L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health insurer, has tapped former Health Net executive Martha Santana-Chin as its next chief executive, replacing longtime chief John Baackes who announced his retirement in April.

L.A. Care, based in the Westlake district just west of Downtown Los Angeles, is a public insurer that serves more than 2.6 million members in Los Angeles County. Its mission is to provide access to quality health care for the county’s low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose.

Besides its insurance operations, L.A. Care has more than 600 physician practices in its network, along with 14 community resource centers. The organization has also established physician training programs, including a scholarship program for medical students committed to practicing in underserved communities.

Santana-Chin spent 11 years at Health Net, the Woodland Hills-based subsidiary of St. Louis-based Centene Corp., most recently as plan chief product president for the California market. Prior to that, she held posts in organizations dedicated to providing services for underserved communities both in Los Angeles County and throughout the state.

Besides being the first woman to head L.A. Care Health Plan, Santana-Chin is also the first Latina to lead the organization.

“I’m deeply honored to be the next Chief Executive Officer of L.A. Care as a representative voice of the people we’re serving,” said Santana-Chin. “I have a profound sense of responsibility to L.A.’s low-income families and look forward to collaborating with the remarkable team at L.A. Care, its board, and its community stakeholders to continue advancing equity in healthcare.”

Santana-Chin officially assumes the post of chief executive on Jan. 6.