Posts Tagged ‘Chief Operating Officer’
MARQUETTE – Upper Peninsula Health Plan announces Melanie Bicigo as Chief Operating Officer. Long-time Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) President and CEO Dennis Smith announced his retirement (effective July 1st) late last year, starting a waterfall of opportunity at UPHP. Melissa Holmquist was named Smith’s successor as CEO, leaving the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) vacant. With extensive health plan experience, Melanie Bicigo brings invaluable knowledge and leadership to the COO position.
A native of Crystal Falls, Bicigo is a Northern Michigan University alumna. Chief Operating Officer will be the ninth position Melanie Bicigo has held within the company in her 16-year tenure. Most recently, she has served as the Compliance and Risk Management Officer responsible for execution and oversight of UPHP’s corporate compliance program and managing risk exposure. Bicigo implemented initiatives to match the health care regulatory environment and achieve organizational compliance. In her role as COO, Melanie Bicigo will report to the newly appointed President and CEO of Upper Peninsula Health Plan, Melissa Holmquist. She will now oversee the following departments: Government Programs, Physician Services, Credentialing, Customer Services, and Reception. “I am honored to have been offered this opportunity and to be part of the new leadership at the Upper Peninsula Health Plan,” said Bicigo.
With over fifteen years experience in various departments at UPHP, Melanie Bicigo has the experience and institutional knowledge to excel in this new position. Bicigo was the first full time Compliance Officer and built that department from scratch. Her attention to detail and focus on process improvement will be valuable assets to her as Chief Operating Officer. “Melanie brings a wealth of experience in Compliance, Claims, and Enrollment to the Chief Operating Officer position. She has served as an instrumental member of the Senior Management team for the past five years and is uniquely qualified to help UPHP deliver coordinated, high-quality care,” noted Holmquist.
MARQUETTE — Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) President and CEO Dennis Smith announces Melissa Holmquist as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Holmquist, a Crystal Falls native, is in her 14th year with the company being promoted from her current position, Director of Government Programs. UPHP, a managed care organization providing Medicaid and Medicare services to members in the Upper Peninsula, has grown rapidly since 2015, adding new product lines like MI Health Link and increasing its Medicare Advantage membership.
Chief Operating Officer will be the seventh position Melissa Holmquist has held within the company, after having first applied for employment at Upper Peninsula Health Plan while she was a Graduate Student at Northern Michigan University. “UPHP has been a great company to work for. I’m excited for this new opportunity to provide more leadership and share the knowledge that I have gained throughout my career. I look forward to growing our community collaboration efforts and working with organizations that meet the social needs of our members,” said Holmquist.
In her role as COO, Melissa Holmquist will report to the President and CEO of Upper Peninsula Health Plan, and will continue to serve as a member of the Senior Management team; However, she now has complete responsibility for the following departments: Government Programs, Physician Services, Credentialing, Customer Services, Reception, and Advocacy with our Governmental Units (Local, State and Federal).
With more than a decade of experience in various departments at UPHP, Melissa Holmquist has the experience and institutional knowledge to excel in this new position. “We are excited to have Missie take on additional leadership responsibilities as we continue to scale our programs to serve greater numbers of individuals including those with complex needs,” noted Smith. “There is a tremendous opportunity to build on our history and make UPHP operationally stronger.”
About UPHP
Upper Peninsula Health Plan currently serves over 47,000 members across five product lines (Michigan Medicaid, MIChild, Children with Special Health Care Services, MI Health Link, and Medicare Advantage) and its network exceeds 900 providers. Learn more at www.uphp.com.
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