Leadership

Leading the way to better health care for you

Diane Holder

Executive Vice President, UPMC
President, UPMC Insurance Services Division
President and Chief Executive Officer, UPMC Health Plan

Diane Holder is Executive Vice President, UPMC; President, UPMC Insurance Services Division; and President and Chief Executive Officer, UPMC Health Plan. UPMC is one of the nation’s leading integrated delivery systems and through its health plans and affiliates provides health care coverage and benefits management for more than 4 million men, women, and children in Pennsylvania. The UPMC Insurance Services Division includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC for You, UPMC for Life, UPMC for Kids, Askesis Development Group, Community Care Behavioral Health, and UPMC Workpartners. These health benefits companies manage benefits for commercial, Medicaid, Medicare, behavioral health, EAP, health promotion, and workers’ compensation programs and other population health programs and services.

Ms. Holder has held a number of leadership positions in health care, including CEO of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC and founding CEO of Community Care Behavioral Health. She is also a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Psychiatry and the Graduate School of Public Health.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan
  • Master’s degree from Columbia University

Georgia Dodds Foley

Senior Vice President and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
UPMC Insurance Services Division

Georgia Dodds Foley is Senior Vice President and Chief Risk and Compliance officer for the UPMC Insurance Services Division.

Ms. Dodds Foley is responsible for all facets of UPMC Health Plan’s Compliance Program, including strategic development and implementation of regulatory compliance best practices. Her leadership accountabilities include enterprise risk management, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, regulatory contracts oversight, and proposal development.

She has more than 25 years of experience in building and transforming enterprise compliance, ethics, and risk programs for national/multistate companies. Before joining UPMC Health Plan, Ms. Dodds Foley held senior regulatory compliance and ethics roles for multiple Fortune 500 companies and, most recently, a national insurer’s Center for Excellence.

Education/Training:

  • Graduate of the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business
  • Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law
  • Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University

Gordon Gebbens

Senior Vice President of Finance, UPMC Insurance Services Division
Chief Financial Officer, UPMC Insurance Services Division

Mr. Gebbens is the executive leader for all facets of Finance, including tax planning, risk management, and investment, liquidity and cash flow planning for our division, accounting, accounts receivable, claims payable, actuarial, budget, commercial and government products finance, and statutory reporting departments. This includes functional accountability for the budget and forecasting processes, actuarial, underwriting, and rate making systems and processes, and the preparation and submission of all statutory reports with insurance regulators and external rating agencies and examiners.

He has 36 years of experience in the area of health care. Mr. Gebbens’ previous positions include regional controller for Humana, president and CEO for Prevea Health Plan, and CFO for Geisinger Health Plan.

Mr. Gebbens serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Laurel Highlands Council of the Boy Scouts of America as vice president of programs.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration accounting from Grand Valley State University

Rachelle Graham

Vice President, Marketing Communications
UPMC Insurance Services Division

Rachelle Graham is Vice President of Marketing Communications, UPMC Insurance Services Division. Ms. Graham leads the enterprise strategy behind branding, marketing, and communication strategies across the Insurance Services Division, including Workpartners® and Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. She is also responsible for provider communications, network marketing relationships, member engagement & education, multicultural marketing, and translation services.

Ms. Graham has been in the marketing and operations industry for 25 years, and, before joining the UPMC Insurance Services Division, she held senior marketing and operations roles for several Fortune 100 organizations, including other health insurance organizations.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from the University of South Florida

Scott Haas

Vice President, Payer Services
UPMC Information Services Division

Scott Haas is vice president of Payer Applications at UPMC Health Plan. In that capacity, he is responsible for the stabilization and advancement of the Health Plan’s entire technology footprint.

Mr. Haas has more than 20 years of experience in health care and health care technology fields. Prior to joining UPMC Health Plan in 2007, Mr. Haas spent 13 years with BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois as part of HealthCare Services Corporation (HCSC), serving in several roles to connect and advance IT and business strategies across HCSC’s participating Blues plans.

Education/Training:

  • B.S. in Finance from Illinois State University
  • MBA with Health Care Administration emphasis from the University of Illinois

Brendan Harris

President, UPMC for You and State Programs

Brendan Harris’ lifelong interest in politics and public policy has led to a wide range of experience in health care, administrative policymaking, and oversight. He currently serves as Vice President of Community HealthChoices (CHC) for UPMC Health Plan, the state’s Managed Long-Term Services and Supports program.

