Michael Cropp, EMBA '03

Michael W. Cropp, M.D., M.B.A. was appointed to the UB Council by Governor Andrew Cuomo in August 2014.  Dr. Cropp is the president and chief executive officer at Independent Health. Under his leadership, the organization delivers products and services that improve the health of almost 375,000 customers – and has been consistently recognized nationally for excellence in quality, service and innovation.

Dr. Cropp is a board-certified family physician. With more than 25 years of experience practicing medicine and working as a physician leader, Dr. Cropp has a long and distinguished career in public health service. He was an associate medical director and family physician for three managed care organizations, and also served as medical director for the Millard Fillmore Health System. 

In 1996, Dr. Cropp joined Independent Health as executive vice president and chief medical officer and was appointed president and CEO in 2004. In 2009, Dr. Cropp and the rest of the Independent Health executive team were named executive team of the year by HealthLeaders Media magazine.

Dr. Cropp’s focus on building leadership capacity for sustainable accountable quality care reaches beyond Western New York as he has served in leadership roles on the boards of national health care organizations, including as a member of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and as chairman of the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP).  Dr. Cropp has established several community initiatives to improve access, quality and affordability of health care. He is the founding chairman of the P2 Collaborative of Western New York – one of the original grantees in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) grant. He is also the founding chairman of Western New York Clinical Information Exchange (WNYCIE doing business as HEALTHeLINK), a consortium of multiple community stakeholders working to provide electronic access to health information across our entire community – a recent recipient of the federal government’s Beacon Community award.  

Nationally recognized as a leading voice in the health care field, Dr. Cropp was invited to a meeting at the White House to discuss his efforts to promote efficiency and quality in the health care delivery system and has served as the keynote speaker at the University at Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions commencement.

Additionally, he is the founding chairman of GO Bike Buffalo, a nonprofit that works to create healthy, environmentally sustainable, community-friendly transportation options in the City of Buffalo, and board member with the Greater Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the University at Buffalo Foundation. He also served on the boards of directors of the Response to Love Center and Olmsted Center for Visually Impaired, including a four-year term as board chairman. He has received Leadership Buffalo’s Community Impact Award, the Seneca Nation Diabetes Foundation Chairman’s Award, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of the Finger Lakes & WNY’s Service to Mankind Award and the University at Buffalo School of Management Alumni Association’s Buffalo Niagara Executive of the Year Award.

Dr. Cropp received his bachelor’s and medical degrees from Brown University and earned an M.B.A. from the University at Buffalo.