Informational Interview Report

Background

United Health Group (UHG) is a large worldwide corporation that encompasses two companies: United HealthCare (UHC) and Optum Inc. The company structure begins with UHG executive leadership then branches down into separate executive level management for UHC and Optum. The two sides continue to branch down further into various sections of the company. Both UHC and Optum continue to split into different product segments including Medicare & Retirement (M&R), Community & State (C&S), Employee & Individual (E&I) and Commercial. Leadership ultimately branches down to managers of front line staff who work directly with members. The management path for my interviewee is as follows: UHG executive chairman, UHG CEO, UHG Chief Medical Officer, VP Medical Clinical Operations to Director of General Management.

Susan Mullaney, DNP, APRN, GNP-BC, GS-C, FAANP works as a Director of General Management for the Center for Clinician Advancement (CFCA) for United Health Group. Her position oversees building relationships with senior leaders across both UHC and Optum representing the CFCA. As part of UHG, she works with the highest level of company leaders.

Rationale

I was fortunate to roll out a clinician leadership program to managers in Iowa which required working with Susan Mullaney. Her ability to build relationship and leadership skills stuck a chord since she represents the type of nurse clinical leader I admire. She bridges the gap between clinical and administrative to support thousands of clinicians through her work with the CFCA. Susan spent 19 years working her way from NP practitioner to NP manager, NP associate director, director, regional director and to NP CEO of EverCare before moving to CFCA. The progression through her career exemplifies how nurses can impact healthcare from clinical and administrative roles.

Presently I work as a nurse clinical trainer for UHC Community & State Iowa Medicaid sector. The clinical trainer position is new to UHC without any precedence to follow for developing the role and how it impacts the company and our members. I plan to contribute to Iowa Medicaid by supporting the staff to decrease turnover, provide clinical education to boost case manager functional confidence and build relationships between departments. Over time, I plan to show the value of the position and impact it could have on other states within C&S to train future nurse clinical trainers. As this plan progresses, I plan to grow to encompass not only C&S, but M&R, E&I and Commercial to build a national team of clinical trainers. Susan has built teams, knows the structure of UHC and UHG and exhibits leadership skills valuable to my goals. Her roles have grown from direct staff management to UHG director roles, which is a similar progression I plan to follow. As a leader and mentor, Susan provided valuable insights into leadership and management.

Interview Questions

1. Please describe your role within the company.

2. What motivated you to accept this position?

3. What previous positions helped shape/develop your abilities for this position?

4. What skills are essential for this position?

5. What advice would you share with a new manager or someone aiming for a director level position?

6. What are your future professional goals?

Summary

Susan began her career as a direct patient care nurse practitioner over 19 years ago. She steadily advanced through management levels from managing nurse practitioners (NP) to associate director, director, senior director, regional director and up to CEO leadership before joining UHG’s CFCA team. She oversees the function of the CFCA which provides continuing education and leadership advancement programs to all licensed employees across UHC and Optum including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, doctors and more. Since she’s been in the director role with CFCA for three and a half years, she’s just now contemplating her next role. She’s still trying to discover her next “experience” that will eventually lead to the next position

Susan, in general, does not intentionally seek a job or position. She stated she “learned it is not about the “next job;” it’s about finding the next experience.” She knew from the outset she wanted a NP management role, but from there on the career role advances organically grew from the current role. At each stage of advancement, Susan began learning and demonstrating her capability for the next level position before the promotion. She was fortunate to have bosses and mentors who valued her enough to “groom” her for the next position. In addition, her innate drive to learn, be more effective and constantly do “more” showcased her focus and deamination to succeed in larger roles.

In order to advance within a company as large as UHC, building business acumen is key. Susan suggested learning about operating discipline, expenses, compliance, reporting, etc. and sitting in Quarterly Business Review meetings. Also, first learn the Iowa Medicaid business model then expand knowledge to other states with Medicaid. Build relationships through the company’s mentorship program to connect and learn from leaders. Susan advised to say “yes” to projects especially if it will grow your skills and be open to continually learning and growing. Opportunities outside the full time position may arise in order to learn leadership skills in other places (i.e. organizations) and to accept. She suggested that in order to stay focused, create a plan each year outlining goals to achieve and keep boss updated with progression.

Susan advised that in order to grow the clinical trainer position, start building the business case for C&S to have more clinical educators. Show the company how this new position either increased revenue or decreased cost and how this model can be used in other markets. To capitalize on growth, be open and willing to advise or train new staff hired and build the department from the ground up.

Reflection

Susan’s interview reinforced my motivation to implement my plan to develop the clinical trainer program and advance to management. She provided specific advice to grow by learning business acumen, discovering my own strengths and how to navigate these foundational program growth steps. I feel supported by her willingness to be a mentor and am inspired by her own achievements. Her advice to find the next experience opposed to the next job resonated with me and will surely become a statement I refer back to throughout my career.

References

Mullaney, S. (2018, November 2). Personal interview.