Announcements

Welcome, Regena Frieden!

13 January 2022

Providence Health Plan (PHP) is pleased to share the recent hire of Regena Frieden who will serve as chief of staff to Don Antonucci, chief executive officer of PHP. In her role, Regena will collaborate with members of PHP’s executive team and serve as a key communications strategist and advisor. She will also oversee administrative, financial, and operational activities. Regena assumed her role in mid-December and is based out of Oregon.

Regena has more than 25 years of healthcare industry experience and has been instrumental in leading high-performing teams within several organizations. Throughout her successful career, Regena has helped brands and individuals achieve their goals with the aspiration of improving health experiences and outcomes.

“I’m thrilled to join Providence during this pivotal time of transformation across the entire healthcare industry,” said Frieden. “I am passionate about Providence’s Mission and belief that healthcare is a fundamental human right. I am looking forward to working closely with Don and my fellow caregivers to promote health equity and access, while driving results for the organization.”

Regena is joining Providence from Medecision, a digital health and consulting company in Dallas, where she served as the vice president of marketing and communications. During her time with Medecision, Regena was responsible for identifying and achieving growth objectives, and led digital marketing, brand management and communications efforts for the company.

She also previously worked as the director of public relations and stakeholder communications at Cambia Health Solutions in Portland. At Cambia, she led all public relations, media relations and stakeholder communications for its regional health plans in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah, and subsidiaries. Regena played a pivotal role in the launch of Voices for Affordable Health, a consumer advocacy and education initiative that provided information on affordable health solutions. 

For nearly 15 years, Regena led public relations and corporate communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, where she served as the organization’s chief spokesperson and oversaw all communications, reputation management and brand management work. During her tenure, her team won multiple national awards for their business and consumer-focused campaigns, including a program to reduce childhood obesity.

“We are excited to have Regena Frieden join the Providence family,” Don Antonucci said. “She has a proven track record of impactful leadership and shares our commitment to serve as member advocates and champions for our communities. We look forward to achieving even more success with her on board.”

Regena holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Regena has volunteered for several philanthropic initiatives, which include serving on the board of directors of Morrison Child and Family Services in Portland. During her time in Arizona, she served as board chair of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Phoenix, in addition to supporting Free Arts of Arizona, the Arthritis Foundation and the Fiesta Bowl, among other nonprofits and organizations.