Growing up in rural Wisconsin shaped Krista Hoglund’s career path in multiple ways. “Most importantly, it has allowed me to experience firsthand the struggles neighbors in my community have had in obtaining necessary and preventative healthcare,” she said. “One should not have to choose between basic necessities and medical care, and yet many do.”
As the CEO of Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Hoglund said her focus is on bringing affordability to health care, with particular focus on preserving high quality care in rural areas.
Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc. is a health insurance company, part of the Marshfield Clinic Health System, that helps its 225,000 members in Wisconsin and beyond reach their best health. The organization is a not-for-profit health plan serving Wisconsin since 1971 and is the fifth largest Wisconsin-based health plan based on enrollment and the fourth largest based on revenue.
In the two years Hoglund has been CEO, she has shown her innovative spirit and drive to foster leadership in others, said her staff. She was elected to the executive board for the Alliance of Community Health Plans and the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans by her peers based on her leadership skills and the respect she gained in the industry over a short time.
“Her colleagues know Krista as a collaborative visionary, and a creative, observant leader who puts ideas into action and has the grit and tenacity to bring concepts to reality,” said her staff.
During her time as CEO, Hoglund pushed the company to expand the use of natural language processing beyond Medicare risk-adjustment processes. She has also prioritized employee engagement to improve passion for the work and contribute to the company’s mission.
“It is extremely important to me that our members feel heard and understood,” said Hoglund. “As a leader, I can influence and motivate our employees to instill a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion in the way we conduct business.”
That’s why Hoglund pledged that the company would commit to achieving the National Committee For Quality Assurance Health Equity Accreditation for 2023. “As part of the process, employees engaged in a specialized program aimed at cross cultural understanding,” she said. “I was proud to see that our organization achieved 100 percent participation rate, which is unheard of in any group.”
Hoglund said she believes that training like this equips employees with the education and tools to recognize disparities and offer members resources to assist. “Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” she said.
For her passion and commitment to engage employees and lead by example, Hoglund has been named a titan.
