Staff, and as a member in the Medical Executive, Quality and Peer Review Committees at Mercy General Hospital. He was also an Exofficio Board member for Sacramento Community Dignity Hospitals. He is the adviser to health plans like River City Medical Group, a Sectional Chief for Hills Physician Medical Group IPA and a Surgical Director for the Greater Sacramento Surgery Center. Dr. Rajagopal is also a Fellow for American College of Surgeons and an active member with The American Society of Breast Surgeons. Furthermore, as a faculty member of California NorthState University, Dr. Rajagopal mentors future physicians and their clinical research projects. Dr. Rajagopal is a physician with enormous passion to address the health care needs of minority communities with complex medical issues.

  • Director of Utilization Management -Jaimi Kirkwood Brooks


  • Director of Organizational Quality, Integration & Transformation - Robbin Coleman, LVN, BSHA, MBA

    Robbin has over 12 years of managed care and healthcare management experience,  with expertise in Utilization Management, Compliance, Quality Management, Project Management, and business development and operations. Master of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration, and is a Licensed Vocational Nurse. She is committed to utilizing her skills to coordinate and facilitate quality organizational practices and integrate technological resources to transform and manage healthcare delivery that Nivan Physicians provides.