UPMC CHC provides long term services and supports to over 132,000 vulnerable Pennsylvanians, with a budget of over $3 billion. The statewide program provides coverage in all of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties to dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid recipients and individuals with physical disabilities.

Before leading CHC, Harris served as the Regional Vice President of Government Programs for UPMC Health Plan and the other UPMC entities making up the Insurance Services Division.

Prior to joining UPMC, Harris served as part of the Department of Human Services (DHS) executive team for over a decade – a department that serves more than 3 million Pennsylvanians, operates with a $39 billion budget, and has over 16,000 employees.

While there, Harris managed overall operations of the department, establishing departmental goals and objectives, formulating administrative policies and procedures, and providing guidance and technical assistance to eight program offices in the interpretation, implementation, and evaluation of the department’s agenda and policies. He served as the key contact for DHS with the Governor’s Office and outside stakeholders including contracted managed care organizations, advocates, and provider groups.

From 2012 through 2017, he served as the Executive Deputy Secretary of DHS ensuring that quality care and services are provided to vulnerable Pennsylvanians, taxpayer dollars are utilized efficiently, and human service programs are successfully implemented. During his tenure as the Executive Deputy Secretary, he successfully negotiated a Medicaid expansion plan to provide health care coverage to an additional 715,000 Pennsylvanians and oversaw the department’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act, among other accomplishments.

Harris graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004 with a degree in Political Science. He currently resides in western Pennsylvania with his wife and three children.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Tim Holt

Vice President, Human Resources
UPMC Insurance Services Division

Tim Holt is the Vice President of Human Resources for the Insurance Services Division at UPMC, where he has a range of responsibilities that include talent management, employee engagement, employee relations, organizational effectiveness, and workforce development. His efforts in workforce development have helped drive the Pathways to Work Program that help connect people to careers at UPMC through partnerships with workforce investment boards, community partners and operational leaders. He has been with UPMC for over 15 years supporting with experience in various leadership roles where he has supported the Insurance division and Physician Division.

Outside of UPMC, Tim is an active member of the community, as a active member of several local service organizations in addition to serving on the board for the Holy Family Institute Foundation/Nazareth Prep School, and the Partner4Work workforce investment board.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor's degree in Management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Economics and Human Resources
  • HCI/UPMC Strategic Business Partner Certification
  • Green Belt six sigma
  • Certification in Project Management, Executive Coaching and 360 coach

Matthew O. Hurford, MD

President and Chief Executive Officer
Community Care

Dr. Hurford is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, the nation’s largest not-for-profit behavioral health managed care organization. As part of the UPMC Insurance Services Division, Community Care provides behavioral health coverage for one million Medicaid beneficiaries in 41 Pennsylvania counties. Dr. Hurford has worked in public-sector psychiatry for nearly 20 years holding various leadership positions in academic, government and managed care systems including, most recently, serving as Community Care’s Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs.

Prior to joining Community Care, Dr. Hurford served as the Chief Medical Officer of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS) and Community Behavioral Health (CBH), a not-for-profit behavioral health managed care organization that managed approximately $850 million in Medicaid funding. He is a board-certified psychiatrist who has provided care to people with serious mental illness and substance-use disorder in diverse settings including the Indian Health Service on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona and urban community mental health centers in Philadelphia.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor's degree in political science from Swarthmore College
  • Medical degree from the Temple University School of Medicine
  • Completed his residency and chief residency in psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Mary Beth Jenkins

Executive Vice President, UPMC Insurance Services Division
Chief Operating Officer, UPMC Health Plan

Ms. Jenkins is executive vice president of UPMC Insurance Services Division and the chief operating officer of UPMC Health Plan, which is the largest medical insurer in western Pennsylvania with over 4.1 million members.

In this role, Ms. Jenkins oversees service operations, claims administration, configuration, ancillary products, third-party administration, consumer innovation, and the Organizational Performance and Project Management Office. Her responsibilities include coordinating fiscal management, administration, and operations for multiple departments; managing budget and resource allocation with senior leadership, finance, and human resources; and providing matrix reporting oversight across the organization in support of multiple lines of business.

For more than 20 years, Ms. Jenkins has driven operational efficiencies at UPMC Health Plan to help the company maintain low administrative costs and high customer satisfaction. She is a strong supporter of UPMC Health Plan’s process improvement efforts and, in addition, translates strategic initiatives into business objectives to support the organization’s continued growth.

Ms. Jenkins serves on the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations and privately held companies, and she is recognized nationally as an expert on service excellence and claims optimization.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Slippery Rock University, and her Master of Business Administration from Duquesne University. Ms. Jenkins has also earned a Six Sigma Green Belt certification.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor’s degree in communications from Slippery Rock University
  • Masters of Business Administration from Duquesne University

Sheryl A. Kashuba

Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs/Health Policy/Government Relations
& Chief Legal Officer UPMC Health Plan

Ms. Kashuba joined the Insurance Services Division’s Legal Services department in January 2005. She is an expert on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its impact on health care delivery. Before assuming her current role, Ms. Kashuba served as Senior Director and Associate Counsel for Health Policy and Government Programs and also as Assistant Counsel to the Insurance Services Division. Prior to joining UPMC Health Plan, she worked in the Pittsburgh office of Morgan Lewis & Bockius as a Labor and Employment Associate.

Before becoming an attorney, Ms. Kashuba was Director of the Northern Erie Clinical Services, an outpatient alcohol and substance abuse clinic located in Buffalo, N.Y., and a part-time instructor at Erie Community College.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Canisius College, Buffalo, NY
  • Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Buffalo
  • Graduated from the University of Buffalo Law School in 2003

Chronis Manolis, RPh

Senior Vice President, Pharmacy
Chief Pharmacy Officer, UPMC Health Plan

Mr. Manolis oversees the pharmacy programs for the Health Plan's Medicare, Medical Assistance, and commercial products.

Mr. Manolis has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmacy and managed care industry. He previously held management positions with Medco Health Solutions and Stadtlanders Specialty Pharmacy Services. Mr. Manolis is also an adjunct instructor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Pittsburgh

Kimberly L. Orth

President, UPMC Commercial Products
UPMC Health Plan

Ms. Orth provides the Health Plan's strategic direction for Commercial Products in the region overseeing Product Innovation, Sales and Account Management. She leads the business integration of the division’s various products and establishes effective business plans for each, building sales and marketing practices to ensure the Health Plan’s viability and success.

Her focus includes developing and implementing programs to assist her departments in using market research data, identifying new markets, consumer retention, differentiating products with competition, broker relations, account management, and sales coordination. Ms. Orth is responsible for review and variance analysis for Health Plan sales, making decisions that have significant sales/financial implications on the organization.

She serves on the Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. Board of Directors and is an adjunct professor at St Francis University. Ms. Orth has 25-plus years in commercial insurance experience.

Education/Training:

  • Master of Health Science from St Francis University
  • Master of Health Leadership from St Francis University
  • Bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration from Penn State University
  • Graduate of the Leadership Pittsburgh program

Angela L. Perri

President, UPMC Medicare Products
UPMC Insurance Services Division

Adjunct Professor
University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

Angela L. Perri leads the Health Plan’s Medicare Products division, which includes the Medicare Advantage and Special Needs Plans (SNP) serving Pennsylvania known as UPMC for Life. She provides strategic direction for the Medicare-SNP products focused on serving all seniors, persons with disabilities, and those who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Angela is responsible for overall Medicare product performance, strategic direction and related program development and implementation as well as achieving top-line revenue objectives and bottom-line profitability targets while maintaining/enhancing customer and provider satisfaction.

Joining the Health Plan in early 2018 to facilitate Medicare strategy, Angela led Medicare STARs (5 STAR HMO, PPO and 4.5 STAR SNP) and was tasked to direct the Business Transformation Office of the UPMC Insurance Services Division leading business alignment and strategy initiatives, planning and prioritization for key business efforts, and multidisciplinary approaches for development and growth. Angela has nearly 25 years of experience in managed health care and managed behavioral health care. Prior to joining UPMC Health Plan, she served in executive leadership roles for several Fortune 100 organizations including UnitedHealth Group (Optum), Centene Corporation, and Amerigroup (an Anthem Company). She has led product and program development, strategic planning, eHealth, business development and growth for Medicaid and LTSS, Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), Medicare Advantage and Special Needs Plans, the Marketplace, and commercial products designing and implementing population health management solutions for these MCOs/MBHOs in nearly all 50 states.

She is recognized as an expert on population health program designs such as models of care for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Foster Care (children), Managed Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and integrated behavioral health including the digital and technology solutions supporting these strategies for value-based care efforts. She is passionately committed to serving the underserved in health care and education.

