CHRISTINE MCKEEVER VANZANDBERGEN
Summary
Visionary healthcare technology executive with expertise in AI-driven solutions and operational excellence. Demonstrated success in leading large teams to develop integrated strategies that enhance patient outcomes and achieve significant cost savings. Passionate about leveraging advanced technologies to redefine care delivery and foster an inclusive, innovative culture.
Overview
33
33
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
SVP IT UM/CM Engineering Optum Technology
United Health Group
Minnetonka, USA
02.2023 - Current
- Provide strategic leadership for Utilization Management (UM) and Care Management (CM) technology initiatives, overseeing a global engineering team of 1000+ to deliver scalable solutions that improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
- Led engineering teams in AI-first digital transformation, automating workflows, improving clinical decision-making, and enhancing user experience.
- Deploying innovative custom AI solutions like Smart Notes, Curo Recap, and MAP/CAVA, to transform care delivery and set new standards in healthcare technology.
- Drive the development and execution of integrated strategies, ensure optimization and reliability of enterprise systems, and foster an inclusive, innovative culture.
- Identified opportunities for advanced technologies with an AI forward mindset, built stakeholder partnerships, supported business growth and acquisitions, and promoted technology strategies that strengthened organizational performance and competitive advantage.
- Drove integration and optimization of technology systems, enhancing efficiency, reliability, and security.
- Managing global, diverse technology teams and fostering collaboration.
- Guiding cross-functional teams through the full lifecycle of solution delivery.
Board Member, Director of Partnerships (volunteer)
Girls Code the World
Bucks County, USA
11.2022 - Current
- Girls Code the World is a 501(c)(3) domestic nonprofit corporation that provides resources, role models, and opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-related fields for women and girls through educational programming, extended mentorships, and intersectional support.
- Collaborated with board members to set strategic direction for programs.
- Advised on policy development to enhance educational initiatives for girls.
- Reviewed financial reports to ensure responsible budgeting and funding allocation.
SVP Clinical Technology
United Health Group
02.2023 - 04.2025
- Defined UHG clinical technology governance operating model to drive development, deployment, and adoption of a common member-centric technology platform to support interoperability between payers and providers.
- Developed strategic roadmap for custom utilization management/care management platform, Optum Clinical Manager (OCM), to support cross line business priorities and maximize benefits.
- Developed and deployed governance operating model across application development, clinical decision support, and data domains to enhance operational alignment.
- Key organizer of executive stakeholders across the UGH Enterprise for the creation of core clinical application built on Optum Clinical Management platform and oversee the information and data management standards, application build, practices and processes to align with enterprise goals.
- Identified opportunities to consolidate duplicative solutions, reducing delivery time and enhancing supportability.
- Established standard measurement criteria across key domains to enable tracking of processes and implementations for value creation.
- Led the enterprise data subcommittee to centralize procurement and acquisition processes, resulting in $15M annual savings in FY'23.
- Consolidated capital project plans and $100M funding to ensure coordination across LOBs, deliver integrated solutions and drive SG&A savings by eliminating duplicative roles/tasks.
Vice President, Analytics, Integration and Research
PENN MEDICINE
Philadelphia, USA
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Managed enterprise integrations team, ensuring alignment of data strategies with overall business objectives.
- Oversaw data governance, reporting, and visualization tools, improving data accessibility for clinical and business operations.
- Collaborated with CMIO, CMO, CRIO, finance leadership, and analytics teams to align systems with organizational goals.
- Defined strategic direction for integrating data storage systems across diverse sources, aligning technology with organizational needs.
- Implemented cloud-based collaborative environments to facilitate advanced analytics adoption.
- Deployed advanced precision medicine solutions, including Epic Genomics module with decision support features.
- Reduced data duplication by migrating 17,000 SAP/BO reports to enterprise solutions, saving $2 million annually.
- Led academic computing team at Penn Medicine Perlman School of Medicine, promoting innovative solutions.
Vice President, Applications
PENN MEDICINE
Philadelphia, USA
01.2013 - 01.2021
- Defined strategic direction for clinical applications, establishing clear goals for short and long-term initiatives.
- Collaborated with CMIO, CIO, and departmental clinical IT resources to align systems with organizational quality standards.
- Supervised directors of EMR applications, ambulatory practice management, radiology IS, and ancillary applications, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
- Managed 350 FTEs in clinical and revenue cycle with P&L oversight of $100M.
- Led transition from disparate EHRs to unified Epic clinical and billing platform.
- Directed data science team in full lifecycle development of AI decision support solutions integrated with Epic.
- Implemented rapid telemedicine deployment during COVID-19, increasing visit capacity over 10-fold.
- Created agile implementation team to rapidly develop functionality for mass vaccination efforts, enhancing response to public health needs.
Clinical Decision Support Officer
PENN MEDICINE
Philadelphia, USA
01.2011 - 01.2013
- Developed a clinical decision support (CDS) tool, the Early Warning System (EWS), to notify providers about patients at risk for developing sepsis. Reduction in sepsis-associated deaths. Over $750,000 saved annually by the avoided cost of Sepsis ICU days.
- Developed full cycle clinical decision program. Successfully implemented over 20 CDS tools in 24 months to improve clinical outcomes.
- Manage Clinical Decision Support Workgroup with responsibilities that include: prioritization of requests for CDS interventions, assessing scope, content and reporting needs of interventions, interfacing with IT to design and develop CDS interventions and reports.
- Utilize rapid cycle innovation to accelerate the design, pilot and deployment of clinical decision support tools.
- Developed an electronic solution to support Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement for physicians to use in determining patient status for inpatient or outpatient care.
- Led a team of clinical and operational leaders in development of an electronic dashboard of high priority elements to facilitate care planning.
- Liaised with clinical leaders to drive CDS project success.
Director - Health System Clinical Content
Crozer Keystone Health System
Springfield, USA
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Developed and coordinated system-wide processes for creating and implementing clinical order sets, enhancing clinical workflow.
- Ensured best practice standards embedded in order sets to meet quality and safety goals.
- Led matrix workgroup with clinical, operational, and regulatory stakeholders, fostering collaboration and alignment across the system.
- Advised on design and reporting of clinical decision support tools for inpatient order entry.
- Established prioritization and change control processes for order sets within CPOE environment, ensuring adherence to best practices.
Manager of Professional Practice and Development
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH SYSTEM
Philadelphia, USA
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Oversaw organization of non-teaching moonlighters, PAs, and CRNPs to enhance workforce efficiency.
- Directed utilization of advanced practitioners, managed credentialing and privileging, monitored quality, assessed productivity, and coordinated continuing education to ensure high standards of practice.
- Established short- and long-range strategic plans for advanced practice department.
- Designed hospital staffing model for surgical service. Improved consistency in clinical care. Generated $500,000 annual savings by hiring staff and decreasing contractor utilization.
Thoracic Surgery - Physician Assistant
PENN MEDICINE
Philadelphia, USA
01.2004 - 01.2008
- Conducted daily rounds with the surgical team, performed patient assessments, provided pre and post-operative care, interpreted diagnostics, managed admissions, discharges, and procedures.
- Managed all clinical issues for thoracic surgical patients to ensure high-quality care.
- Additional skills include: ventilator management, therapeutic bronchoscopy, central line insertion, chest tube insertion.
- Developed training manual for new recruits and residents to streamline onboarding process.
- Development of a 24hour inpatient hospital service coverage team.
- Clinical teaching and evaluation of new PAs, nurses, and residents including lecturing on diagnosis, treatment, and management of thoracic surgery patients.
- Development, analysis, and presentation of service database.
