TERESA MULLEN
Lavon,TX
Summary
Healthcare operations executive with nearly two decades of experience leading clinical operations, care management programs, and strategic transformation initiatives within national health plans. Proven ability to drive medical cost reduction, improve program performance, and lead cross-functional teams supporting large employer and payer populations.
Recognized for building scalable care management strategies, leading complex operational initiatives, and aligning clinical, product, analytics, and executive stakeholders to deliver measurable outcomes.
Key career highlights include:
• Oversight of clinical program performance impacting millions of members across national accounts.
• Delivery of multi-million dollar medical cost savings and performance guarantee achievement.
• Leadership of operational transformation initiatives including technology adoption, automation, and AI-enabled workflow improvements.
• Successful execution of major client audits and accreditation initiatives.
• Strategic advisor to senior leadership on clinical program performance, operational strategy, and client outcomes.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Clinical Optimization / Strategy Lead
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
04.2016 - Current
- Provide enterprise oversight for care management programs including case management, disease management, and care transitions.
- Serve as strategic liaison between executive leadership, clinical operations, analytics, product teams, and national employer clients.
- Drive medical cost strategy and performance improvement initiatives across large populations.
- Delivered over $9M in healthcare savings through operational strategy and clinical program optimization.
- Lead automation, reporting modernization, and technology initiatives improving efficiency and clinical productivity.
- Prepare organizations for external audits and accreditation initiatives resulting in zero findings.
- Guide cross-functional operational strategy discussions and present program performance to leadership.
- Directed cross-functional teams in implementing innovative patient care programs.
- Led strategic initiatives to enhance healthcare delivery and operational efficiency.
- Streamlined processes to improve service quality and reduce costs across multiple departments.
- Developed training programs that increased staff performance and engagement levels.
- Analyzed market trends to inform strategic planning and decision-making processes.
- Collaborated with executive leadership on organizational change management strategies.
- Oversaw compliance with regulatory requirements, ensuring adherence to industry standards.
- Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Proactively identified potential risks and implemented mitigation strategies to minimize negative impacts on projects or business operations.
Senior Case Manager / Team Lead
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
01.2013 - 01.2016
- Led care management performance for populations exceeding 500K covered lives.
- Supervised RN teams delivering case management, disease management, and discharge planning services.
- Ensured compliance with NCQA and URAC accreditation requirements.
- Developed medical cost action plans and reporting for national employer clients.
Case Manager
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
01.2010 - 01.2013
- Provided complex case management for high-risk members with chronic conditions.
- Collaborated with medical directors and care teams to reduce readmissions and improve outcomes.
- Contributed operational improvement ideas adopted across the organization.
Education
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Organizational Leadership
University of Texas Arlington
08-2020
MSN - Nursing Administration
University of Texas Arlington
BSN - undefined
University of Texas Arlington
Associate Degree in Nursing - undefined
El Centro College
Skills
- Enterprise Clinical Operations Leadership
- Care Management & Population Health Strategy
- Medical Cost & Utilization Management
- Healthcare Operations Transformation
- Performance Guarantees & Financial Outcomes
- NCQA / URAC / Client Audit Support
- Regulatory & Accreditation Readiness
- Operational Analytics & Reporting
- Clinical Quality & Audit Readiness
- Executive Stakeholder Alignment
- Organizational Leadership & Team Development
Accomplishments
- Delivered more than $9M in medical cost savings through targeted care management strategies and operational improvements.
- Protected $135M in potential client exposure by recovering a failing Medicaid enterprise initiative through new reporting and operational solutions.
- Achieved 100% performance guarantee outcomes across national employer accounts, representing $8M in savings year-over-year.
- Improved case management engagement by more than 20% through workflow and program optimization.
- Supported accreditation and major client audits with zero findings.
Certification
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Certified Case Manager (CCM)
Timeline
Director of Clinical Optimization / Strategy Lead
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
04.2016 - Current
Senior Case Manager / Team Lead
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
01.2013 - 01.2016
Case Manager
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP
01.2010 - 01.2013
MSN - Nursing Administration
University of Texas Arlington
BSN - undefined
University of Texas Arlington
Associate Degree in Nursing - undefined
El Centro College
Doctor of Nursing Practice - Organizational Leadership
University of Texas Arlington