Our Leadership

Don Antonucci

President and CEO

Fernando Acosta

Vice President, Architecture & Engineering

Aaron Bals

Chief Compliance & Risk Officer

Scott Burton

Market President, Commercial

Greg Dietzman RPh.

Head of Healthcare Experience & Advocacy Delivery

Shannon Drotning

Market President, Consumer & Specialty

Randi Escobedo

Head of Healthcare Experience & Advocacy Strategy

Regena Frieden

Chief Administrative Officer

Brad Garrigues

Chief Growth Officer

Michael Mathias

Chief Information Officer

Cheryl Morrison

Chief Operating Officer

Kristin Mullany

Head of Growth Strategies

Lina Saadzoi

Chief Financial Officer

Caresse Sakagawa

Chief Marketing & Product Officer

Laurel Soot

Chief Medical Officer

Timshel Tarbet

Chief Healthcare Experience & Equity Officer


Our Board of Directors


Rhonda Medows, MD (Chair)
Mike Alexander
Don Antonucci
Joseph Blankenship
Isaiah Crawford, Ph.D.
Graciela Gomez Cowger
Kimberley Goode
Byron Scott, MD
Cecilia Sun


Our Executive Leadership

Don Antonucci
President and CEO

Don Antonucci

Don Antonucci is the President and CEO of Providence Health Plan, a non-profit health insurance plan integrated with Providence, one of the nation’s largest Catholic health systems. Under Don’s leadership, Providence Health Plan has steadily expanded membership with more than 600,000 covered lives in states along the West Coast. A relentless advocate for improving equitable access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, Don leads Providence Health Plan caregivers with a focus on superior member experiences and positive outcomes guided by the Providence Promise of “know me, care for me, ease my way.”

A veteran industry leader with more than 25 years of experience, Don is frequently asked to share his insights through national media and events. He speaks often around the importance of behavioral health access, servant leadership and value-based care as the future of healthcare. 

Prior to joining Providence Health Plan in 2021, Don served as Senior Vice President of Growth at Blue Shield of California where he led membership growth and held P&L accountability for every line of business. He also served as the Chief Business Officer of 10xHealth, an advanced technology solutions company and has also held various leadership roles within other organizations in the health insurance industry nationally, making him well-versed in the U.S. payer landscape.


Don holds a master's degree in public policy analysis and administration from the State University of New York at Binghamton University, and a bachelor's degree in political science from the State University of New York at Cortland. 

Fernando Acosta
Vice President, Architecture & Engineering

Fernando Acosta

Fernando Acosta brings his diverse experience in development, architecture, engineering and operations leadership to the role of Vice President of Architecture & Engineering for Providence Health Plan (PHP). A transformative leader – and a military veteran – Fernando inspires his teams’ commitment to PHP’s mission through shared goals and a commitment to truly making a difference for PHP members.

In this role, Fernando oversees enterprise architecture, technology infrastructure, engineering and IS systems governance. As part of PHP’s IS Transformation Program, he successfully led important foundational work for PHP, including standing up disaster recovery capabilities, building and migrating data center infrastructure, and modernizing contact center technologies. 

Before arriving at PHP, Fernando most recently served as Vice President, Cloud & DevOps Services, at CareSource, a health plan serving more than 2.5 million members based in Ohio. He spent 11 years at Blue Shield of California in various leadership roles, and 11 years at BlackRock, where he was accountable for global tactical development and application support, managing over $1.2 billion in assets worldwide. Fernando also served in Command-and-Control Operations as a Specialist in the United States Air Force.

Aaron Bals
Chief compliance & Risk Officer

Aaron Bals

Aaron Bals is Providence Health Plan’s Chief Compliance and Risk Officer and leads regulatory compliance, risk management, and government affairs functions. He joined the company in 2014 to manage compliance for its commercial lines of business, as well as regulatory and government affairs. His responsibilities grew to include the privacy program, various contracting functions, and risk management advising.

Aaron’s experience in the early implementation of the Affordable Care Act both in management and as outside counsel helped Providence Health Plan become a leader in Oregon’s ACA markets. He now works to ensure compliance with applicable law across lines of business and geographies, provides strategic leadership in relation to enterprise risk, and ensures appropriate advocacy for public policy that is aligned with Providence’s mission and core values.

