UHG Enterprise Physician
Experience Council Newsletter Q3 2024

The UnitedHealth Group Physician Experience Council exists to represent the collective voice of employed UHG physicians and to facilitate the development of an invigorated, distinctive UHG health workforce.  We are excited to provide quarterly updates for our UHG clinicians!

Hello! My name is Ivy Smith Coleman, MD, and I am the new chair of the UHG Enterprise Physician Experience Council. I am a family practice physician in Enterprise Clinical Services, where I am a senior medical director. 

We’re excited to share our 3rd Quarter Newsletter with you! Your UHG Physician Experience Council has been busy. We’re collaborating with many departments across the UHG enterprise and are excited for the direction our company is headed.

Welcome to Off the Chart, where we introduce you to UHG’s nationwide family of dedicated physicians by highlighting their human side.  On the chart for this installment are Dr. Abigal "Abbie" Miler and Dr. Gaurav Zirath.

16 UHG Physicians Recognized
as 2024 Sages Award Winners

The Sages of Clinical Services Awards acknowledge and publicly recognize clinical professionals and some of their collaborative colleagues serving in a variety of roles throughout the UnitedHealth Group enterprise. Sages winners are selected from peer and manager nominations representing the most commendable of UnitedHealth Group licensed clinicians, including our global workforce. Sages winners demonstrate our UnitedHealth Group values in action – Integrity, Compassion, Inclusion, Relationships, Innovation and Performance.  Over the last 20 years, more than 1,000 people were named a Sages of Clinical Services Award winner. Over that time, there have been more than 10,000 nominees. 

This year there were a total of 2,237 nominations and 150 Sages winners.  The winners represent 12 clinical disciplines and 8 collaborative non-clinician winning colleagues. Winners represent four countries and a significant number of US states. 2024 includes three Quality & Patient Safety Winners for the first time!

First NameLast NameBusinessSegmentLocation
ValerieGreen-AmosOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 1Optum CA
MichelleHernandezOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 5Optum Tri-State NY
JoyHongOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 6ProHealth Physicians
MarthaHoshawOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 7American Health Network
FaithLee-JacksonOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 1Optum CA
HelenMitropoulosOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 1Optum CA
KristenWyrickOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 3Care Delivery WA
MarkKembleOptum Health Risk Ops & Ent Clin SrvcsUtilization Management OpsMD Inpatient&Outpatient UM Ops
MarcusVillarrealOptum Health Risk Ops & Ent Clin SrvcsUtilization Management OpsMD Inpatient&Outpatient UM Ops
ShawnLanceOptumInsightOI OperationsOI Phys Advisor Sol Ops
ShawnLanceOptumInsightOI OperationsOI Phys Advisor Sol Ops
Pedro EmilioMoreno SierraUnitedHealthcare GlobalUHC ColombiaColmédica/Aliansalud (Colombia)
ShawnSlackOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 3Care Delivery WA
Maria JoséValdés ZapicoUnitedHealthcare GlobalChilePrestadores Bánmedica (Chile)
DennisHsiehUHC Medicare & RetirementM&R Group Retiree ServicesM&R Grp Retiree Srv
RebeccaKulgrenOptum Care DeliveryCare Delivery-Region 3Care Delivery WA
PALs (Physician Advisory Leaders) Miami Kicks Off in Style


UHG physicians from South Florida recently converged onto the UHC office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the first meeting of the South Florida PALs group.  The meeting was led by Dr. Sej Shah and featured Dr. Jaime Murillo from UHG Medical Affairs.  

Over 20 physicians, representing diverse business segments across the enterprise, attended the gathering, which included dinner and networking and discussions regarding our company culture and professional development. 

Additional PALs gatherings are occurring in Dallas-Ft. Worth, New York, and Oregon this fall.  Stay tuned for updates and further expansion in 2025.