Bonavita, Dowd join Excellus BCBS CNY Regional Advisory Board

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has named Dr. Louis Bonavita, Jr., and Elin R. Dowd to its Central New York Regional Advisory Board.

“As a local health plan, our mission is to help people in our communities live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Dr. Bonavita and Elin will make immediate positive impacts to our board as we work to fulfill our mission,” says Mark Muthumbi, Excellus BCBS regional president for the Central New York region.

Louis Bonavita Jr., MD, attended the SUNY Upstate School of Medicine in Syracuse, NY, graduated cum laude in 1988, received the Bruce Farrell Memorial Award for Medical Excellence, and was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. He completed his residency in family medicine at St. Vincent Health Center in Erie, Pa., in 1991. He was elected chief resident and received the Society of Family Medicine Teaching Award.

He completed his undergraduate studies magna cum laude from St. Bonaventure University in 1984. Dr. Bonavita is a founding partner of CNY Family Care in East Syracuse, NY, and actively teaches medical students and residents in family medicine. He is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine at SUNY Upstate, an attending physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY, and a member and fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

His many accolades also include being elected NYS Family Physician of the Year in 2002 and being recognized as one of the nation’s “Top Docs” for family practice by the Consumer Research Council the following year. Dr. Bonavita has been in private practice for the last 32 years.

Elin R. Dowd joined the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium’s management team as executive director and its first full-time staff member in 2019. Elin has been instrumental in growing the organization and remains committed to ensuring the Consortium continues to deliver high-quality, trustworthy, cost-effective solutions to its members.

Before relocating to upstate New York in 2017, she was executive director of the Learning Centers at Fairplex in Pomona, Ca., and served on the Los Angeles County Fair Association’s board and management team. Elin was a strategic advisor for the China-based Zhejiang Senhe Seed Co., Ltd., and vice president of human resources and learning for Monrovia Growers, one of the nation’s largest wholesale growers of ornamental plants and shrubs, prior to being named its president.

Elin received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Drew University and her Master of Behavioral Science in human resource design from Claremont Graduate University. Elin has served on several boards including Mann Packing Company and California Botanic Garden. Elin and her husband, Marcus, live in Watkins Glen, NY, and are the sole proprietors of the Idlwilde Inn.

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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company's mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With more than 4,200 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.