Prior to joining Providence Health Plan, Aaron was in private law practice in Portland, Oregon. His work focused on commercial litigation, appeals, and administrative law. He represented Providence in that capacity and provided general counsel advice with respect to health plan matters. He also served as a law clerk in the litigation section of the Oregon Department of Justice.

Aaron earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon School of Law. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in Journalism and Political Science.


Scott Burton
Market President, Commercial

Scott Burton

Scott Burton serves as Market President for the Commercial lines of business at Providence Health Plan (PHP), leads the Sales and Account Services teams, manages operations of all health plan commercial business, and steers the development of PHP’s commercial strategy. A dynamic leader with more than a decade of healthcare knowledge and experience, Scott is committed to leading health care transformation to deliver the best possible experience for employers and their employees.

Scott is an active member of the community and serves as a board member and past chair of the Children’s Cancer Association, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides at-home and in-hospital “music as medicine” for critically ill children.  

Before assuming his current role of Market President, Commercial, Scott served as Vice President of Growth Strategies. He joined Providence Health Plan in May 2022 and is based in Oregon.

Greg Dietzman
Head of Healthcare Experience & Advocacy Delivery

Greg Dietzman RPh.

Greg Dietzman RPh. serves as Head of Healthcare Experience and Advocacy Delivery, leading teams in Providence Health Plan’s (PHP) contact center, care management, health and wellness, claims and appeals and grievances. Driven to ensure that every member, customer and provider partner has the opportunity to live their heathiest life, Greg consistently finds new and innovative ways to simplify the complex healthcare landscape and provide a customized, member-centric approach that enhances access to care and improves outcomes.

Greg's tenure at PHP spans over 20 years, starting as a pharmacist. His commitment and expertise led him into several leadership roles from a Senior Pharmacy Manager to Vice President of Healthcare Services, and most recently, Head of Healthcare Experience, Advocacy, and Delivery. With a leadership philosophy rooted in open, transparent communication, Greg’s dedication to Providence's mission and his commitment to supporting caregivers and customers make him a standout in the healthcare industry.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Greg's educational background includes a BS in Pharmacy and a BS in Nutrition Science from Oregon State University. An Oregon native, he stays involved in his community, contributing to youth football as a board member and coach. He resides in SW Portland with his wife and two children.

Shannon Drotning
Market President, Consumer & Specialty

Shannon Drotning

Shannon Drotning serves as Providence Health Plan’s Market President overseeing Consumer and Specialty lines of business. She leads consumer lines of business and is responsible for state and regional consumer and specialty sales and growth strategies. Prior to her role as Market President, Shannon served as Associate Vice President of Medicare and Individual Sales, leading sales teams in Oregon, Washington and California.

Shannon works with insurance producers and community members to navigate the complexities of Medicare, Medicaid, and Individual health insurance, with the goal of seamless and easy access to care. A veteran of Medicare sales, she is known as a trusted subject matter expert in the field as well as a successful, authentic leader.

Shannon began her 20+ year career at PHP as a Medicare Customer Service Representative in 1994 and worked her way up through the ranks of customer service, marketing and sales in the insurance industry, focusing on Medicare.

Shannon is currently based in Oregon.

Randi Escobedo
Head of Healthcare Experience & Advocacy Strategy

Randi Escobedo

Randi Escobedo, who serves as the Head of Healthcare Experience and Advocacy Strategy for Providence Health Plan (PHP), is a visionary leader who is committed to keeping the member at the center of decision making. She is dedicated to executing PHP’s vision for health care experience and health equity and to know, care for, and ease the way of those we serve through an equitable, simplified, and integrated experience.

In this role, Randi oversees the enterprise strategy and execution for healthcare experience, health equity, and CAHPS and oversees initiatives to improve the overall experience. Randi is also responsible for the organization’s risk adjustment and strategic accounts management programs.


Randi’s belief that healthcare experience and health equity are core to the organizational priorities and goals – and PHP’s mission – fuels her to create health care models that truly work for members. By developing processes that are not “one-size-fits all” she works to ensure PHP continues to lead the industry and most importantly, take care of those our organization is honored to serve.


Before Randi assumed this position in 2023, she served as PHP’s AVP of Risk Adjustment. Before that, she was responsible for strategy development and execution, including risk adjustment, growth, and quality for over two million Medicare Advantage members at United Healthcare. This followed her time at Optum serving as Manager of Intensive Provider Engagement.