Education/Training:

James Schuster, MD, MBA

Chief Medical Officer, UPMC Insurance Services Division
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh

James Schuster, MD, MBA is the Chief Medical Officer for the UPMC Insurance Services Division. He is closely engaged with clinical and quality initiatives and also provides oversight to medical staff and the UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care.

Dr. Schuster has served in key clinical leadership roles at Community Care Behavioral Health Organization and UPMC Health Plan over nearly two decades. He has led teams at the UPMC Center for High-Value Healthcare that have secured several awards from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute and other funders focused on integrated care, shared decision making, and medication assisted treatment. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. He is board certified in psychiatry and in the subspecialties of geriatric psychiatry and addiction psychiatry.

Education/Training:

  • Medical degree from the University of Louisville
  • Completed his residency in psychiatry and MBA at the University of Pittsburgh

Nickalas Watsula

Chief HealthChoices Officer, UPMC Health Plan
Chief Operating Officer, State Contracts

Mr. Watsula has more than 20 years of experience in both finance and health care at UPMC. He has been employed with UPMC Health Plan since January 2000 and held concurrent leadership roles at the Health Plan. Mr. Watsula’s previous leadership roles include the Executive Director for UPMC for You and UPMC for Life, as well as the Vice President of UPMC for You and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a role he held since 2013. He is currently the Chief HealthChoices Officer, UPMC Health Plan, and the Chief Operating Officer, State Contracts.

In his current roles, Mr. Watsula executes strategic planning across products and directs and manages product line performance and overall profit/loss accountability. His responsibilities include membership and revenue growth, maximization of product performance, data and risk adjustment analysis, analyzing impact of proposed program changes, monitoring the products’ operating performance, and coordinating all financial requirements and filings, as necessary. He is also responsible for UPMC Insurance Services Small Diverse Business requirements.

Mr. Watsula serves on the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee (MAAC) and routinely attends the Medical Assistance Consumer Subcommittee meetings. Since 2019, he has held the position of treasurer of the PA Coalition of Medical Assistance MCOs (PAMCO), and as of 2023, serves on the board for PAMCO. He also serves on the board of Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA) and for the March of Dimes (Western and Central PA market).

Education/Training:

  • Maintains a leadership certificate from the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
  • Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Vincent College

David Weir, CSP, ARM

President
UPMC Workpartners

David Weir leads UPMC Workpartners, which provides health and productivity solutions for employees of high-performing companies across the United States. UPMC Workpartners’ suite of services includes a range of innovative programs, consulting, and technology designed to reduce health-related costs while increasing employee productivity for many of the country’s largest employers. These programs include human capital and absence management services, commercial workers’ compensation, wellness and health coaching, employee assistance programs, employer on-site services (on-site health centers, near-site health centers, and mobile units), health and productivity consulting, and data analysis.

Before becoming President of UPMC Workpartners in 2003, Mr. Weir served for six years as Vice President of Network Development and Claim Services for UPMC. Prior to that, he was Assistant Vice President for the brokerage firm of Sedgwick James.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor’s degree in health and safety from Indiana University
  • Certifications include Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and Associate Risk Management (ARM)

Carrie Whitcher

Chief Quality Officer and Vice President of Quality Improvement and Performance

Carrie Whitcher joined UPMC Insurance Services in 2021 to provide key leadership of the quality of care and best practice guidelines, ethical standards and protocols, and clinical outcomes for all UPMC Health Plan lines of business. She will lead the over-arching direction for Quality Performance programs—assuring that these consistently meet or exceed all external regulatory requirements.

A true leader in her field, Carrie brings unparalleled expertise in health care quality improvement and administrative strategy. Before UPMC Insurance Services, Carrie held leadership roles at Excellus Health Plan for 17 years. Most recently, she was Vice President of Health Care Improvement—maximizing health plan clinical quality and member experience across all product lines and quality rating programs, including NCQA and CMS Medicare Star, among several others. At Excellus Health Plan, Carrie also served as Director of Provider Performance Improvement & Analytics, and Director of Performance Improvement.

Carrie has been recognized for her strong leadership at both local and national levels. In 2018, she was honored with Diversity Journal’s Women Worth Watching Award: Executives Leading the Way to Excellence in the Workplace, Marketplace, and the World. She is a Board Member of Houghton College.

Education/Training:

  • Bachelor's of Science degree from State University of New York College at Fredonia
  • Master's degree in health services administration from Xavier University