Cleveland E. Slade, MBA

Title: Chief Financial Officer
Company: Ponos Care
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Cleveland E. Slade, MBA, chief financial officer at Ponos Care, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in insurance.

With four decades of experience to his credit, Mr. Slade has established a distinguished career in fiscal management, particularly within the health care sector. He was recently named the chief financial officer for Ponos Management LLC, doing business as Ponos Care, a leading home-based healthcare provider specializing in high-cost, high-risk conditions that drive significant monetary impact for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). Founded by Tommy Duncan, former founder and chief executive officer of Trusted Health Plans, Ponos Care brings a mission-driven approach to value-based care, focusing on proactive, home-based interventions that improve member outcomes and reduce unnecessary healthcare expenditures.

Mr. Slade has previously excelled as the director of financial planning and analysis at CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield from 2023 to 2025. In this role, he served as a finance professional with experience in building and directing health care finance organizations to provide bottom-line efficiency and value. His responsibilities included overseeing the management of the company’s diversified business portfolio.

Mr. Slade’s prior experiences also included his work as chief financial officer for CareFirst Community Health Plan District of Columbia from 2013 to 2023, where he oversaw health care services within a managed care framework for district residents. He was also the founder and chief consultant of KeyMic Inc., a role he held from 2009 to 2013, and has served as a senior finance professional for various health care organizations from 1982 to 2018. During his time in these positions, he was recognized for his leadership in reducing unnecessary hospital visits and admissions, notably identifying $55 million worth of unnecessary care in 2017. This initiative led to a significant reduction in hospital readmissions by 5 percent to 10 percent across three specific areas.

Mr. Slade also dedicates his time as a director for the Hospital Financial Management Association’s Washington, DC chapter and as a director for Freestate Healthcare Insurance Company Ltd., an offshore captive. Beyond his financial expertise, he also serves as a Baptist minister.

Mr. Slade’s academic background laid a solid foundation for his successful career. He earned a Master of Business Administration in business administration and management from the University of Phoenix in 2006, building on a bachelor’s degree completed at Hampton University. Additionally, he is a certified public accountant, which has further enhanced his capabilities in fiscal management

Reflecting on his path, Mr. Slade began his career at the age of 26, and his career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to improving health care systems for individuals who often lack access to quality insurance. Driven by a passion for serving underserved communities, he has focused his efforts on working with smaller organizations. One of his most notable achievements includes creating the financial operations for a start-up health plan, successfully raising two rounds of investment capital through private equity, acquiring a health plan to expand operations, and playing a key role in securing and renewing state-issued managed care contracts.

Additionally, Mr. Slade takes great pride in a career achievement that occurred in 1982 when he was hired as chief financial officer at Whittaker Memorial Hospital, the same hospital where he was born as an adopted child. Whittaker Memorial Hospital, a historic 126-bed safety net hospital in the Brookville Heights neighborhood of Newport News, Virginia, was on the verge of closure at the time. Built in 1943, with later additions in 1957 and 1966, the hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. In his role, Mr. Slade played a pivotal part in stabilizing the hospital’s financial footing, ultimately enabling the construction of a new facility, Newport News General, to continue serving its underserved community.

Mr. Slade attributes his success to the training and values instilled by his adoptive parents. As an adopted child, he learned the importance of a strong work ethic and the value of giving back to his community. Looking to the future, he intends to remain actively engaged in health care financial management, with a continued focus on initiatives that support underserved communities.

Contact Mr. Slade: