Friday, January 19, 2024
I was deeply saddened to just learn that Debbie passed away, now nearly five months ago. I had the pleasure of working with Debbie for perhaps twenty years, I as consultant to the health care programs of multiple large clients of Debbie's, she as the representative of UnitedHealthcare in its many incarnations over that time. The job Debbie had wasn't easy: a constantly changing health care delivery system, escalating costs, balancing client demands--both the reasonable and the unreasonable, corporate changes at UHC, the pestering by consultants like me, always increasing pressures of time and technology and change and personalities. Debbie was unfailingly a real pleasure to deal with. Always a professional, she worked hard at solving her clients' problems and bolstering UHC's position, even when issues were difficult and resources were thin. One thing I always knew was that Debbie would take my call, listen, understand, and do her best to get answers. She served a couple of our mutual clients for well over a decade, which is saying a lot in this industry. It's a shame that there were relatively few times I was spent with her "off-line", typically over lunch; she had a great laugh, and we were always at ease. I hope others who knew Debbie will read this and understand how her professionalism and attitude was valued and appreciated from one who was "on the other side of the table". Thank you, Debbie; you left a lot of good behind.