Randi earned her BS in Communications and MS in Health Education from Western Oregon University.

Regena Frieden
Chief Administrative Officer

Regena Frieden

Regena Frieden serves as Chief Administrative Officer for Providence Health Plan (PHP) where she oversees key functional areas and essential pillars of engagement, bringing a cohesive approach to shaping PHP’s overall direction and growth as well as community initiatives.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Regena oversees the Office of the CEO, which includes executive engagement and strategic partnerships as well as communications, regulatory compliance, risk management and government affairs (RCGA), the Medicaid program – a critical, continued area of focus for PHP – and PHP’s Mission integration team. She is also Executive Sponsor of PHP’s Caregiver Culture and Experience Committee which focuses on cultivating an inspiring employee experience that fosters career growth and workplace well-being by connecting the Providence Mission, Promise and Values to our communities.

Regena’s professional philosophy, formed through more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, is predicated on her profound desire to build trusted relationships through service to others, both within the organization and across the broader community. She sees PHP as part of an ecosystem and believes there is great strength in bringing ideas forward and forging new connections. She approaches strategic partnerships as an opportunity to engage with organizations with shared goals and advance the needs of communities we serve.

Before joining Providence Health Plan, Regena served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Medecision, a digital health and consulting company in Dallas, where she and her team achieved ambitious growth objectives that propelled the company forward in its market. Prior to that, she was Director of Public Relations and Stakeholder Communications at Cambia Health Solutions in Portland, with oversight of national strategic communications for a wide variety of healthcare companies including health plans in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Utah. Earlier in her career, for nearly 15 years, Regena led Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, where her team repeatedly drew accolades for the impact of their business- and consumer-focused campaigns.

In keeping with her dedicated commitment to community engagement and penchant for creating partnerships to improve healthcare access, experiences and outcomes, Regena serves on the Stand for Children Oregon Advisory Board, the TASTE for Equity Steering Committee and Portland Metro Chamber board.

Regena earned her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and her bachelor’s in journalism degree from Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

Brad Garrigues
Chief Growth Officer

Brad Garrigues

Brad Garrigues has served Providence for more than 20 years in various roles within sales and finance. As the health plan’s chief growth officer, he is responsible for strategic leadership for sales, underwriting and reinsurance programs, as well as revenue growth in commercial lines of business. Brad has helped lead the organization to unprecedented growth making it one of the largest carriers in the Pacific Northwest.

Prior to his current role, Brad served as chief sales and underwriting officer as well as senior director of sales & account services, where he was responsible for sales, member retention and service of insured and self-insured groups. Brad also managed the health plan’s underwriting department for 10 years, playing a significant role in the health plan’s financial success and membership growth. Prior to his time at Providence, Brad worked for ODS Health Plans (now Moda Health), as well as a property and casualty insurance company.

Brad graduated with distinction from Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, earning an MBA. Brad also holds an MBA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and completed his undergraduate studies at Linfield University, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business-Economics. Brad is a veteran of the U.S. Army, receiving a Meritorious Service Medal for his service during Operation Desert Storm.

Michael Mathias
Chief Information Officer

Michael Mathias

Michael Mathias joined Providence Health Plan (PHP) as Chief Information Officer in August of 2022. In his role, Michael drives the strategy and adoption of information technology (IT) systems for the organization. An innovative leader, he also oversees alignment of PHP’s business strategy and IT operations. Michael’s deep knowledge of healthcare IT includes over 25 years of experience at payer organizations where he drove innovation while navigating the digital transformation of healthcare.

Prior to joining PHP, Michael served as Chief Information Officer at Blue Shield of California where he also held the role of Executive Vice President. Throughout his nearly 10-year career with Blue Shield of California, he led the company’s technology operations, strategy, and investments while also serving as the organization’s Executive Vice President of Customer Service. Michael also spent 16 years at Aetna where he held the positions of Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Officer, directing the company’s technology strategy and information delivery systems. He also held a variety of roles with U.S. Health Care Inc., UBS, and Educational Testing Services.

In 2019, Michael was inducted into CIO Magazine’s CIO Hall of Fame. That same year, Michael received the CIO of the Year Award from the Bay Area CIO Leadership Association. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Long Island University.

Cheryl Morrison
Chief Operating Officer

Cheryl Morrison

Cheryl Morrison joined Providence Health Plan (PHP) as the Chief Operating Officer in June 2022. Throughout her nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare, she has acquired a wealth of knowledge executing key roles across health plan operations, sales, and other lines of business. As the Chief Operating Officer, Cheryl oversees the day-to-day operational and administrative functions of PHP and designs innovative operating models to support the organization’s overall growth strategy.

A thoughtful leader known to inspire others through unclouded vision and courageous authenticity, Cheryl is enthusiastic about helping others and is deeply aligned with Providence Health Plan’s dedication to compassionately providing the highest quality care to all people.

Before joining Providence Health Plan, Cheryl served as Vice President of Growth Operations for commercial and consumer markets at Blue Shield of California where she successfully reimagined and launched strategic operating models across multiple lines of business. These models served to close the gap between basic operations and the fundamental change required to drive growth, optimize functional operations, and improve the capabilities and services offered through innovative technology.

Prior to Blue Shield of California, Cheryl served as the Vice President of Client Growth Strategy at UnitedHealth Group – OptumRx where she was accountable for developing and driving initiatives which supported growth and retention functions across all medical and Rx integrated commercial business. She has also held several roles with Medco.

Cheryl resides in Granite Bay, California with her two children. In her own time, she actively mentors and develops others, is a founding member of the women’s only executive leadership group, Chief of San Francisco, and volunteers as a Youth Girl soccer coach.

Kristin Mulaney
Head of Growth Strategies

Kristin Mullany

Kristin Mullany is Providence Health Plan’s Head of Growth Strategies. In this key leadership role, Kristin’s work guides the organization in expanding the business, improving efficiencies, and ensuring Providence Health Plan’s long-term ability to serve members and communities across its geographic footprint.

Kristin’s 20+ years of experience in setting strategy, driving growth and empowering organizations to transform has prepared her to guide PHP’s large-scale growth strategies and corporate development initiatives, including geographic expansion and strategic partnerships.

A trusted advisor and thought partner, Kristin leverages cross-functional collaboration to drive strong relationships. She works tirelessly to build consensus across all organizational levels. Her diverse background working for health insurers (Blue Shield of California), consulting firms (HealthScape and Accenture), and pharmaceutical companies (Abbott and Elli Lilly), bring an unmatched breadth of expertise and inform Kristin’s insight into emerging trends and opportunities in the health care industry.

Kristin was drawn to PHP for its Mission, culture and talent. She is known as a “dot connector” with an “art of the possible” mindset. She connects strategy to execution and inspires leaders to innovate and act. She is an avid people leader who builds high-performing teams and fosters a culture of excellence.

Kristin earned her MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Arts in pre-med and psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

Headshot of Lina Saadzoi
Chief Financial Officer

Lina Saadzoi

Lina Saadzoi serves as Providence Health Plan’s Chief Financial Officer, assuming the role in June 2023. Lina brings expertise in the fundamentals of finance and leadership to oversee not only core finance operations, but additional areas including Medicare and consumer growth, strategic partnerships, and corporate development. She also plays a key role leading the finance team and supporting leaders of the Informatics and Consumer & Specialty teams.

Lina is instrumental in growing Providence Health Plan’s multi-state footprint, helping expand access to high-quality, compassionate care for Members and our communities.

Lina joins Providence Health Plan following a 23-year career with Blue Shield of California, where she led a multitude of service lines including financial planning, Medicare, strategy, and corporate development. Her most recent roles include Vice President and General Manager for Medicare and Vice President of Corporate Strategic Integration. She also served as Vice President of Healthcare Quality and Affordability Finance, where she was responsible for initiatives in lowering care costs.

Lina was honored as one 2017’s most influential women in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times. She holds a Master of Business Administration and information technology degree from Golden Gate University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from San Francisco State University’s Lam Family College of Business.

Caresse Sakagawa
Chief Marketing & Product Officer

Caresse Sakagawa

Caresse Sakagawa is the Chief Marketing and Product Officer at Providence Health Plan (PHP). She oversees all aspects of PHP’s marketing strategy, product development and brand experience leveraging deep expertise and an unmatched dedication to service to ensure that consumers are met with the highest quality healthcare products and experiences across all lines of business.

She is focused on delivering on the Providence Health Plan Mission though exceptional product innovation and purpose-driven initiatives that bring value, support organizational growth and improve the lives of the people and communities that Providence Health Plan serves.

With more than 20 years’ experience, Caresse has dedicated her career to building and transforming brand and marketing operations at consumer-centered organizations. Before joining Providence Health Plan, she developed and led marketing strategies and teams at several different organizations including Regence BlueCross & BlueShield, Pacific Sun Industries and Johnson & Johnson. Drawing from her previous experience working with global brands and packaged goods, Caresse brings a unique perspective and exceptional insight to the Providence Health Plan Executive Leadership Team.

A relentless advocate for the most vulnerable populations, Caresse is passionate about giving a voice to the disenfranchised and works to remove barriers and reduce hardships through actively engaging in her community. She currently serves on the board of Central City Concern, a non-profit dedicated to ending homelessness through a holistic, person-first approach. Caresse has also worked closely with the Oregon Department of Corrections and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to bring support and caring to incarcerated and paroled youth, among several other volunteer activities.

Caresse earned her MBA from the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business, specializing in statistics. She was also awarded the graduate teaching fellow position for new product marketing and marketing strategies courses. Additionally, Caresse was the research analyst for the NYU marketing department where she applied statistical tools, marketing models and data analysis techniques for the purposes of market segmentation, user profiling and product positioning strategies. Caresse earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Southern Oregon University.

Caresse is an Oregon native, with family roots in Hawaii. She enjoys being a mother, volunteering, golfing, snowboarding, backpacking and most of all spending time with family.

Laurel Soot
Chief Medical Officer

Laurel Soot

Laurel Soot, M.D., FACS, is Providence Health Plan’s Chief Medical Officer. She is dedicated to ensuring that PHP provides high-quality, affordable care for members and the community today, tomorrow, and long into the future. Her mission is to drive positive change by aligning clinical strategy, business analytics, alternative payment methods and organizational goals.

Dr. Soot has nearly 30 years’ experience at Providence, including seven years overseeing medical management at PHP. Her broad clinical expertise guides PHP’s development of clinically appropriate policies and supports evidence-based decision making.

She brings a visionary leadership style and true passion about health care delivery reform as it relates to social determinants of health, population health management and payment models. Actively involved with advocacy and health care reform locally and at the state and the national level, Dr. Soot is recognized for helping to implement innovative healthcare delivery solutions, using data analytics to drive strategic growth and actively addressing health equity while improving patient outcomes.

Dr. Soot has served in leadership positions within the American College of Surgeons, The Oregon Clinic, and the Providence St. Joseph Health system. She currently chairs the PHP Medical Policy Committee and is a member of the Oregon Health Leadership Council Evidence-Based Best Practice Committee.

Dr. Soot earned her medical degree from University of Washington, Seattle, and completed her surgical residency at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.

Headshot of Timshel Tarbet
Chief Healthcare Experience & Equity Officer

Timshel Tarbet

Timshel Tarbet serves as Providence Health Plan’s chief healthcare experience and equity officer, leading healthcare experience (including Medicare STARS), equity initiatives and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the organization. In driving Providence Health Plan’s commitment to advancing true population health, Timshel ensures health equity is integrated into all facets of the enterprise and strategy. She is also responsible for grounding Providence Health Plan’s culture and experience in principles of DEI, and aligning efforts with Providence’s Mission, Values, and Vision.

A purpose-driven, visionary leader, Timshel brings her experience and passion to champion equity and health for all.

Throughout her career, Timshel has been instrumental in leading business excellence, DEI strategy, growth strategies, and strengthening corporate culture and diversity. Timshel joined Providence Health Plan in June 2023 from SCAN Health Plan. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at Cambia Health Solutions in both compensation and performance strategy, and as a human resources partner. She served our country and built her professional foundation as a staff sergeant in the United States Air Force.

Timshel actively supports her community and has served as a board member for Catholic Charities, president of the Board for Candlelighters for Children with Cancer, and community board member for the Clackamas County Compensation Committee. She is a respected thought leader on business excellence, DEI, and culture-building, presenting at national events and conferences including HLTH 2022, The Impact Summit, and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. Timshel holds a Master of Business Administration and bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, as well as numerous certifications in compensation, risk management, and strategy. 

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