Email this article to a friend
March 24, 2008
Alumnus Responds to University Tragedy
Terry Lyons, founder and president of Academic HealthPlans Inc. shows “customer first” philosophy is not just a motto.
Written by Kristina Woods Butler
Alumnus and CEO of Academic HealthPlans,Terry Lyons offered assistance to his clients at NIU after the tragic shooting on campus.
On February 14, 2008, a gunman entered a classroom at Northern Illinois University and opened fire. In a matter of seconds, five students died and more than a dozen were wounded. Headlines flashed across television screens as word of the tragic incident spread.
When Terry Lyons, Texas Tech alumnus and CEO of Academic HealthPlans, learned what was happening, he called to see what he could do to help his clients.
“We wanted to support the university with whatever services they needed,” he said.
The plan was to give students immediate access to crisis management-professionals. Within 16 hours of the shooting, Academic HealthPlans set up a toll free crisis hotline for the more than 25,000 students at Northern Illinois as a supplement to the services provided by the university.
Academic HealthPlans insured 12 of the students involved in the incident, three of whom were killed. In the college insurance field, agents expect sicknesses, broken bones and auto accidents, but not tragic shootings. Lyons said he hopes never to see anything like that again, but it has prepared him for the unexpected.
“If a situation like the one at NIU ever happens again, we have something in place and hopefully we will have it running in two hours rather than 16,” he said.
The Customer Comes First
Lyons graduated in 1980 with a degree in business administration from Texas Tech. After working for eight years at United Insurance Companies Inc., Lyons launched his own health insurance company, Academic HealthPlans. His motivation: to provide health insurance to higher education students, with a focus on customer service.
Located in Colleyville, TX, Academic Healthplans, Inc. is dedicated to providing quality accident and health insurance for college and university students at an affordable price while providing excellent customer service.
AHP provides health insurance plans for 60 universities across the United States including Texas Tech University.
For more information visit the Academic HealthPlans Web site.
More Featured Alumni
“When I worked for the large insurance company we had 300 or 400 university clients. Everything was computerized and impersonal,” Lyons said. “When we started Academic HealthPlans, our goal was to be more customer-friendly.
“We now manage healthcare for 60 universities and cover thousands of students across the country and we still have someone personally answer the phone.”
But quality customer service doesn’t stop with a phone call. According to Lyons, the mission of Academic HealthPlans is having more interaction with students, by being on campus, attending freshman orientations and participating in marketing campaigns with the university.
“We work in partnership with the university and the university health services to develop the best health insurance program for the students,” he said.
Continuing the Red Raider Tradition
The football games and university life are what Lyons remembers most about Texas Tech. He advises current and future students to enjoy college life by getting involved in the events and organizations around campus. Lyons firmly believes the more you get involved, the more you will get out of your college experience.
“I enjoyed my days at Texas Tech and think it’s a great place to get an education. It is definitely a place I would recommend my kids to go and recommend anyone else to go.”
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, (806) 742-2136.