People of Providence Health Plan

People of PHP: Sheri Zandi

01 April 2026

For Sheri Zandi, the work has always been about people. As a clinical support coordinator in Providence Health Plan’s Care Management department, she is often the first voice a member hears after a diagnosis lands in the system, a call that many members say they never expected to receive.

Sheri has been with Providence for 20 years, 10 of them at Providence Health Plan, and her role sits at a uniquely human crossroads. Every day, she and her team of seven clinical support coordinators work through a queue of 800 to 900 screens, each one representing a member with a diagnosis like coronary artery disease, diabetes, asthma, or cancer. The goal is straightforward: reach out, listen, and figure out where Sheri and her team can help.

The outreach itself is something members rarely see coming. Many have never had an insurance company call them proactively, and that surprise often turns quickly into relief. Sheri walks each member through a brief screening (usually 10 to 15 minutes) to understand their diagnoses, their medications, and where their needs might be going unmet. From there, she determines whether she can step in directly or whether a nurse case manager is the right next step for more complex clinical support.

Cases come from many directions, the member queue, customer service, providers, and members who already know the team is there and reach out on their own. Whatever the source, Sheri approaches each one with the same question: what does this person actually need, and how do we get it to them?

That question has led to some remarkable moments. In one recent case, Sheri connected with a member who was two days away from an international trip to Colombia and hadn’t thought through her medications. Working across provider offices, the pharmacy, and PHP’s internal pharmacy department, Sheri spent two days coordinating until she had a solution. The member picked up a three-month supply of medications the Friday afternoon before her Monday morning flight.

Another case involved a member in a care facility whose motorized wheelchair had been broken for months. Because of his disability, he relied on a tilting mechanism in the chair to see ahead of him while driving. Without it, navigating the hallways had become dangerous. Requests to repair it had stalled. Sheri started making calls, tracked down the responsible repair vendor, and worked through the approval process over two to three weeks. The day after the wheelchair was fixed, the member called her, thrilled to finally travel down the hallway without fear.

These stories reflect what Sheri describes as the heart of her motivation: “My passion really is helping people.” Whether she’s coordinating durable medical equipment, navigating a prior authorization denial, or helping a member get an appointment with a new provider, she finds meaning in every step that moves someone closer to the care they need.

That work connects directly to CMS Star Ratings, though Sheri and her team think about it less in terms of metrics and more in terms of outcomes. When a member with diabetes hasn’t had a diabetic eye exam in the past year, Sheri helps them find a provider and, if they’d like, helps schedule the appointment. When blood sugar management is a struggle, she connects members with nutritionists and reminds them of a benefit many don’t know they have: gym memberships. For members managing chronic conditions, even a walk on a treadmill or a swim can make a meaningful difference.

Sheri is also proud of what sets Providence Health Plan apart from other carriers, even other highly rated ones. Two programs stand out in particular. The food disparity program provides members who are struggling with food access up to eight weeks of support, whether that’s weekly $50 Safeway gift cards, bundles of fresh fruits and vegetables, or prepared meals through Mom’s Meals. For members who may not have reliable access to nutritious food, it’s the kind of support that few insurance plans offer. The transition of care program is another differentiator: when members switch to Providence Health Plan mid-treatment, the team works to ensure continuity of care for up to 90 days with their previous providers while helping them find new ones for the long term.

Higher Star Ratings, Sheri explains, aren’t just a score, they unlock better Medicare funding, which translates directly into expanded benefits for members. Emergency alert devices, gym memberships, food programs: these are the tangible results of strong quality performance. And when members see a four- or five-star rating, they trust the plan more, which brings more people into the fold – more people Sheri and her team can help.

That sense of community runs deep for Sheri. She lives in the Beaverton area, not far from the Murray Business Center, and volunteers locally when she can, including at food banks. She sees Providence’s Mission Week and community clinic efforts as an extension of the same value: showing up for the people around you. “It just helps uplift everybody,” she says.

Inside the team, that spirit of showing up for one another is just as evident. When a coordinator encounters a situation they haven’t seen before, the team’s shared chat becomes a resource, someone almost always has experience with it, or knows the right resource to offer. Sheri describes her colleagues as one of the best teams she’s ever worked with, and that’s not a small thing for someone with two decades at Providence. The collaboration extends outward, too, to nurse case managers, management, and the broader organization, all working together to get members what they need.

For Sheri, the most rewarding moments are the ones that happen after the work is done – a member calling back to say thank you, or simply to share that things are better now. Those calls are quiet affirmations that reaching out matters, that coordinating behind the scenes makes a real difference in real lives. And they’re the reason she’s been showing up to do this work for ten years.

Hear directly from Sheri about how she connects with members and helps make care more accessible.