Cardiothoracic Surgery - Physician Assistant
PENN MEDICINE
Philadelphia, USA
01.2002 - 01.2004
- Conducted patient assessments, managed admissions and discharges, and executed diagnostic interpretations and procedures to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
- Oversaw all aspects of patient care, including preoperative evaluation, intraoperative first assisting, conduit harvesting, postoperative ICU care, and follow-up visits to support recovery and continuity of care.
Cardiothoracic Surgery - Physician Assistant
ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL
Bethlehem, USA
01.2001 - 01.2002
- Worked as part of the care team providing quality care across the continuum.
- Provide pre, intra, and postoperative care of the cardiac surgical patient. The position is focused on assisting with cardiac surgical operative procedures.
- 480 bed acute care facility with a nationally recognized open heart surgery program.
Third Grade Teacher
PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Philadelphia, USA
01.1993 - 01.1994
- Elementary grade teacher with curriculum focused on the areas of math, language arts and science.
- The School District of Philadelphia is the 8th largest school district in the nation by enrollment and serves a racially and ethnically diverse student population.
Education
AMIA-OHSU 10X10 -
OREGON HEALTH SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
Portland, Oregon05-2010
Masters of Public Health -
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania01-2006
Patient Safety Leadership Academy Executive Program -
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - WHARTON SCHOOL
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania01-2004
Master of Science - Physician Assistant Studies
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY - UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE DENTISTRY OF NJ
Newark, New Jersey01-2001
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Education
INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Indiana, Pennsylvania01-1993
Skills
- Data architecture
- AI/ML solutions
- Analytics and visualization
- Data exchange and interoperability
- EMR optimization
- Integration strategies
- Actionable analytics strategies
- Precision medicine strategy
- Enterprise data stewardship
- Product management
- Project management
- Strategic planning
- Vendor relations
- Cross-functional leadership
- Patient care improvement
- Next-gen product foresight
- P&L management
Affiliations
- Member of AMIA
- Member of CHIME
Certification
- National Committee on the Certification of Physician Assistants, expired
- Pennsylvania State license, expired
Research Publications
- Effect of Passive Choice and Active Choice Interventions in the Electronic Health Record to Cardiologists on Statin Prescribing A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial, JAMA Cardiol, 01/2021
- Clinician perception of the effectiveness of an automated Early Warning and Response System for sepsis in an academic medical center, Ann Am Thorac Soc, 10/2015
- The readmission risk flag: Using the Electronic Health record to Automatically identify Patients at Risk for 30-Day readmission, Journal of Hospital Medicine, 03/2013
- MPH Master's project: Development and submission of a Critical Care Family Assistance Program submitted for funding, American College of Chest Physicians, 05/2005
Timeline
SVP IT UM/CM Engineering Optum Technology
United Health Group
02.2023 - Current
SVP Clinical Technology
United Health Group
02.2023 - 04.2025
Board Member, Director of Partnerships (volunteer)
Girls Code the World
11.2022 - Current
Vice President, Analytics, Integration and Research
PENN MEDICINE
01.2021 - 01.2023
Vice President, Applications
PENN MEDICINE
01.2013 - 01.2021
Clinical Decision Support Officer
PENN MEDICINE
01.2011 - 01.2013
Director - Health System Clinical Content
Crozer Keystone Health System
01.2010 - 01.2011
Manager of Professional Practice and Development
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH SYSTEM
01.2008 - 01.2010
Thoracic Surgery - Physician Assistant
PENN MEDICINE
01.2004 - 01.2008
Cardiothoracic Surgery - Physician Assistant
PENN MEDICINE
01.2002 - 01.2004
Cardiothoracic Surgery - Physician Assistant
ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL
01.2001 - 01.2002
Third Grade Teacher
PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
01.1993 - 01.1994
AMIA-OHSU 10X10 -
OREGON HEALTH SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
Masters of Public Health -
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
Patient Safety Leadership Academy Executive Program -
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - WHARTON SCHOOL
Master of Science - Physician Assistant Studies
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY - UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE DENTISTRY OF NJ
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Education
INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA