Executive Leadership

Senior Management

Nancy Feldman President and Chief Executive Officer

Nancy Feldman is President and Chief Executive Officer of UCare. Before joining UCare in September 1995, she was Director of State Public Programs for Medica, another Minnesota-based health plan. Prior to that, she held a number of management and health-related positions with Minnesota state government. She served three years as Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, where she was responsible for a variety of programs including long term care and managed care policy and regulation, community health services, and maternal and child health.

Before that, she was in charge of budget development and oversight for the state’s health and human services agencies at the Minnesota Department of Finance. She also worked for 10 years at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, where she was responsible for many aspects of the state’s Medical Assistance Program, including development of Minnesota’s Medicaid managed care program.

Ms. Feldman currently serves on the boards of the Volunteers of America National Services, PACE-Vermont, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, and the Alliance of Community Health Plans. She is also a member of the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota Advisory Committee, the Women's Health Leadership Trust, and the United Way's Health and Independence Committee. In 2008, Ms. Feldman was named one of Minnesota’s 100 Influential Health Care Leaders by Minnesota Physician. In 2010, she received the Trusted Senior Leader Award from the Women's Health Leadership Trust and was named one of 25 Women Industry Leaders by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

Feldman earned her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in 2009 she was honored with their Distinguished Alumnus Award.   

Laurie Heyer-Dean Senior Vice President, Operations

Laurie Heyer-Dean provides leadership to the organization’s Claims, Customer Services, Provider Enrollment and Configuration, Business Processes, and Pharmacy departments. As a member of the Senior Management Team, she helps guide the strategic direction of UCare to achieve organizational goals.

Heyer-Dean brings nearly 25 years of managed health care experience to the organization. Before joining UCare, Heyer-Dean was Senior Vice President at M-Care, a health plan operated by the University of Michigan Health System where she was responsible for all internal health plan operations. Prior to joining M-Care in 1998, Heyer-Dean was Director of Provider Relations at SelectCare, a managed care plan based in Troy, Mich.

Heyer-Dean graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Health Education from Luther College in Decorah, Ia., and has completed post-graduate work in Biology at St. Cloud University in St. Cloud, Minn., and Oakland University, Rochester, Mich. Heyer-Dean serves on the board of the Women's Health Leadership Trust.

Russel J. Kuzel, M.D., M.M.M. Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Kuzel brings more than 25 years of health care and medical management experience to his role as UCare's Chief Medical Officer. He provides strategic guidance and clinical leadership for UCare's Clinical Services and Quality Management departments, and directs UCare’s quality improvement, utilization review, disease management, care coordination, and clinical pharmacy management. He also provides oversight and manages relationships with UCare’s contracted care systems to ensure implementation of quality practices.

Prior to joining UCare in 2010, Dr. Kuzel was Chief Medical Officer for Security Health Plan in Marshfield, Wis., a multi-specialty group integrating the physician group and health plan. Previously, he was Director of Medical Operations for Aurora Medical Group in Milwaukee, Wis., North Region. Dr. Kuzel was Chairman/President of the Board of Directors of the Dakota Clinic in Fargo, North Dakota. In addition, he was chair of the Dakota Community Health Network and Innovis Health. He has served on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin’s Physician Advisory Committee, as well as the Board of Directors of the Midwest Medical Insurance Company. Additionally, he has been both a chair and a member on numerous peer review and quality management committees.

Dr. Kuzel has a Master of Medical Management degree from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business. He earned his medical degree from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and undergraduate degree from North Dakota State University, Fargo. In addition, he completed Physician Leadership College at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, Minn., while taking a Bush Medical Fellowship. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Wisconsin Medical Society, Medical Group Management Association, and the American College of Physician Executives.

Hilary Marden-Resnik Senior Vice President, Administration

Hilary Marden-Resnik provides strategic oversight and executive leadership for human resources, information services, facility management, materials production, and strategic planning functions. 

Prior to joining UCare, Marden-Resnik was Vice President of Human Resources at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in Minneapolis. She also held positions as Director of Human Resources for HealthEast Care System, Human Resources Manager for Fairview Health Services, and employment and health law attorney for the Gray Plant Mooty law firm.

Marden-Resnik holds an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin, a graduate degree in industrial relations/human resources management from the University of Minnesota, and a Juris Doctor (Summa Cum Laude) from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul.

Beth Monsrud Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Beth Monsrud joined UCare in 2001 as Controller, and was named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2008. She provides executive leadership and oversight for all fiscal operations, and is responsible for the strategic direction for UCare’s accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and health care economics reporting systems, among other key financial functions. Additionally, Monsrud leads the Provider Network Management function and serves as Corporate Treasurer.

UCare benefits from Monsrud’s more than 20 years of experience in the financial management field. She came to UCare from the position of Controller-Corporate Operations for CIGNA Behavioral Health, and previous duties as Director of Accounting at United Healthcare Corp., and Audit Manager at Deloitte & Touche.

Monsrud graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Dakota-Grand Forks, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. She also graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rochester Community College with an Associate of Arts: Business Transfer Program degree.

Thomas Mahowald Senior Vice President, Strategy and Product Management

Thomas Mahowald provides executive oversight for UCare's corporate strategy, provider collaboration, and product management activities. As a member of the Senior Management Team, he also manages UCare’s business and benefits development efforts and provides leadership in growing the organization’s strong market position in Medicare and Minnesota health care programs.

Mahowald has more than 25 years of senior level experience with managed care, pharmacy, and physician organizations. Prior to joining UCare, Mahowald was Vice President and General Manager of the Public Sector Division at Express Scripts, Inc. where he led pharmacy benefit sales, account management, and clinical activities in the large-group government market. Previously, Mahowald was Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, at UnitedHealth Group, Inc. and Executive Director of the Ramsey Medical Society.

Mahowald has a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Government from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.

Mark Traynor Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Mark Traynor joined UCare as Compliance Director in 1999 and began his role as General Counsel in 2002. In this role, he serves as legal counsel for the organization, which includes drafting and negotiating contracts and providing advice on corporate and regulatory matters. He also oversees antifraud and compliance activities, and serves as an officer in his role of Secretary for the organization. 

Before joining UCare, Traynor was an attorney at the Minnesota Department of Human Services and also worked as Assistant Attorney General for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. He has been active in the community as a member of local boards and commissions, and as a coach of youth sports.

Traynor has a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., and earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. He graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Law School and is a member of the Governing Council of the Minnesota Bar Association’s Health Law Section.

Ghita Worcester Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Marketing

Ghita Worcester brings more than 30 years of health care management experience to her role as Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Marketing. She provides strategic direction for marketing, public relations, legislative, regulatory, government programs, and community outreach activities. She oversees the organization's federal and state health care reform efforts and policy formulation related to national and state health policy issues. Worcester is also instrumental in the development and implementation of UCare’s strategic and operational plans.

Since 1995, Worcester has led several aspects of UCare's business deveopment, public affairs, marketing, and provider relations functions. Before joining UCare, she served as Director of Policy and Operations for Minneapolis-based University Affiliated Family Physicians (UAFP), the management company that started UCare in 1984. In that role, Worcester directed the development of new HMO products and policies, and helped develop and implement HMO strategic and operational plans. Before that, she worked for 13 years in a community-based family medicine residency program operated by the University of Minnesota Department of Family Practice.

Worcester has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She has served on several community boards and committees, and is the past president of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans.